Isthe dreaming really the problem? Or is it the inertia, the never stepping beyond the dreams?

Some people can never take the step for one reason or another. For some I'd say it was their own doing, but for others, it's an outside force preventing them. And sometimes those inspirational seminars are actually very helpful. It can put the dream seeds into someone's brain. It can nudge some seeds already there to sprout. And it can encourage others to take their first wobbly baby steps towards their dreams. In past years I sent my employees out repeatedly to inspirational seminars. One was not enough, it was the constantly repeated encouragement that kickstarted most of them to pursue at least a tiny bit of a dream. Sadly (my perspective only) only one seized the day and ran off to make her dream into reality. Sadly, most people are stuck on the dream phase.

One really good thing came out of all those inspirational seminars. While it wasn't the seminars themselves that gave me to giant kick in my ass, they gave me the courage to pursue my own dream. My second life started 2001 and I've never stopped pursuing my own lifelong dream.

I love this. Dreaming is great, but actions achieve.

However, getting past that first step and gaining momentum is really difficult.

I use to get a kind of stage fright every time I had to write an exam in school. There I was, in a classroom, knew my stuff, but suddenly I have to write an essay on demand!?! Horrid! Couldn't do it. On my desk there was a pile of blank sheets of paper, waiting for my essay. Two hours to write the essay, an hour in, I haven't written a word. One day, I took each of these pieces of paper and wrote on the top of each one "this page is no longer blank". From there on, a two-hour essay was easy to write in under half an hour. I wrote like the wind blows. From there on in, whenever I have to write something on demand, I write "This page is no longer blank" on the top of the page. I don't know why it works, but those few words seem to make all the difference in the world. Sent me from barely passing to A plus with honours.

Then the internet was born. This was amazing because now I was no longer limited to my local library if I wanted to learn something.

Then I discovered forums. It was in forums, that I discovered the you-cant-cha people.

Imagine the playwright in the comic went to night school or wherever, to learn how to write. Imagine the teacher, instead of teaching how to write, spent the entire 6 months talking about how difficult it is, how none of them will be able to finish a script, and even if they did, they are too pathetic and unimportant for anyone to take notice. They would be crushed, stop dreaming, stop doing, go home and get fat eating ice cream.

That starting momentum to go from dreaming to doing is so important. I think, it's also exceptionally fragile. Those stuck in the dreaming stage and the disillusioned stage, can so easily destroy the momentum of those just setting out on the doing path. I feel it's the responsibility of people who have already started doing, to help those who are just getting going.

Re: the responsibility of those already doing to help those who are just starting.

YES! Is that not part of the third ethic of permaculture? I take my excess built up momentum, enthusiasm, knowledge and give some of it away to people just starting out. For me it's in the form of hosting a community garden where people can come to share knowledge, gain knowledge, experiment, and try fresh foods that they've help grow. I spend one morning each week sharing my excess.

opportunity is often missed because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Everything in life is about balance.

Dreams are good but at some point if a person wants to actually live the dream then they must start by committing to achieve the dream.

I admire those people who can just walk up to the bull and grasp it by the horns. But I've not been able to do that. Everything I've accomplished since 2001 has been by taking baby steps. Once I force myself to take a dozen wobbly, fearful baby steps on some project, I can then begin to stride out fairly well. It's not that I'd label myself a failed dreamer or a non-self starter type. It's just that I'm hesitant in the beginning. But ya know, here I am 15 years later with a 20 acre homestead farm. That's cool! And guess what!......I'm no longer afraid of failure, of being wrong, or of looking the fool. Working on my dream has been good. Not without bumps, but good none the less.

Su Ba wrote:I admire those people who can just walk up to the bull and grasp it by the horns. But I've not been able to do that. Everything I've accomplished since 2001 has been by taking baby steps. Once I force myself to take a dozen wobbly, fearful baby steps on some project, I can then begin to stride out fairly well. It's not that I'd label myself a failed dreamer or a non-self starter type. It's just that I'm hesitant in the beginning. But ya know, here I am 15 years later with a 20 acre homestead farm. That's cool! And guess what!......I'm no longer afraid of failure, of being wrong, or of looking the fool. Working on my dream has been good. Not without bumps, but good none the less.

Good for you! Su in my way of thinking it's not about being a bull or about being cautious it's about doing. I know so many people who live in fear of failure that they are stagnate & think so poorly of themselves, it's just a shame.

When I was younger I wanted to go to university to study law but I did not have the funds to pay for it.  Each year one of the big local law firms gave out a scholarship that covered all the costs of tuition for the whole course of study.  My friend and I were both about the same academically but she said to me "Well, only one person can win so why bother to apply?".  I said "Well, they have to give it to someone: why not me?".

So I applied and I won it. In fact, I had already interviewed and been accepted at university before I knew how I was going to pay for it.  It was a big leap of faith but I have always found that you have to commit to yourself and your goal even if you cannot see how it is going to be fulfilled.  This is one of my favourite quotes:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.  Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way."

Scottish Himalayan
Exhibition