As I read my coursework for the week, there were some themes that kept popping up, which kept my mind pondering them throughout the week. The first: set goals and plan out the future you want. I remember my dad telling me, quite a few times, that "a goal is only a wish unless you write it down." One of the assignments for the week was to create a bucket list of 50 items. You know what, it was a lot harder than I anticipated to come up with 50 things that I want to accomplish in my lifetime. When I first saw the assignment, I was a little jealous of all the 20-year-olds in the class, since they could list items that I've already completed like "get married" and "have children." But as I wrote my list, I realized that some of the things I chose to list were things I probably wouldn't just happen to do, without having written it down and made it a goal. Will "having my own hive of bees" change the world? Probably not. But it's something I'd really like to try, especially when it comes time to harvest some honey.
The second theme that I noticed through the week is that I should surround myself with the right people. If the popular saying, "You are what you eat" can be assumed to be true, then I think it's even more true that "You become like those with whom you associate." I've seen this to be true in my life, whether it was the kind of boy I was dating, or the fact that I've inherited my parents' corny sense of humor. About a year after I started my Etsy shop, a friend from high school sent me a message. She was working full time in marketing and just wanted to give me some friendly advice. She told me I wasn't charging enough for my products. She told me that my time was worth more than what I was charging and that what I was making, not everyone can do. It was exactly what I needed to hear, and gave me just enough of a push to have the courage to raise my prices. And you know what, I made more that year than I ever dreamed that I would. I had more sales, more positive reviews, and more custom order requests. As a thank you, I sent that friend a custom book garland for her baby's nursery.
So, my themes for the week:
1. Set goals, plan for the future
2. Find the right people (networking, socially, and personally)
After watching and reading about Randy Pausch's Last Lecture, I believe that he was able to accomplish his childhood dreams because he had amazing people around who built him up, encouraged him to follow his dreams, and loved him even when he failed. He also kept things fun. I love how he said that "You just have to decide if you're a Tigger or an Eeyore." Our experience in life is definitely shaded by our attitude. If we expect bad things to happen, we're definitely going to see them. But if we're looking for the good, we'll find it. If we expect to accomplish our dreams, eventually we will, mostly because we'll keep trying until we do.
I believe that dreaming is an important part of life. Without dreams, where would any of us end up? Technological advancements begin with an inkling of a thought and then someone dreaming that it can actually come to pass. I do think that we should consider our dreams with a pinch of salt. I can dream all I want of living on the moon, but if I focus all my energy on an unreachable dream, what am I missing out on during the rest of my life. It's difficult to draw a line, and say, "You should stop dreaming here, or that dream is unattainable." It's a personal choice, but one that should certainly be considered.
When I was around 5 years old, I was crazy about bugs and wanted to be an entomologist. I collected bugs of all sorts: butterflies, caterpillars, beetles, praying mantis, and anything else I could find, except cockroaches, because they're disgusting. As I grew up, other dreams crowded in and became the focus, but I've retained a love of little critters. Even though I'm not technically an entomologist, I'm still drawn to study the insects I see in nature. If I can't be an entomologist, I can at least pass a love of insects on to my children. I recently made butterfly nets for my girls, and I always make sure to bring a jar or two along on any camping trips. Our dreams shape us, whether they come to full fruition or not.
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