Vast amounts of money are spent by almost every country in border protection, although I never could confirm how much Greenland spends. Regardless, border protection is a big deal. It will be one of the issues discussed at length during next year’s presidential race. How much do we spend on our own borders? While the amount spent on border decoration and beautification is quite large, what is it all for if we don’t protect what is most valuable and dear to us?Learning how to say “no” is the first line of defense when it comes to staying on purpose and following your dreams. When your days are topsy-turvy and you are pulled in all different directions, it most likely is due to a lack of an overriding purpose in life. In order to help discover this purpose, refer back to the dreams you had as a child. They did not go away just because you’ve grown up into adulthood. These childhood dreams still have an impact on us today. They produce a longing, a desire to go or do something, a dream of being something.
Now, it may be impractical for you to seek childhood dream fulfillment, then again, it may not. It’s important to incorporate these longings and dreams as you set your goals and purpose for today. Since these dreams still influence us today, it seems more appropriate to state that today’s goals are uncovered, not just created.
When our goals for today are aligned with our core values and dreams, a tremendous amount of energy and momentum is discovered. Life makes sense. Things are effortless. I experienced this during this last weekend when I got to be with my wife for a weekend without the kids. We went all over the place. Bowling, eating out, the rodeo, a friend’s party, sleeping late. While this weekend was a bit of an anomaly, it did align itself with one of my wife and I’s core values; our marriage. So how do you hold on to weekends like this when the work week invades?
Step one requires you to know and continue to follow your purpose and dreams. For most people, work will be a necessity all their life, but it does not have to completely dominate your life. If you dread your job that much, it may be time to find a different one. Step two would require you to sit down and plan out a “dreamline.” Map out what you want to have and/or experience in life 3 months from now, 6 months from now, and/or a year from now (don’t go beyond a year, it’s too far out to sustain today’s momentum). Simply knowing and working towards a goal or dream 6 months from now can make working today more appealing. Step three; protect the steps and the progress of your dreamline with your life. Give up the things that don’t fit in with these dreams, say “no” to the things that will steer you off course.
Imagine your dreamline as your compass. Refer to it often. It will guide you where you want to go.
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