Disney World
Photo Credit
Leslie Sanches Hodgins
My oldest daughter first showed me that dreams come true. At age six, she wanted to go to Disney World. I told her the only way that would happen is if she went on her own when she got older—but to hang on to that dream and make it come true. She did. At age 19, she saved up her money and paid her own way, experiencing Disney World in Florida with the two friends who went with her. I was always proud of her for that—for not giving up on something that was important to her in spite of initially impossible means and years passing by. She had achieved something I had not at more than twice her age.
In the five years that followed my daughter’s successful trip, I lost sight of that lesson because I was too snowed under making ends meet to contemplate, dream, or plan anything for myself. Perhaps I believed dreams only happened to others and not to me; my life was proof of that—my dreams had either never materialized or crumbled.
I think the lesson is that you have to believe.
My daughter had become a creator of her own destiny. The fact that it could be done was now proven.
It is when we stop accepting, and start expecting, that we start designing the means to our destinies. Once we take control, we can shape our futures and work toward manifesting our longest-standing dreams.
If we can imagine what we want, and begin to navigate in that direction, eventually the answers we seek will be answered, and a way will become possible. And we do not need to have all the answers before we set out. The number one way to kill a person’s career and life dreams is to demand to see all the methodologies and proof of success up front.
Passion and long-term commitment are stronger indicators of success than initial ability or economic statistics.
I could have said to my daughter, “People like us will never get to Disney World.” But I carefully did not say that. I passed the power to her. Who was I to judge whether going to Disney World was a valid venture, worth the money, or even possible to achieve?