EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a guest post from John of HiLife2B, a blog on ‘Personal Improvement for a Good Life’.

“The impossible – what nobody can do until somebody does.”

Have you ever dreamed of doing something that you thought was simply unbelievable? A situation that seemed as if it would never happen to you?

I’m sure we’ve all had many dreams like this. Every night, we turn into superheroes saving the world, great leaders giving relief to millions, and explorers soaring through the sky.

After our adventures are complete, we wake up in the morning feeling both happy and frustrated. Happy because of the amazing dream we just experienced and frustration from the supposed “normalcy” of our lives.

No we can’t fly, obtain super powers, or save whole civilizations in one night (unless you’re into videogames), but we can still dream, right? I know what you’re thinking. “What’s the point of dreaming if it can’t come true? You’re telling me stuff I already know!”

Here’s something you don’t know: without our dreams NOTHING can be accomplished. The good dreams you have at night are basically precursors to the goals you make while you’re awake.

Dream BIG and create something

There are no limits to the dreams you can have. One minute you’re leaping over building evading your evil nemesis, and the next you’re posing with the First Lady (or First Man) as you accept your Presidency. Whatever you desire to dream, just dream it. You’ll be exercising your imagination and expanding your mind. Once you do that, find a medium for your newfound creativity: write a novel, paint a picture, start a blog, or invent something. Regardless of which one you chose, it is inevitable that because of certain incentives (money, fame, popularity, praise, happiness) you’ll want to share it with other people.

Never give up your dreams

Having a creative outlet is one thing, but getting it noticed is another. It’s going to be hard. You’ll definitely want to quit and you’re going to fail A LOT. Taking the easy way out by quitting is going to seem like a very attractive option. Don’t do it. Of course, there are some instances when it’s going to be your dreams versus your reality i.e. your pursuit of becoming an actor pitted against your immediate need of paying the rent. It is at this point that it is most reasonable to choose money over your dreams. Keep in mind, however, that you need this money in order to satisfy your needs. Think of it as getting what you need first in order to get what you want later. Later could mean in a few months or in a few years, but if you really care for your dreams, it shouldn’t matter anyway.

Do your absolute best in maintaining your dreams

Now what does doing your best have to do with achieving your dreams? “Dreams” are the highest manifestation of what you desire. Why would you use the least amount of effort to do something when it requires such an immense amount of imagination to put forth into reality? Here’s what generally happens with most people: they see a significant improvement in the peoples’ responses towards their medium and then they just spend less time and effort bringing people value. They get lazy and act as if their fan base will always be there. Their dream suddenly becomes just a means to boost their own ego instead of improving the lives of others. It’s understandable if you lost the passion y0u once had for your dream, but don’t pretend as if you haven’t changed the quality of what you give to people. Believe me, they’ll notice. There’s a different between stuff that you just want to get out there and true value you want to give people. Always do the best you can with everything you seek to accomplish.

Nothing in the broad sense is really impossible. We don’t have wings, but we can still fly on airplanes; we don’t have super human strength, but with many hands we can move an obstruction off of an injured civilian; we can’t save a civilization, but we can improve their lives with technological advances.

Our world has come so far based on the many attempts at the impossible were have made. There were once those who said it was impossible to fly in the air or go to the moon. Where are they now? Nobody knows. Those who doubt the impossible cannot dream the impossible, therefore they set goals thought to be “realistic”. And with that they fade into the background doing the same thing millions across the world or doing: just being realistic.

Now I just have one question. How will you do the impossible?

John’s blog deals with what a good life entails, whether that be pertaining to college he currently attends or the grand scheme of life in general.

photo credit: Ү

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a guest post by Alex Fayle of SomedaySyndrome.com.

When you go to sleep each night, do you nod off content with what you have accomplished? Are you even aware what you did, or are your days full of just getting by?

If the latter, you are likely living on autopilot, letting the world decide your actions for you. When you live on autopilot, you don’t make active choices and you follow through on expectations without ever stopping and thinking about what really matters to you and what would make you go to sleep at night fulfilled by the actions of the day.

