What is YOUR Dream?
Excuses! Excuses! Excuses! That's the reason most of us do not follow our dreams. So as you can imagine, my dream is to be able to draw. But for so many years I have made 1000 excuses. Here are a few of mine - and they are really, really good ones because I have procrastinated almost 40 years (which is a really long time to procrastinate!) Anyway, here is just how good I am at putting off my own dream:
I have worked hard all day and am too tired to do anything
I don't really know how to draw and whatever I do will look stupid
I have to take the kids, pick up the kids, drop the kids, change the kids
There are more important things I should be doing
I am way to tired
It will look stupid
I don't even know where to start
I am too old to start learning to draw. I should have started this 40 years ago
I don't know how
I never learned
It will look stupid
Blah, blah, blah. . .
Is there some dream you have that you have been putting off? Is there something you love that just makes time stand still for you? That's what happens when I start drawing.
So this Sunday I took my little camp stool, a few pencils and a drawing pad and I got to the town square in Lima very early and just decided that after 40 years, today was going to be the first day of the rest of my life. I sat near my big white van because I was still afraid of looking stupid and I just started drawing. I was really nervous at first that the guys at the picnic table across the square would come over and look, heckle, or make under-the-breath comments like, "Wow, this guy is that old and look at his work. Looks pretty stupid." But none of that happened. Everyone just minded their own business and I eventually relaxed and just enjoyed the moment.
An hour just flew by and. . . Well, you can see for yourself.
I had to keep telling myself to - GET OVER IT! - and Get on with it. Which is what happened to me Sunday.
Are you sitting on a dream? There is nothing that is more helpful, healthful, and plants the seed of happiness than to follow you bliss.
If you see me sitting on a camp stool in the middle of town somewhere you'll see a guy lost in concentration, focused on some building or tree or house. What you won't see is a guy who has the biggest smile right across his soul.
