Fresh Fuel for Pursuing Your Dreams

It is said that a picture can paint a thousand words, and we can well imagine and try to extrapolate the multiplier effect of a video or movie. Yet, words are no less powerful than a picture or a series of pictures to fuel our dreams.

A single word or words strung together to form a sentence can be very powerful indeed as they can change our internal representation and launch an idea or vision to propel us forward towards the attainment of our dreams.

With words, we can receive fresh impetus to see the beauty and details of our dreams and imagine watching ourselves living our dreams on reality television everyday. 

Here then are the fresh fuels at this Dream station:

"Action conquers fear." -- Peter Nivo Zarlengo

"We cannot rise higher than our thoughts of ourselves." -- Orison Swett Marden

"Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what." -- Jack Canfield

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." -- Mark Twain

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." -- Henry David Thoreau

"Imagination x Vividness = Reality" (Imagination mixed with vividness becomes reality) -- Glenna Salsbury

"Adversity is what gives you the opportunity to develop your inner resources of character and courage. Adversity is a great teacher. It will test you and make you stronger. But you have to hang in there and not give up." -- Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen

"It is never too late to pursue your dreams. Begin with your end goal in mind. Know what you want. Be prepared for sacrifices and commit wholeheartedly. It will be worth it." -- Mark Phooi

"It is never too late and no one is ever too old to learn something new or to pursue a passion which was put aside. What's worse is to go through life without ever pursuing your passion or uncovering your gifts." -- Mark Phooi

Just today, an article in The Sunday Times written by Mr Mike Lee on 52-years-old Mr Wilson Ng made my day. Wilson discovered his passion in acting while doing his rounds as an information technology salesman in his 40s and started off by acting in films directed by media students whom he has met. 

If you are interested, you can look him up at https://www.facebook.com/wilson.sgp His advice to aspiring actors is that fame and fortune don't come easily, but if they are willing to hone their skills and put in time and effort, their work will be recognized.

Get going, and pursue your dreams with dogged determination and persistence; don't give up. There will be lots of hard work and sacrifices, but it will be well worth it.

Follow That Dream by Rebecca Lim (as interviewed by Stella Tang)

[Source: Singapore Memory Project (iremember.sg)and Read!Fest 2014 on Books That Moved Me]

"I first read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho when I was in secondary school. My mum, an avid reader, bought a copy for each of my two siblings and I. It's about Santiago, a shepherd boy who dreams of a treasure in the Egyptian pyramids one night and leaves Spain to follow his dream. He meets many spiritual messengers along the way, learning different lessons from them. 

However, the book only truly made an impact on me when I re-read it before I graduated with my Accountancy degree from Singapore Management University. My friends had applied to banks and for other such proper jobs. I was at a crossroads: to follow the same path or become an actress?

My parents wanted me to complete my degree so I would have that to fall back on. But they also told me to follow my heart after graduation so that I wouldn't have any regrets. This book supplemented their advice and gave me the courage to make my first major decision -- to pursue my acting dream.

I have a habit of writing down meaningful quotes in my diary. The Alchemist has many such quotable quotes, such as this exchange between the shepherd boy and the alchemist, whom he finally meets: "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," says the shepherd boy on his misguided agenda to which the alchemist responds, "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

When I re-read these words at a time when I felt down, it encouraged me to stay true to my dreams. Though the journey may be tough or take longer than expected, take heart that the best things in life will happen to you, for you, at the right time. Like Santiago discovered, there is no need to search for treasures in the outside world; search within yourself and you'll get the world. It's extremely difficult to live by this philosophy but I'm constantly working at it."

For more on Rebecca Lim, click here.