Turning Dreams Into Actions That Create Destiny

Random acts can be compared with purposeful behaviors in that the latter is intentional, while the former is pointless. Dreams are fulfilled when activities not pertinent to their accomplishment are eliminated and replaced by focused efforts. William Jennings Bryan opined, "destiny is not a matter of chance; but a matter of choice." He went on to add, "it is not a thing to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved." Destiny is created by active decision-makers, not passive people who let circumstances define them.

No one would deny American patriot Patrick Henry left his mark in his generation. Henry concentrated on what was ahead. He didn't rest on past achievements. He wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." The seed of your future is in your present work. Results create opportunities. Successful accomplishment leads to additional options as a track record is established and maintained.

Marcus Aurelius, writing in ancient Rome, has advice that extends down from one century to the next because it never grows obsolete. He encourages achievers to eliminate distractions in pursuing dreams. The sage of Rome writes, "love nothing but that which comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny." Successful people realize they can't do all things well. They intentionally eliminate the nonessential so they can perfect what matters.

Passion for the achievement fuels the fire when the initial thrill has passed. Pamela Vaull Starr advised, "dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." Passion for the goal is a sustaining force. T. E. Lawrence said it was absolutely necessary that dreams be acted upon if they are to be fulfilled.

Analogous to the fact that it takes an oak tree longer to grow than a tomato plant is the realization that more demanding dreams require greated effort than smaller goals. One way of staying focused in the extenuated process is to break those formidable dreams down into smaller segments. Winston Churchill said, "it is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time." Focus on the task at hand and the process will unfold as it should.

Reflective prayer is a good place to begin the process. Discovering a dream that makes a positive different is where it all starts. The seed of the future is found in the work of today.

C. H. Parkhurst's observation about character is similar to the principle of consistently applying oneself to the mundane tasks needed for a dream to be brought to fruition. He noted, "character is, for the most part, simply habit become fixed."