To turn off the autopilot you need to start making choices and that starts with deciding what you really want out of life. While that might sound like a daunting task, if you take it step by step you can not only figure out your dreams, but achieve them too.

Here are nine ways to figure out your dreams, turn off the autopilot and start living the life you really want.

1. Be aware of your life

If you live without paying attention to your day-to-day actions then you’ll never know what your dreams are, let alone achieve them. When you’re aware of your actions, then you can make conscious decisions that lead you to your dreams.

2. Stop focusing on the negative

While I love a good wallow, staying in a negative mental or emotional space will hold you back, stuck in self-pity, self-doubt and a life you don’t want.

3. Take off the rose-coloured glasses

Believing that everything will work out for the best is important, but belief isn’t everything. You need critical thought and action to go along with that belief.

4. Learn to direct your energy

Many of us have lots of dreams and to-do lists the length of our arms, however if we try to do it all, nothing will get done. That doesn’t mean having only one dream – I have three that I’m pursuing – but you can’t pursue ten at the same time.

5. Do what’s right for you

As kids you might have heard a lot about peer pressure and more likely felt it. Unfortunately it doesn’t go away when we grow up. And we can apply it to ourselves, internalizing what we think people want from us instead of pursuing what we really want.

6. Recognize the difference between dreams and daydreams

I love daydreams – I can pass the whole day dreaming about being the next JK Rowling – but the reality is that most writers never get published. While I have no doubt that I will be published one day, I don’t let my daydreams interfere with reality.

7. Create a simple plan

The emphasis here is on the word simple. Obviously you need to know where you’re going and what steps to take, but don’t over plan and get lost in the details.

8. Look for progress

Focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go. I look at how much more work I have to do to get an agent, and a publishing deal and I forget that I’ve had short stories published and I’ve written a novel.

9. Live in the moment

As you move toward you dream, the future will call to you, drawing you into the perfect world where all your dreams (or nightmares) have come true and when that occurs, nothing happens in the now. Why bother acting when you already know the result?

If you follow these nine steps, you’ll not only find your dreams, but get started on the journey to completing them.

*****

Author bio:

Are you stuck in a life you don’t enjoy? Have you lost touch with your dreams? Have you *settled* for a daily routine that leaves you longing for a different life?

It’s time for a change.

Alex Fayle, of Someday Syndrome, is a former procrastinator who uses his visionary ability to uncover hidden patterns and help you break the procrastination obstacle so that you can finally find freedom and start living the life you desire.

Learn more about how you can start loving life again at SomedaySyndrome.com.

This is a perfect case of backward blogging.  Instead of a post prompting a picture, it was this picture that inspired the post.

Last Friday’s ‘Community Insight’ post brought us an amazing array of ‘colors’ to the “Motivate Thyself” archives.  I was blown away with the detailed dioramas that had bloomed from the soil of a single shade of light (or dark in some cases).  It was quickly evident that we are all blessed with ‘talented’ imaginations as well as unique perspectives on the world around us.  So it is from these findings that I’ve brought to you this next ‘forum’ for you to show your true colors.  But this time, we’re going to get out our paint brushes as we bring texture to our own personal paradise.

The image above represents the ‘Hollywood’ version of paradise.  Palm trees, crashing waves and probably some form of alcoholic beverage with one of those miniature umbrellas hanging off the side.  Now let me be clear; one of the reasons this has become a sort of ‘cookie cutter’ dreamland is because most of us wouldn’t mind spending some time laying on it’s shores.  But I think if we were to individually asses our ideal ‘dream land’, we would find quite differing visions.  Not to say the beautiful photo in question wouldn’t encompass many dreams of those reading these words, but I think it’s only one of many portraits of a perfect paradise.

