Shellie opines on Dreaming in the Southern Quote

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alice in Wonderland where the Queen says to Alice, “Sometimes I dream as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” I confess. I’m something of a sap for lines like that. I believe in the power of a healthy dream. You may have noticed that I qualified the dream. Why? Because I also believe that when it comes to our goals and our dreams, we can’t afford to live in denial. That’s the subject of today’s Tell It Like It Is segment.

If you’ve ever watched the earliest rounds of American Idol, you’ve seen denial at its finest in the endless parade of people who can’t carry a tune in a bucket but are nonetheless willing to camp out overnight and stand in line for hours for their chance to audition. Seeing those turned away who are clearly just looking for that brief moment of fame on television doesn’t bother me but I hurt for the others, the ones who can’t sing a lick but still have their sweet hearts set on it as a career choice. These are the ones that repeat a version of their all too common mantra, “You can be anything you want in this life if you want it bad enough and never stop dreaming.”

That is simply not true. It sounds good. It’s often repeated by the most well-meaning people but it’s misleading at best and we do people a disservice by repeating it. Each of us has a unique ability or set of abilities. If you pursue a goal in keeping with that inherent skill set, indeed, the sky is the limit and you shouldn’t let anyone stand in your way. However, people who believe they can set their sights on any random goal and realize it thru nothing but dreams and perseverance are headed towards disillusionment and defeat. You can’t be anything you set your mind to be but you can succeed beyond your wildest dreams through your unique and individual strengths. Go for it.

~Shellie