Why is it that so many of us have achievable dreams and aspirations for our future yet we fail to take the necessary steps in order to make those imaginings our reality? Are you one of those people? What about the ever-popular New Years Resolution? Ever resolve to quit smoking and soon after you find yourself still puffing away long after that particular New Years has come and gone? Afterward you bask in feelings of disappointment and hopelessness because when you made that resolution you really thought you could adhere to it.

After all, you meant to quit wholeheartedly when you said you would didnt you? Lets face it, you assumed quitting was something you could do otherwise you would never have made the declaration to quit, am I right? Anything worthwhile does not come easily. There will always be some price to pay.

Whenever I make a promise to myself and I fall short I get dreadfully embarrassed to MYSELF. I feel ashamed that I let MYSELF down. I am the one that I must impress first-and-foremost before I ever attempt to astonish another. If I try to ignore the task that I didnt complete in the first place, it eats away at me until I end up tackling the deed in completion. I dont know what type of behavior or mindset that is, but whatever it is, it surely keeps me motivated and on the straight and narrow in terms of meeting my objectives. It might take a minute for me to get there, but what matters most is that I get there.

I have always been a big dreamer and just within the last couple of years Ive begun to act upon those dreams taking needed steps to make them authentic. I believe that most of us rarely do what we need to do rather we often do what we want to do. People dont realize the necessity in suffering for the short term to be happy in the long term. Let me explain. Until recently, my credit score was not the greatest. In fact, when I introduced myself to some people. Id jokingly introduce myself as Ms. Mud because my credit score was so low it was not even ON the scale. I think the lowest score is 500 isnt it? Well Im not exactly sure but whatever the lowest credit score is, mine was profoundly below that.

Anyway, Im always coming up with these self-proclaimed goals that I set for myself. If I go for a period of time and I dont have something going on i.e., saving for something, creating something, preparing for something, exercising and challenging myself, or taking some class, or course or ANYTHING to make me feel as though I am continually progressing, it drives me wild! Actually, it does quite the opposite and I get very gloomy and begin to feel as though Im merely existing as opposed to actively living. Im always conscious of my progressions and regressions in my life. Dont ask me how or why I am this way, I just know that I am.

As I was saying, my credit score was crappy and I knew that I needed to bring it up to a respectable number (one that I could be pleased with). At the time I told myself that I needed to do this in order to purchase property. So I sacrificed financially (suffering for the short term), and in less than one year, I brought my score up to a good number (being happy for the long term). Some of those who knew that I was making this financial sacrifice mildly criticized me for doing so and suggested instead of making larger payments to my creditors, that I make smaller ones so that it wouldnt place me in such a financial crunch. First of all, remember I created this goal for myself and I knew if I made smaller payments that it would take longer for me to reach my goal.

It goes without saying that I disregarded this particular persons suggestion to make smaller payments and I stayed on point and now reap the rewards of having been diligent and consistent in my effort. In fact, I just purchased a new car (and also those annoyingly long car payments and outrageous insurance payments that go along with new car ownership) a few weeks ago. (Even though I rarely drive it because I work in New York and live in Jersey and because my son and daughter seem to think that I purchased the car for their benefit. What lucky dogs they are). Anyway I managed to buy the car just the same based on the fact that I stayed on target and paid off my creditors. See? Just because you see my name on the Internet doesnt exclude me from the same issues that you face. I am no different than anyone else except that I am ALWAYS motivated. Let's call it being motivatingly grounded. I like that one. I think what keeps me moving in the motivated lane is fear. Fear of being hungry, of being homeless or it could very well be that I am a mover and shaker simply for my own crave to edify to myself. I continually challenge myself and it is my lifes game I've created for myself, or so it seems. Nentheless, I am grateful that I am this way I tell ya that. I could be a whole lot worse.

I think a lot of us fall short of reaching our goals because we fail to properly plan to succeed. From the moment one says I am going to make a New Years Resolution to quit smoking, should be when one begins to put mental planning in motion in terms of what sacrifices youre gonna make to help your reach your goal. If you want to quit smoking you know you must go through some sort of withdrawal. So what. If you can go one day without smoking, quitting permanently can definitely be achieved. I should know. I smoked for ten years and I quit. It was difficult, but I did it! I persisted and it paid off. But unfortunately, most of us dont properly plan hence, we fail. But try and try again you must!

Never let another persons opinion of you or their opinions of your failed efforts dissuade you from consistently trying to clench your goal. A persons impression of you should never matter more than the impression you have of yourself. EVER!! Otherwise, you are headed for inevitable doom.

I remember about fifteen years or so ago, I was dating this guy. Well call him Peter. Peter and I were in love, or at least I was in love with Peter. During this time I was trying to attempt to spread my wings at writing poetry and unfortunately I felt that my work needed validating from someone, anyone. I dumbfoundedly didn't deem my own work good enough without that approval. As ironic as it sounds to me now, each night for weeks Id write this wonderful poetry that I dedicated to Peter. I thought it was pretty good that is until I gave it to him to peruse. Id pour my heart out to this guy in my poems. I wrote about how he was the meaning of my smile and a host of other lovers jargon.

I found out later that Pete was jealous of my work because he knew that I had talent and he also knew that I valued his opinion. If he told me it was garbage, he knew that Id believe it to be so because I trusted him. Well, Im still not sure what Petes issue was (and at this point in my life WHO CARES?), but whenever Id give him a piece of my work to read, hed read it, and hand it back to me without giving me the benefit of a comment one way or another.

Well it didnt take me too long to conclude that Pete was the wrong person to critique my work as well as the wrong person for me. I ultimately decided to submit a few of my pieces to venues to see if they were good enough for publishing (I felt that my work was well written and decided to take a chance), and lo and behold two of my poems were published! The power of believing in self is amazing. I have the two books that house my work on my bookshelves today. Every now and again Ill pull them down and take a gander. I feel very proud of myself for those accomplishments based entirely upon the scenario with Peter that prompted me to submit at all.

We must dream BIG and think even BIGGER in this life. Position our minds to accomplish that which is seemingly unattainable to the naked eye. Our body and spirit will follow the passageway that our psyche has created. Self-fulfilling prophecy its called. The difference between those that reach their goals and those that fall short, are the ones that accomplish their goals already knew that they could, and they behaved as though their prize was already attained way before they made any real physical attempt to reach it. Reaching the goal began in their minds FIRST. Those that fail to reach their ambition never envisioned their goal as being a reality thus, they never truly BELIEVED that their goals were achievable in the first place.

We must get in a comfort zone mirroring the talk of those that have claimed success. We also need to familiarize ourselves with the strut that is mimicked by those who are triumphant in authenticating their dreams. Each of us will be no bigger tomorrow than the realities we create for ourselves today. The prospect for success is only postponed by the way YOU view YOUR victories. Your likelihood for accomplishment can be limitless if youll just think BIG. Everything is a mindset and BIG is..as BIG does. Whatve you got to loose? Might as well think BIG. Or would you rather think small? That doesnt even look right in print nor does it sound logical. Tell ya what. You choose. Me? Im thinking BIG.

(c) 2005 by C. V. Harris. All rights reserved.