For this offering of ‘community insight’ I would like us to share what we think of when that passionate ‘P’ word is brought to our attention.  I want you to brush aside the templates that the world sees as ‘fit for fantasy’ and be true to yourself as you dream up your own ‘if only’.  Think about a situation where money is irrelevant and locations, there for the taking.  Dream without boundaries as you piece together your ideal situation.  You can be whatever you wish as you spend your days enjoying the purpose of living in amazement each and every day.  This isn’t about ’causes’ or ‘needs’ to be met, but about creating a land that lives as if the world was right.

Yours may be one of lavishness or simple solitude.  The ground may be lush and green or it might just glisten with the frozen powder of freshly fallen snow.  The mountains may be towering or the hills barely hovering off the surface of the valley.  Water or desert or both, the sky is not even the limit.

Oh, and don’t forget the people that litter our lives with loving hearts and open arms.  Without these ‘beating hearts’, the land is nothing more than a beautiful background.  So be sure to paint them in as you bring together your masterpiece that saturates your senses.

I’ll go first…

Image courtesy of snapdragginphoto

I’m afraid my picture of paradise doesn’t include coconut cups.  Though I love the beach, it’s not the landscape feature that encompasses my ‘dream land’.  Instead it is the mountains that uncover my favorite natural feature.  Whether it’s the rounded tops of the Blue Ridge where I was raised and still reside or the pointed peaks of the Colorado Rockies, I’m always at home well above sea level.  With my mountain bike as my steed and the beautiful views as my third lung, I would ride each day through these fantastic features of continental charisma.

As far as a house and a community to call home, I must admit that it is my town that provides all I could ever propose.  Current enough to give all the 21st’s comforts, but small enough to enjoy them comfortably, I’m gratefully living in my ideal setting.  And within spitting distance of my favorite rolling ‘bike roads’, it’s everything I could ever need to feel content.

But here is where the priceless value enters this delightful desire.  It is with my beautiful wife and our unborn child that I wish to share this sensational scenery.  It is in her absence that the sky would cloud over and the mountains become nothing more than an eyesore.  And it is with the presence of my princess that my paradise becomes perfect.

Now the floor is yours…

About a month ago I published the first ‘community insight’ post called:

10 Signs Of A Healthy Heart | Community Insight

Just like this one, it was published on a Friday so it could resonate with the “Motivate Thyself” readers over the weekend and take in some ‘insightful’ comments.  So here’s another ‘community insight’ post that will hopefully bring even more thought provoking ideas and views.

The basic concept is simple.  I layout the question and/or framework of the post and you guys fill in the blanks.  This is a perfect opportunity for you to put yourselves in the driver’s seat and share your thoughts with the rest of us.  And sure, you can do this on any post, but I want you to comment as if you were publishing your own mini post.  Let us learn a little something new from your words as they bounce off the basement walls.

Visual creatures

Human beings are very visual when it comes to absorbing the world around them.  One of the most powerful parts of these images is the colors that create them.  I find it amazing how many emotions, thoughts and ideas come to mind with a single tone.  And it is this idea that I want to expand on.

What I’m going to do is layout 10 specific colors.  Your job is to do the following:

1. Pick any one color from the list that reminds you of something that you are passionate about.
2. Then, tell us what that particular thing is.
3. Finally, expand on your thoughts as you share this specific passion.

The Colors

1. Red
2. Green
3. Blue
4. Yellow
5. Brown
6. White
7. Black
8. Gray
9. Purple
10. Pink

To give you an example of the idea, I’ll go ahead and share mine:

I picked blue.

Not only is it one of my favorite colors, but the ‘thing’ it represents to me that I’m hopelessly passionate about is the SKY.  To me, the sky represents freedom, flight, and sunlight.  Everything that is absolutely wonderful seems to live in the sky.  The peaceful clouds as they float by, a warm breeze on a summer’s day and the birds as they soar from one thermal to the next.

When I was a kid I used to lay in the grass and stare at the sky for hours.  Now, as an adult, I may not have hours to kill, but I still make sure to get in my sky escape time.

