Mark T Jones

A life without dreams is an impoverished life. We all need hopes and dreams as these lift our spirits and can help motivate us. Dreams are not pure fantasy; they can be the seeds of our own endeavours and help propel us forward. People talk about “living the dream”, but in essence it is down to each one of us to give our dream life. Like a journey it has to start somewhere and whilst we maybe uncertain about the ultimate destination, or what is going to happen along the way, it is in the preparation and the setting off that we start to make some of the dream a reality. Dreams, hopes and ambitions come in various shapes and sizes, they are rarely a constant, and what may be your dream at 21 is unlikely to be the same dream at 51. Our expectations and motivations change, and life experience takes us off in different directions. We all know from the current pandemic that sometimes the unforeseen can happen and so it pays to be cautious to a degree, mindful of risk and aware of the importance of foresight planning. But what about our dream or maybe dreams? Here is what the entrepreneur Richard Branson has to say about dreaming: "Dreaming is one of humanity’s greatest gifts. It champions aspiration, spurs innovation, leads to change and propels us forward. In a world without dreams, there would be no adventure, no moon landing, no female CEOs, no civil rights. What a half-lived and tragic existence we would have. We should all dream big, and encourage others to do so, too." Some people have remarkable dreams such as Martin Luther King, his was a dream for a nation, indeed the world and it is still a work in progress. His “I Have a Dream ….” speech can be read vis this link: https://www.archives.gov/files/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf It is said that success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, well the dream helps shape and drive that essential 1%. Giving life to your dream takes time, it is a daily process, incremental and yet over time you can lookback at the progress that you have made. You might not have changed the world, but there will be nontriumphs along the way and these all add up. Have you ever heard of Jadav Payeng (born 1963)? If not, why not try and find out something about his story, there are clips about his achievements on YouTube. All dreams require the occasional reality check, especially when it comes to funding, cash flow issues, competition, and potential threats. Often, we lack the confidence, the drive, the application or the attention to detail. We all make mistakes, but it is how we respond to them that reveals the measure of us and our ability to keep our dream alive on track. Use the likes of www.futurelearn.com and www.coursera.org to upskill. Find out about the achievements of Anita Roddick, Brenda Katwesigye, Co-Founder @ Wazi Vision and June Syowia, Founder and CEO @ Beiless Group, and see what is happening at: https://ihub.co.ke/ Most importantly keep dreaming and start to make plans to turn your dream or part of it into a reality. Recommended reading: Who Moved My Cheese? Dr Spencer Johnson MTJ2020