THE FORGOTTEN HUMAN RIGHT

I’m sure that last week we all heard at least once about our freedoms and our rights. Today I was reminded about a human right that has been forgotten, THE RIGHT TO DREAM.

I don’t know about you, but I love to dream, and not always when I am asleep. I find myself drifting off into my “day dream world” and dreaming about what it would be like to have millions of dollars or winning a big lottery. I dream about having the mountain cabin, the ocean yacht, the condo at the beach, a 1972 fully restored 442 convertible, and a private jet just to name a few little things.

Today a good friend of mine reminded me that dreaming is something that I have the right to do. He also reminded me that dreaming won’t help me get any of these things. I laughed, if I have the right to dream shouldn’t someone at least be obligated to fulfill a portion of my dreams? You know maybe the government! OK, you all know me better than that.

I do believe that we all have the right to dream, however if you don’t turn your dreams into actions all they will ever be are dreams. I used to love it when one of my employees told me that they “really wanted” something. I would ask them to tell me about it, I would suggest to them to find pictures of it, cut out articles about it, get prices and know where they can buy it if they had the money. Why did I do all this? Because I knew that if I can get someone to start working towards their dreams I can create an unstoppable force!

As much as I loved to hear one of my employees tell me what they dreamed about having, I used to hate it when the only thing that one of my reps were interested in was money. Money is a great thing to have and I really wish every one of my readers the curse of becoming as rich as they desire. But if money is the only thing you dream about then you are really boring and destined to be a failure.

While you are dreaming about money, I am dreaming about all the things money can buy. While you are dreaming about money, I am dreaming about the happiness that I can bring to the people I love by having enough money so they won’t need to ever worry again. I’ll tell you what, think of this, next time you are hungry dream about money, I’ll dream about the steak that I can buy with money. Who do you think will have a more pleasant dream?

So here we are snug in the middle of our right to dream and our right to earn a living. As I think about the two I come to the conclusion that one without the other is pretty worthless. If we don’t have dreams than what are we working for and if we are working without dreams what are we going to do with our money?

I was telling you about how much I loved it when one of my employees had a dream and what I would ask them to do, well let me finish, when the employee had all the pictures all the articles, all the information on where to buy what they wanted and how much it costs I would have them set a goal as to when they wanted it. Most of the time they always wanted it NOW! But that wasn’t going to happen so I would ask them to give me a real time frame in which they wanted to fulfill their dream. I would then ask them to divide the price of what they wanted by the number of years they set until they owned it. I would then sit with them and make a table showing how much they needed to put aside each year to achieve their goal. I would start them off at a reasonable amount starting right now. It may only be a few dollars, but as they worked and grew their business they could afford more and more each year, until they were ready to buy.

Over the last 30 years I have had several reps stay on track and achieve their dream, but to be honest the vast majority didn’t. For most either their dreams changed or life got in the way of their dreams, but even with an awful success rate I have had just about every rep that started and kept with it for a period of time thank me. Were they thanking me for showing them how to fail? No, they thanked me for showing them how to save and how to reach for the stars and achieve other dreams.

So let me finish with the lyrics to an old song by the Lovin Spoonful, “What a Day for a Daydream”.

 What a day for a daydream
What a day for a day dreamin' boy
And I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin ‘bout my bundle of joy

And even if time ain’t really on my side
It’s one of those days for takin' a walk outside
I’m blowin’ the day to take a walk in the sun
And fall on my face on somebody's new mowed lawn

I've been havin’ a sweet dream
I been dreamin’ since I woke up today
It’s starrin’ me and my sweet dream
Cause she's the one that makes me feel this way

And even if time has passed me by a lot
I couldn't care less about the dues you say I got
Tomorrow I'll pay the dues for droppin’ my load
A pie in the face for bein’ asleep before dawn

And you can be sure that if you're feelin’ right
A daydream will last along into the night
Tomorrow at breakfast you may pick up your ears
Or you may be daydreamin for a thousand years

What a day for a daydream
Custom made for a daydreamin’ boy
And now I’m lost in a daydream
Dreamin ‘bout my bundle of joy

Lorin