Now the floor is yours…

I think this year’s Blog Action Day was a great success as I found myself ingesting vast amounts of new knowledge as well as clearing up old stereo types.  Challenging discussions ensued as once again the blogging community showed its wonderful ability to ‘hash out’ the many aspects of a subject.

But after an entire day of reading and thinking about poverty, I thought it might be nice to share some ‘lighter’ things with you guys.  So here’s a few pics I managed to drudge up that give you a little more insight into the world of ‘this redhead’.

Camp

Here’s a view from a place we like to call ‘Camp’.  It’s a small house located deep in the farmlands of Virginia.  Liz’s grandparents own it and they recently added a pool.   The view of the mountains only adds to the serenity and relaxation that one enjoys over a long weekend.

Abi

This one was taken while we were playing ‘dress up’ with one of our Miniature Dachshunds.  I’m not sure if she had as much fun as we did.

Here it’s apparent that Abi went a little overboard on the ‘sauce’.  She’s doing much better now and we have her enrolled in a support group.

Heli Guys

A few summers ago, myself and two other guys really got into radio control helicopters.  We’d meet every Saturday at the local airfield and flew (sometimes crashed) to our hearts content.

A day at the field

Here’s a shot of some of ‘the guys’ as well as a few of my planes.  I guess you had to be there?

The field and photography

On a pretty day, Liz and I like to take the dogs and our cameras to the airfield for some photos and exercise.  Here’s Liz preparing to capture her next masterpiece.

Shooting Spongebob

Here I am about to shoot Spongebob with my Assault Rifle in Unreal Tournament 2004.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Spongebob, I just got a little carried away.  Oh yeah, and I’m fully aware of the randomness of this picture.

Soaring at the airfield

You’ve probably noticed that I spend a lot of time at this ‘airfield’.  I can’t help it, it’s my escape.  It’s filled with a natural beauty that few other places offer.  The company you keep at this ‘airfield’ is the kind that inspires.  Here’s a shot of one of the regulars.  A beautiful Bald Eagle (one of a pair) that soars the beautiful blue skies.  Sometimes I have the pleasure of sharing it’s airspace with one of my gliders.

So I hope you enjoyed a few more images of my life.  Feel free to point out my childish hobbies.

Then you wish you could hear other songs that had that same…something…that you’re not really sure about.  Well I just came across a great free tool that allows you to do just that.  It’s called Pandora and it’s a free online radio type application that actually ‘learns’ how to pick the perfect songs for you.  You can even try it before you register for your free account.

It’s so simple.  It just asks you to pick a song that you like and then it starts playing a song by a different artist that they think you might like in the same way.  There are up and down arrows that allow you to vote if you like it or not.  Based on your vote it will make necessary changes to pick better songs for you.  They refer to this as creating your own station.

You can pick particular songs as favorites or even buy them, but otherwise it’s just great free music that is perfect for YOU.

I love this new app.  I picked ‘Little Wonders’ by Rob Thomas and the first song that it chose was a Cold Play song that I really like.  And it’s a song that I like in the same way.  It’s hard to explain what I mean.  You’ll just have to check it out for yourself. I found myself listening to all of this music that sounded GREAT to me by artists I had never heard of.  What a wonderful way to broaden your musical horizons.  You can even click on a tab and ask ‘why they chose a particular song for you’.  They go into great detail about the reasons.  Here’s a quote:

“Based on what you’ve told us so far, we’re playing this track because it features basic rock song structures, a subtle use of vocal harmony, acoustic rhythm piano, a clear focus on recording studio production and mixed acoustic and electronic instrumentation.”

WOW!  They’ve got me nailed down.  I don’t know what half of that means, but their choices are SPOT ON!

So you guys should check it out if you haven’t already.  I’d love to hear what you think and if it picked great new music for you too.

BTW, I have no affiliation with Pandora, I just had a great experience with this great new online app and wanted to share it with my wonderful readers.  Enjoy!

PS:  If you think others will like it, don’t hesitate to share it!

