BE FEARLESS AND PASSIONATE IN THE PURSUIT OF YOUR DREAMS : MY STORY/EXPERIENCES 1

At the start of the new week, precisely 16th August, I had the privilege to be in a fireside chat with the intelligent minds of the Startup Grind community in Jos, Plateau State discussing how to be Fearless and Passionate in the Pursuit of Your Dreams using my story and experiences. 

Fear has been one major reason why so many dreams don't see the light of day . Most people only live these dreams in their heads with wild imaginations of a fanciful world.

There are those who are willing to live their dreams yet no passion for it not necessarily because they don't want to but because they don't know how to develop the passion for it.

These and many more were what was discussed in the fireside chat of the Jos branch Startup Grind community. 

Read on to get inspired and learn how to pursue your dreams fearlessly and passionately but before we do that, let's have an idea of what a dream is.

A lack of understanding of what a dream is can prevent one from actually living his/her dream. Like they say, "when the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable". Same thing applies to living our dreams.

WHAT IS A DREAM? 

According to the Success Magazine, " a dream is an inspiring mental picture of your future energizing your mind, will and emotions, enabling you to pursue and achieve it". I totally agree with this definition.

The dream you so much desire to live, inspires you to pursue it except you lack the passion to do so. The picture you see in your head concerning your future spurs you into action inspiring you to pursue and achieve it.

Your dream serves as a propeller spurring you into action to pursue it as well as serving like a blueprint for you to follow in living your life's purpose and potentials.

Below are the various discussions held in the fireside chat. So, read on.

1. HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A PASSION THAT WILL PROPEL YOU TO TAKE ACTION IN THE PURSUIT OF YOUR DREAMS?

Passion is a great driving force towards the pursuit of our dreams. Having passion is being fully involved in the pursuit and realization of your dreams. 

In your passion is your determination, perseverance, persistence, resilience and focus but how do you possess these qualities if you don't know how to develop your passion?

To develop your passion towards the realization of your dream(s), you need to start working on your dreams.

• Start studying, reading and learning more about your area of interest. You are not the first and won't be the last person to pursue such a dream, the only difference would be you doing it your unique way, so there are people who have lived this dream of yours, learn how they did it

• Study these people, watch their video clips and listen to there audio tapes. In their stories are inspiring and motivating lessons for you take home with.

• You can take classes either virtually (online) or physically concerning that dream you have in mind. We learn everyday and this never stops. Never feel you have known it all. As long as you are still alive, you will keep learning.

• Set goals and make your goals part of your daily routine. The secret behind the success of every dream is in our daily routine.

           Your goals should be part of your daily routine irrespective of how insignificant what you do                   daily might seem. One thing I do daily is to work towards my dream. It could be reading or                    listening but something must be done towards the realization of my dream.

• Start taking steps towards your set goals. It's one thing to have a dream, write down your goals yet another to start putting them into action. 

          Take every little step as you can and never see any step as insignificant. It's from the little steps               you  start taking bigger steps towards the realization of your dream. 

2. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO SEES AND BELIEVES IN YOUR DREAMS?

People don't have to believe in your dreams or in you. It is easy to want to seek peoples validation or acceptance when you tell them about that big dream of yours but only to get disappointed .

There are people who would talk you down your dreams directly or indirectly. Some will discourage you because they are genuinely concerned on how you want to go about that dream while there are those who would talk you down, discourage you, mock you, criticize you or laugh you to scorn.

All these I have experienced directly and indirectly yet am still marching forward working on my dreams and gradually living the best life imagined.

One thing I have realised in life is that, some of these people who try to discourage you in one way or the other are those who can't do a thing for themselves but try to bring you down to their level.

This is your dream that God has given to just you and it's your life. Only you know what you see in your head and only you have the conviction inside of you that you can do this and live your dream and no one else.

You owe no one any explanation on how to live your dream because that is a waste of time and energy that should be used for something productive towards the realization of your dream.

Your dreams are an expression of who you are and what you believe in, no one else's. So, if you've got a dream, you gotta protect it from critics and naysayers.

Once you start yielding results as regards your dream, people will start coming to you from far and near even those who criticized, mocked and laughed you to scorn.

• Have clarity of your dream and vision.

• Write it down. "And the Lord answered me and said, Write down the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it". (Habakkuk 2:2).

• Develop your skills and talents which will in-turn get you prepared for the realization of your dreams. Keep working on yourself.

• Read about the success stories of those on same path as you but are ahead of you.

• Believe in yourself and trust God to bring the right people your path and;

• Detach yourself from wrong associations or negative minded people. People who belittle and discourage you.

3. HOW DO YOU OVERCOME FEAR IN THE PURSUIT OF YOUR DREAM?

Fear is one thing that has crippled so many dreams in life but what most people don't know is that it's normal to experience fear when it comes to the pursuit of your dream. 

Fear indicates you are human and not a robot. It shows you are not fake but real living your own dream and not someone else's dream.

It takes a courageous person to live his/her dream and not to follow the crowd as do many others due to fear. 

Courage is not the absence of fear but knowing that what you pursue is far greater than what you are presently feeling (fear)

So many factors give rise to fear which are; 

(a) Fear of failure either from the past or fear of failing in the future, 

(b) Fear of being criticised and,

(c) Fear of rejection either as a result of past experiences or of the future etc. 

In order to overcome these fears, you just have to;

• Do it afraid. The fear will always be there but the more you do it, the more likely you are to deal with the fear and overcome it. I experience fear each time I am called out to speak. 

          Just because you intend pursuing that dream fearlessly does not mean the fear won't be there at              all  but that you pursue it despite the fears is what makes you fearless.

• Embrace your fears and know that they are a part of you.

• Believe in yourself that you can do it despite the fears.

• Know what your pursuing and why you are pursuing it. Knowing the what and why will help reduce the fear and boost your confidence.

• Stay away from negative minded people.

4. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT DREAM TO PURSUE BEST WHEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE DREAMS?

It's a normal thing to have multiple dreams and want to pursue them. There are different kinds of dreams in life such as;

(a) Material dreams where one believes amassing so much wealth or acquiring a certain amount of wealth or material things will bring him/her a sense of fulfilment and happiness.

(b) Marital dream where one believes having a spouse or a partner is a dream come true.

(c) Career dreams where a person believes reaching the zenith of his/her career would be a dream            come true.

(d) Health dreams where one feels being in good shape and physically fit will bring a sense of joy and fulfillment.

(e) People oriented dream. This is the ultimate dream God has given to each and everyone of us. This kind of dream creates a meaningful and positive impact in the lives of people around us and the world at large. 

This is one major dream everyone should have and live for. What you live for is far greater than what you live with. Every other dream is what you live with but the ultimate dream that God has given to us is what we live for. 

• Now, when it comes to knowing which dream to pursue best, you have to be sensitive enough to know which dream gives you a burning desire to pursue. 

• That one dream that you are passionate about and that when you think of it, it gives you goose    pimples all over your body. That's the dream you should pursue.

If you don't give up on your dreams despite the fears, setbacks, obstacles, mistakes, failures or challenges, God will surely bring you to it.

When you start taking steps to do what you can, God will do what you can't do for yourself. The steps you take despite all odds is an indication of your faith in Him.

Watch a clip of the video below.

Share Your thoughts !