Turn Your Dream Into a Realilty

So you have a dream now. What do you do next?

In this post, let me share to you a suggested step on how you can turn your dream into a reality.

Last month, Bryan (my 12-year old nephew) and I climbed up one of the hills in Benguet to welcome the morning sunrise at the summit. We were early that we even saw the whitish image of the moon before the sun rose and sparkled its light.

On our way down, my nephew blurted, “I want to explore the universe!”

“That’s great, Bryan! But tell me, how will you explore the universe?”

I was expecting my 12-year nephew to answer something like, “I will be an astronaut! Then I will fly to the moon, to Venus, then to Pluto.”

And I was expecting him to dingle on the litany of but’s and if’s like, “But I’m still a little boy; but I don’t have a space shuttle; only if I become like Superman that I will be able to do it.”

These are the answers that I was expecting but I did not hear any of these.

His answer blew me away.

When I asked him how, he simply said, “I will read books about the universe.”
“What?! That is your answer?” I silently told that to myself.

Look – he has this lofty goal of exploring the universe but he is going to do it simply by reading books. I thought his definition of exploration was limited but then I realized it was my thinking that is limited. I’ve come to think that reading books is enough to start exploring the universe.

That moment, I learned that the perfect act at the perfect time is to start now where you’re presently at and to do something now with what you currently have.

Boom! My 12-year old nephew just gave me a 10-second seminar on how to turn dreams into reality!

Bryan was like Zig Ziglar telling me, “You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.”

Oftentimes, we wait for the perfect moment. We wait for the planets to align. We put a lot of conditions before we start.

When I was in first year high school, I was selected to join a competition that involves the looks and the brain. Out of all the gentlemen, I seemingly stood out above the crowd. I was chosen to represent my class. But I declined. I told my adviser, “I’m not yet ready. I’m not yet the man who can compete in such field.” Even if they wanted me, they could not force me.

However, when the competition came and our representative climb up the stage, I was like saying, “That man should have been me. Why didn’t I join?” More so, when the announcement of winners came, I was like saying, “That champion should have been me.”

Seemingly, those were thoughts of regret. I thought I learned my lesson.

But when I was in 1st year college, it happened again. I had written then a wonderful piece. Someone told me to submit if for publication in a newspaper. I was excited to do so but I again, I shrunk myself. So I postponed. I said, “I will share my story only when I read the top, only if I will be super, mega-successful.”

I was trying to wait for the perfect moment before I’d share my story.

Years passed but that moment never came. I realized that there will never be a perfect moment to start. But you need to start to perfect the moment.

Ten years ago, I regretted not joining that competition. Tomorrow, I won’t regret joining competitions today that is aligned to my dreams. Just last Saturday, I joined a speech competition in Toastmasters where I won. (That was in the Area Level.) And yesterday, I competed in the Division Level where I landed the 3rd place. Awesome huh?! Don’t be impressed. There were only 3 contestants in our competition yesterday. 🙂

Five years ago, I regretted not submitting my article for publication. Tomorrow, I won’t regret sharing my stories openly to you today.

These are my ways of starting out. I’m not yet at my best but I’m getting there. And I am enjoying every step that I take at the present moment.

Steve Jobs declared, “Real artists ship.” Today, let me declare: Don’t wait to perfect yourself before you launch. Ship yourself and develop along the way.

I believe we can be superstars in our own right at the present phase we are at. Maybe it’s your dream to be a superstar in Level 10 but since you are still in Level 1, then be a superstar in Level 1. Eventually, you go up.

Don’t wait for the planets to align. Start doing something now, and align that thing to your dream.
Don’t say it’s not yet the time. Don’t wait for signs when the moon meets the sun, the sun rising in the morning is already an obvious sign. Don’t wait for your horoscope to tell you it is the time, you might lose all your time waiting for that horoscope to come.

Wait not for you to win the World Championship in Public Speaking before you can speak and inspire others, start now by saying a little encouraging word to the person beside you. Wait not for your monument to be built beside the Statue of Liberty to attract freedom and joy, start now by wearing a smile everytime you walk down the aisle. Even if you forgot your postiso or false teeth, you can still smile.

Whether it’s your dream to explore the universe, or to make an impact to your community, or to write a book, or to win an international competition, or to be an inspiration to your townspeople, you have to take the first step.

Remember what I learned from my 12-year old nephew in that 10-second seminar over the hilltop. Do something with what you presently have. Start at where you’re currently at.

The perfect act is to start. And the perfect time is now.

Live your life, young mind!

Chris Dao-anis

PS: What you have done today to start turning your dream into a reality? Feel free to share and comment below.