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I recently met Chuck Holt and was immediately bowled over by his generosity and passion to alleviate poverty. More about him at the bottom of the post – today he blogs about the importance of having others around to support you while you go after your dream:

I spotted it in the shallow end of the pool and walked over to see what it was.  The sun’s reflection made the dull can shine, inviting to any little boy.  At that moment I went over to check it out.  Little did I know that this decision would affect me for years to come.  I remember that day like it was yesterday even though it was almost 40 years ago.  I was 5 years old and my family was at a public pool.

I was always the kind of child that pushed the envelope.  No wonder that now my favorite phrase is “If you’re not living life on the edge, you’re taking up too much space!” Most of the people had left and it was just my mom, her friend, my sister and me (and the life guard).
Continue reading “When Your Dream Comes From Drowning”

Leigh recently made one of those breathtaking decisions you rarely hear about – she quit her job to go after her dream. Check out how that is currently working out for her here, then go over to her blog to find out more (link at the bottom of the page):

I didn’t quite believe authors when they mentioned their characters changing the direction of their story. If you’re the one writing, then how can a figment of your imagination change the plot without your permission.

Yet, here I am, just a couple of chapters into my own work in progress. My character’s family was going to be warm and loving but little miss Olivia wasn’t having it. She’s allowed a few relatives to make the grade but the rest belong in the type A, controlling camp. Definitely not what I expected.
Continue reading “When Your Dream Leads You Into the Dark”

Caleb is one of the more talented bloggers out there. He’s also one of my favorite writers that live right here in Central PA. Check out his take on how our own personal dreams can sometimes cause chaos in the lives of those we love:

My dad’s a funeral director.  In fact, my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather and great-great-great-grandfather on both my paternal and maternal sides have been funeral directors.  All that makes me a thoroughbred, I guess.

But for two weeks in my childhood, my dad was something other than an undertaker.
Continue reading “When Your Dream is Everyone Else’s Nightmare”

I met Jen on Twitter a few months ago – she’s funny, clever and likes to run. She’s got a great narrative voice and can make just about anything sound interesting, even running and dog poop. Check out her take on how dreams don’t always turn out the way you imagined they would:

It started with a dog. The Dog. The Dog who lives at my house but who is not adored by me. Oh, we have our moments but they are rare and quick, bursts of affection in a moment of weakness. The Dog kept pooping under my sewing machine. He could poop inside, in any number of rooms inhabited by people who are not me, and who actually like The Dog.
Continue reading “When Your Dream Doesn’t Look the Way You Imagined It Would”

A guest post by my friend David Nilsen who writes beautiful sentences and sells books (two of the highest compliments in my arsenal):

List of careers I have ever considered pursuing, beginning with early childhood through the age of 20: race car driver, veterinarian, professional basketball player (I believed I could fly, I believed I could touch the sky), rock star, computer engineer, English teacher, writer. Amount of money I have made as a result of doing (or not doing) any of the above things: zero dollars. What I do now at the age of 29: sit at a desk in the basement of a bank resetting people’s passwords, explaining how to turn printers off and on, and ordering debit cards. Lasting joy I take from this: I’ll let you guess.
Continue reading “When Your Dream Isn’t “Sitting at a Desk in the Basement of a Bank””

Dreams.

The things we wish would come to pass.

The lives we want to experience.

The stuff we want to have.

There are all kinds of different ways to look at the hopes and dreams you have for your life.

Charles Schultz said, “I think I’ve discovered the secret of life – you just hang around until you get used to it.”

“He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher… or, as his wife would have it, an idiot” wrote Douglas Adams.

“The art of life is the art of avoiding pain,” said Thomas Jefferson.

Jim Carrey said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

What’s your view of having dreams in life and trying to reach them?

This week I’ve asked several of my friends to share their thoughts regarding chasing after hopes and dreams. Some are in the middle of making huge transitions; others are writing or have just written books; still others are wondering if their dreams cause more pain than good.

I hope you’ll follow along.

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I don’t have access to the internet for most of this week, so if there’s a particular post that you enjoy, please share it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or buy some internet ad space on CNN. Just don’t send me the bill for that last one.