I met with one of my consulting clients, Sally, this morning to help her setup a WordPress blog site.  She had been having trouble getting everything setup with the hosting company, domain, etc…  She had taken the day off to spend it working on her new site.  So everything in her plans were riding on the fact that we were going to be able to get it all setup by the time I left.

But life threw us a curve ball and we were unable to complete the setup.  It was still early in the morning and she instantly became frustrated (as anyone would have) about the fact that she was missing work for nothing.  She was going to use up a perfectly good day off and not be able to take advantage of it.  I saw this as a great opportunity to try and turn some lemons into lemonade.

Sally was new to the ideas of web design and blogging and still wasn’t quite sure which way she wanted to go with her new site.  So I thought this would be a great opportunity for her to learn more about WHAT she was going to do before we actually implemented it.  When I really thought about it, this was a better way to ease into this new pursuit than to just jump right in.

So I immediately opened a web browser on her computer and started bringing up different web sites.  I brought up sites for different blogging themes, an “Introduction To Blogging” site and a few relevant others.  After encouraging her to take advantage of what the day still had to offer, she relaxed and was actually quite excited about this new plan for her day off.  By the time I left we were both happy about the situation and she was looking forward to digging into this new adventure.

At the end of the day she sent me this email:

“What I do today is important because

I am exchanging a day of my life for it.”

Author Unknown

Image courtesy of Jurveston

I’m sure I don’t have to convince you that a clear image of your dreams in life is crucial to obtaining them.  So I won’t try to.  But I will share an image of what I desire.  The carrots I am referring to are the ones on then end of the stick.  The kinds that we dangle in front of ourselves to keep us motivated to achieving our goals. They are reminders of why we push ahead with such intensity.

So what do you see in this particular image?  I’ll tell you what I see; complete and total FREEDOM!  I see people enjoying the wonders and beauty of this great world while most people are still asleep.  I see fresh air and a cool breeze.

You can look at a lot of beautiful images and be inspired.  But what I do when I see something like this is lace it with the background story that I am in the process of creating.  I see myself and my wife in those kayaks floating along, taking in the scenery.  We slept well the night before and feel great.  Through multiple income rich ventures I have gained my financial freedom.  As the sun rises so do my opportunities for the day.  I am not worried about going into work and pleasing my boss, dealing with irate customers.  I am instead just enjoying a relaxing morning with my wife.

Is that it?  Is this one of those happily ever after scenarios?  Absolutely not!  Let’s be realistic here.  The story of my life doesn’t just end here.  What I also see in this picture is the rest of the day.  As the sun rises higher we pull ashore and pack up for a relaxing ride home.  Now I’m starting to get into pursuit mode.  I start to chew on the previous days ideas, the untapped potential of the opportunities at hand.  You know how they say that the anticipation of the prize is often times better than the actual prize itself?  Well, for me, it’s the process of living life to the fullest that is what I enjoy.  I don’t see it as working really hard and then arriving.  That just doesn’t happen.  For me, if there was just an arrival and then that was it, I would be bored out of my mind!  Even if you think you are retired, if you are still pursuing all that this life has to offer, you are still in the “process”.

Now let’s not get carried away and imply that five years into a pursuit doesn’t have the potential of being a much better situation for you than at the beginning.  I mean, these carrots I’m talking about would just be a form of manipulation if you couldn’t take hold of them at some point in your life.  But I just don’t want you to see that moment as arrival.  It’s just one more step in the process.  These moments are what make it all worth while.  They are the seasoning in our pursuits.  And each milestone that we hit enhances our lives and strengthens our resolve.

So on that car ride home, I’m not thinking to myself, “Ahhhh, I’ve arrived!”.  Instead I am thinking, “Ahhhh, what a great way to start the day!  I’m so blessed to be here with my wife and making choices that positively affect our lives.  Now that I’m refreshed, let’s take a look at the goals at hand.  How can we move forward today?”

Abi and Me!

