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Dreams
By karen | February 4, 2007If you’re young at heart”
I can remember being a kid and hearing that song and getting so excited. It always reminded me of the magical dreams and all of the fairy tales, princesses and dreams of Disneyland. At that time there was only one Disneyland, the one in California. Disneyworld in Florida came a few years later. Don’t we all still think of Disneyland as that magical place? And Disney has become a large part of the American and even the International Culture. Disney has given the world magic, whimsy and optimism.
Walt Disney is remembered as an innovator, a creator, a folk hero and a legend. Walt Disney was a self-made success in the American tradition.
But apparently it wasn’t always easy. Walt Disney was forced to file bankruptcy five times on his way to success. Many people would have given up and quit with the stress and failures of that many bankruptcies but not Disney. He pressed on and the rest is history. The world is a more magical and wonderful place for it. Aren’t you glad he didn’t give up?
Ray Croc, the founder of McDonalds was 52 years old when he came up with his idea to sell hamburgers. He was in need of some investors so he presented his plan to a few people who could help him out. These two men with their vast business acumen and years of practical experience reviewed his plan. On a Monday morning as the one came to his office, Ray was waiting for him and his answer. He took Ray into his office and he told him that they had run the numbers, they had reviewed the plan, and they knew what could work and what was not a good business decision. After much study they had determined that it was absolutely impossible for Ray to make any money selling hamburgers. Well, Ray disagreed. He pressed on and the rest is history.
When I was a kid I used to love to read. Still do in fact. It is definitely one of my favorite pastimes. But when I was a kid one of my favorite books was “Little House in the Big Woods”. It was the first book of the “Little House” series of eight children’s books. Most of us remember the “Little House on the Prairie” TV show and few are not familiar with these books. But it is less well known that the author, Laura Ingalls Wilder was 65 years old when she published “Little House in the Big Woods” and of course she was older than that as the remaining seven books in the series were published. Many people get a nasty notion in their head about life when they get to a certain age that they are too old. Nope, I refuse to believe in too old!
Okay, there are people who have overcome obstacles on their way to success, but what about ordinary, everyday people? Well, here’s another story.
Just a few short years ago Lori McKenna was an “everyday, 30-something” stay-at-home mom. She had married at a young age and she was busy raising five kids and taking care of a household and a husband. But she still dreamed. And she wrote down those dreams in the form of music. Lori is a songwriter. But she didn’t know how her dreams might come true or if they even could come true. It seemed impossible. Her family responsibilities seemed to have taken over her life and there were times I’m sure that she felt the pain of thinking that her dreams and aspirations were in vain. But a couple of years ago, some of her songs were brought to the attention of Faith Hill. Yeah, that would be Faith Hill the country music superstar. Faith is at the point in her career where she can pick and choose the songs that she records. Well on Faith’s last CD, Fireflies, she chose three of Lori McKenna’s songs- “Stealing Kisses” (a beautiful song but very haunting, haunting lyrics), “If you ask” and “Fireflies”.
Now Lori McKenna is described as an “Acclaimed singer, songwriter” when just a few short years ago, Lori was just a stay-at-home mom trying to get all the laundry done and the house cleaned and only daydreaming of her songs being heard.
What is your dream? Maybe in a few short years you can be the one who is acclaimed! It happened to Lori McKenna. It could happen for you.
If you can dream it, you can achieve it. It might not come easy. There are always obstacles in life. That’s just the way it is. But Dreams are the high-octane fuel, the premium ice cream and the combustible electricity in the game of life. They keep you going, they sweeten it up, and they serve up the energy. Just having dreams makes life better, sweeter and more satisfying to the soul.
Keep on dreaming because “Fairy tales can come true, they can happen to you, if you’re young at heart”.
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I am exceptionally pleased and happy to say that this article has been included in the February 24, 2007 edition of the Carnival of Career Intensity. You can see it and 4 other very fine articles at CareerIntensity.com
The Carnival of the Entrepeneurs 12th edition has chosen this article as one of its “best of the week” (Feb. 28) picks. You can see it and many other wonderful, inspiring and informational articles at Emmanuel Oluwatosin:Inspiring Excellence, Realising Ambitions
It takes courage to follow your dreams. I’m working on my own courage right now.
The Carnival of Courage has selected this post to be part of its Issue #10.
