Revive and Realize Your Dreams
My wife and I absolutely love reality television, especially the singing competition ones. The best part is always the beginning during the auditions, because you see and hear people who are not cut out for the industry and are best left to late-night karaoke. There is always a look of shock from contestants when the judges have to let them down, because it’s crushing a dream.
Have you ever had someone crush your dream because of a lack of skill? I know I have. Does that mean we give up on our dreams? Absolutely not! I think about those contestants who dreamt of singing and those dreams were crushed by that singular experience. I’m not saying that those folks should be superstar singers (or that I’d ever listen to their homemade CD), but what I am saying is that we often limit our dreams and view them in a snapshot of our current existence.
For example, if I dream of singing, I might pursue a recording contract or try out for one of these national singing competitions. However, if I don’t possess the skills to achieve that, it doesn’t mean my dream can never be a reality.
Where I think we miss the boat is not realizing our entire dream. We often think that if we don’t hit it big, we won’t hit anything at all. If you can’t become an award-winning singer, it doesn’t mean your dream of singing is a bust. It means that the dream can be realized elsewhere. Perhaps you become a member of a local choir where you help lift up the hearts and spirits of others. Maybe you become a teacher, who uses your dream of singing to connect with students who have similar aspirations.
There are countless ways that you can realize your dream if you’re open to seeing the bigger picture.
For me, I always wanted to motivate and lead others. I thought I would become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company right out of college, because I knew I had those skills, right? Boy, was I wrong! I thought that after a few years of let downs and failures that I would never realize my dream to lead a team, speak in front of people, and make a difference. However, through unforeseen circumstances, I ended up in the world of Education and eventually at Florida Virtual School. I now get to speak to hundreds of students at any given time. You never know who is listening and the level of your impact. I’ve had parents call to say they were listening to me teach and tell me they learned something. I’ve had students say that I have changed their life through our interactions. As Teacher of the Year I get to speak at conferences, meet legislators, and help new and veteran teachers become better every day. So did I get my dream? More than I could have ever anticipated, because I was open to realizing what my dream actually was.
As you set your New Year’s resolutions for 2014 this holiday season, dream big and think outside of the box! Tell us how you are already living the dream in the here and now and how you are planning to revive, realize, and reimagine your dreams in the coming year.
Post by Shawn Wigg, Former Lead Teacher and 2014 FLVS Teacher of the Year