Dream realization

It is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

                                                                                                             -         Paulo Coelho

On Friday, February 17, I realized one of my life’s dreams. My book, A Manual for Peace, appeared on amazon.com. Having my book listed on what many call the biggest bookstore in the world gave me a strong feeling of gratification. As I think back over the last five years from when I first began writing the book (I had laid aside the unfinished manuscript for about three years of that time), I’m reminded of the advice I received from experts in the field of goal setting and dream realization.

Over the past decade or two, I’ve read many books from world-renowned authors like Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, and Anthony Robbins. Each of these books has expounded the key success principles required to not only live your life to the fullest, but to also narrow your focus on what you really want out of life – your purpose.

Currently, I’m reading Stephen Covey’s latest book called The 3^rd Alternative. Based on what I’ve read so far, the author sets out an interesting paradigm for engaging with our fellow human beings, so as to maximize our relationships and create the kind of synergy that breaks down the barriers to conflict resolution. Much of Mr. Covey’s book outlines examples of individual people, or groups (and in one case, a country, Switzerland) that have been shining examples of choosing the path of the 3^rd alternative. In other words, they’ve used creative solutions to remedy protracted problems.

But back to my earlier point about dream realization; I think we’d all agree on the key components required to make it happen. Those are: vision, goal setting, planning, persistence, and belief. All of those elements are important in the process, but for me belief is the key cog in the wheel on the drive to dream fulfillment. In Mark 9:23, Jesus said: “All things are possible to him who believes.” He didn’t say some things are possible; he said all things are possible. I’m really encouraged by those words.

In my estimation, too many of us only scratch at the surface of our potential as human beings. Who could deny there’s so much more we could achieve if we really stepped out on faith and conquered the inhibiting forces of doubt and fear? Dale Carnegie once said: “If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Are you busy taking action and happily checking off the items on your “bucket list?”

Throughout the process of finishing my book and getting it published, I’ve benefited greatly by studying the teachings of the Stoic philosophers. One member of that group, Epictetus, had an interesting observation on the topic of believing in ourselves and heading toward the apex of achievement in our lives. “We all carry the seeds of greatness within us, but we need an image as a point of focus in order that they may sprout.” For me, that image is our greatest dream – our magnificent obsession.

Peace is the way

It is the imagination that lights the slow fuse of the possible.

-        Emily Dickinson

It’s hard to believe that as I write this we’re already into the third week of January. What’s the saying? Time flies when you’re having fun. Hopefully, you’re having fun pursuing the goals you set for yourself for 2012. Speaking of goals, in my last blog post before Christmas I stated one of my main goals for this year. It reads something like this – to discover new ways to be a better teacher, and to read more, write more, listen more, and learn more. Very early in January, while waiting for a medical appointment in St. John’s, I added three more goals to my list. Those three additions are generally related to my writing goals.

On the subject of goal setting, there’s a statement by Jim Rohn that really clarifies the need for this practice. He said, “The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them.” It’s not so much the goals we set, but the strength of character we can develop in their pursuit.

Have you ever contemplated a goal that is so outrageously powerful that, through its fulfillment, it could change the world as we know it? Wouldn’t it be really exciting if you somehow developed a vision –a purpose in life whereby, through your efforts and the help of people you could enlist to your cause, you made a significant contribution for the benefit of mankind. Wouldn’t something like that cause you to bolt out of bed in the morning eager to get on with the task? Well that’s how I feel about a goal I’ve been pondering for quite some time. It’s a goal–a dream that really excites my imagination. My goal is to help bring about peace in the world.

Do you remember the song by Cat Stevens called “Peace Train?” It was very popular when people of my generation were in our teens (yes, I know, that’s a long time ago!) That song really resonated with me at the time and still does so today. The lyrics of this beautiful song contain a dichotomy between the singer’s good feelings about the world –“I’ve been smiling lately dreaming about the world as one”, and the artist’s sad feelings about the world –“I’ve been crying lately thinking about the world as it is.” Haven’t you had similar feelings at one time or another?  There’s a lot of strife in the world, but there are also signs of hope witnessed by the many humanitarian efforts toward noble causes like ending world poverty.

As an educator and a believer that world peace is possible, I think education is the catalyst to keep the peace train rolling. In the prologue to my book, A Manual for Peace (available on amazon.com by mid February), I said “Education leads to understanding and understanding leads to tolerance. What our world so desperately needs is an abundance of tolerance and respect.”

Last fall I read a great book by Andy Andrews called The Final Summit. In this book, an older man is taken up to heaven by the archangel Gabriel. While in heaven he meets with a number of great leaders like Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Joan of Arc in an effort to come up with a method, or principle, to save humanity. Each of the principles the leaders discuss can be summed up in just two words. If you have yet to read the book, I think you’ll be inspired, when you do read it, by the final principle on which they agree.

 On the topic of world peace, Mohandas Gandhi once said: “There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” Our individual efforts on the way to peace can collectively make a difference. I hope that the messages contained in my own book will be a spark of inspiration for my readers so that their belief in universal peace will be ignited or reignited.