You can see it and 7 other fine postings at The Dragon Slayers Guide to Life. Thank you.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:23 am
I LOVE THIS POST! There is nothing that can stop someone who has a burning desire! Just pick up Napoleon Hill’s “Think And Grow Rich” (which was originally written in 1937 and has very little to do with money). I just completed my Vision Board (see http://www.thesecret.tv for more information about vision boards and other goodies) and I have a picture of Oprah on there three times - once in the section about people I want to meet, once in the section about books (I’m an author and LOVE to read, too), and once in the section about my business. I have a burning desire to meet her, and I know that will happen in 2007. When we as a society can get rid of our cynicism and resignation, there’s no telling what we can accomplish. Thank God for those who are starting to get out of their own way, and inspire us to do the same in our own lives! Thank you for this great reminder!!
February 5th, 2007 at 8:36 am
Thanks Jodee. Make sure you write and tell me when you will be on the Oprah show so I can make sure and watch that day! Actually I’d love to go with you!
Thanks for coming by!
February 7th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
Karen, I really appreciate this that you wrote. Thank you for the positive input. Our Sunday school class we named it” Young at Heart” ha ha. I love that song “young At Heart”. Sincerely,katherine wilson
February 7th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Yeah, Great Song. I looked up the lyrics and the entire song is inspiring!
Thanks for coming by!
February 28th, 2007 at 6:07 am
[...] 2. If you can dream it, you can achieve. Walt Disney is remembered as an innovator, a creator, a folk hero and a legend because he had a dream and he achieved it. Karen Lynch, in dreams, shared an interesting story on what can happen to a man that has dreams. [...]
March 1st, 2007 at 12:48 pm
[...] Just recently in Dreams, I wrote about how the business experts told Ray Croc, the founder of McDonalds how it was impossible to make any money selling hamburgers. The magnitude of the scope of just how wrong those skeptics were is mind-boggling as McDonalds has made billions upon multiplying billions of dollars selling hamburgers. [...]
March 3rd, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Carnival of Courage #10
Welcome to the Issue #10 of the Carnival of Courage: A Cavalcade of Superheroes! Greetings, All! Oh how I love hosting this carnival. I love it I love it I love it. I got some great submissions this week. I
March 3rd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Great post! Very inspiring.
March 3rd, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Thank you.
Thank you for stopping by! Knowing people are reading my blog brings me Joy, Joy, Joy!!!
March 9th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Karen,
Great post - follow your dreams, your inspirations.
Congrats on the The Carnival of the Entrepeneurs 12th edition as that is how I found this great post.
Hope you are living your dream!
Dave
http://businessadvicedaily.com
March 9th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Wow! Thanks for stopping by and for the encouraging comment! Yeah, I’m living many of my dreams and I’m still striving for many dreams. But I keep on Believing! Thank you! I hope you are living your dream too!
July 20th, 2007 at 4:33 am
I have read all the postings here, and I thank God for them and their authors. I was awaken out of my sleep to come to this site. The words on my mind as I awaken were “The Power of Dreams”. Last week, after 42 years of waiting, I finally was able to go to see the Disney dream called Disney World. At the Magic Kingdom, I saw Mickey, Minnie and other Disney characters give a performance in which they told the crowd that “dreams can come true”. I now “real eyes” that my years of dreaming that I must help people to transform into the beautiful butterflies of freedom that God purposed in each heart, has now arrived. There are trillions of dollars awaiting to attach themselves to carrying out God-annointed dreams of purpose. It’s not about cashflow but lifeflow. Then, we may all real eyes our reason for being - - not to hold on but to let go.
July 20th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Thanks for stopping by RJ!! Love that line “it’s not about cashflow but lifeflow”! so true!
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:47 pm
These are great success stories. Thank you for sharing.
October 17th, 2007 at 6:52 am
[...] Related posts from Live the Power-Dreams The Age Myth Never too Late [...]
October 26th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Beautiful post Karen! This is a very timely post for me, you don’t even know! I have been going through the “i’ll be 40 in 2 years, what will I do with my life” stage, and wondering if 40 is too late to go back to college.
October 26th, 2007 at 10:21 am
It’s not too late…
It’s never too late….
Go for it!
and BTW—40 is just the beginning you are still a youngster!!
(I know since I am now 46!)
August 20th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Karen, thank you for the excellent perspective. We work with entrepreneurs and dreamers. Your observations are true for everyone who goes down the path to success. It is tenacity and an unwavering desire for a goal mixed with luck. As Mark Cuban says, “You only have to be right once.” Take care.