I mention carrots now and again.  If you don’t already know, I’m referring to the kind on the end of the stick that is dangling in front of us to keep us pushing forward.  To be even more accurate, in the case of this website, WE are the ones holding this stick and the carrot is not to manipulate us but to inspire and motivate us.  So I just wanted to post a small carrot in my life.

This is one of my miniature dachshunds, Abi, and I running around in one of our regular nature escapes.  This particular spot is a local radio control aircraft flying field/club in which I’m a member of.  One of my hobbies is to build and fly these planes and I’ve been a member of this particular club for the past 10 years.  (You can check out their website at www.rivannarc.com if you’d like.)

But more often then not I just like to go out their with my dogs and get some exercise and fresh air.  It’s a beautiful field with a great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and nicely tucked away from modern civilization.

So this is a shot of Abi and I running around like a couple of crazy fools!  I just love to go places like this to get my thoughts together and clear my head.  It’s a great way to keep a healthy perspective and remind yourself of what is really important.  So I would just like to encourage those of you who are seeking your goals with a fervent vigour; make sure you have some healthy escapes and visit them often!

Now let’s take a step back for a moment.  This unhappy cubicle dweller may need to stick with what they are doing for the time being so they can pay their bills and support their family.  That’s not the issue.  The problem is that if this unhappy cubicle dweller isn’t in the process of making the changes required to someday get out of the cubicle and start living the life they desire, they will be stuck their until SOMEONE ELSE changes it for them.  And usually letting others determine your destiny is not the way to go.  Usually this results in a better situation for that other person but rarely for you.  So it’s not about dropping everything and neglecting your responsibilities.  It’s just about DREAMING BIG, setting goals that will get you their and then keeping yourself motivated to pursue this new destination with vigor!

Freedom is a mindset.  If you are free in your mind that it doesn’t really matter what’s going on around you.  The bottom line is that eve if your were in prison for the rest of your life you can be free.  Your body can be in shackles but your mind is yours to control.  But, I would assume, that most of you have the same or similar freedoms that I enjoy each and every day.  And if this is the case, you certainly need to be free in your mind, but why not take advantage of the situation your in as well?  Why not live life to the fullest and not settle for anything less.

BUT KEEP THIS IN MIND!  Be careful with what and how you pursue these goals.  It can be very easy to get so obsessed with “Realizing your dreams” that you miss out on the wonderful people and world around you RIGHT NOW.  It’s about moving forward in a positive direction every day but this involves the constant nourishment of your relationships and cherishing of your blessing that you already enjoy.  I’d rather be unhappy with my job but have a great relationship with my wife and family that be doing the work I always dreamed of but at the cost of a broken marriage.  So when you paint your picture of personal freedom make sure to keep these things in mind.

With that said, you will most likely find that if you let yourself settle for whatever comes your way and never truly take life by the horns, challenging yourself every step of the way, you won’t be the only one to suffer.  Those around you will be the victims as well.

So what is personal freedom anyway?  To me, it’s doing what YOU feel is best each and every day.  It’s not being told when and where and how I am to do something.  It’s being able to say, “You know what, I think I would like to take the day off today.  I haven’t really spent as much time with the kids as I’d like and it’s so pretty outside, may we could go to the park.”

It also involves self control.  Personal freedom is being able to say, “No thanks, I’d better not have that bowl of ice cream, I’ve been exercising lately and eating foods that give me lasting energy and just make me feel great.  I don’t want to hinder that in any way.”  I’m not making an assault on ice cream here, I’m just using this as an example of how deciding what to eat or what to do based on what’s BEST not what’s easiest or most desirable at the time is a HUGE step forward in personal freedom.  Nothing feels more like shackles than feeling like you can’t say no to something that you feel is harmful to your well being.

So I’d encourage you to get out your personal freedom paint brush and start painting.  And once you’ve created your master piece, figure out what needs to change to make this painting a reality.  And then, after laying out the framework, pursue these goals with passion and vigour.  But keep this painting in view at all times.  It’s all too easy to loose focus on what’s important and fall back into the chains of the average.