January 20th is Martin Luther King Day, the same day the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump, will be inaugurated. Both men had dreams and manifested those visions despite their human frailties, faults, setbacks, and unimaginable challenges. Even though both were loved by some and despised by others, they forged onward, creating movements that changed the course of history.
Have you ever had dreams? Wanted to accomplish something challenging? Did you see a vision of your future that made you want to soar? Did something deep inside you long to leap out and make that dream come true?
Many of us have had these experiences, but few succeed. We’re either discouraged by others (or ourselves) and never fully commit to those intuitively driven wishes. But whether you’ve embraced them or not, your dreams are important.
Your dreams are instilled in you from an early age. Though they may be fleeting, they can direct your destiny if you pay attention to them. Or they’re like dead leaves floating to the ground when confronted with negativity. But when you embrace your dreams, they can carry you beyond the clouds and keep lifting you upward.
Your dreams are designed to make you grow. They stretch you beyond your comfort zone and take you to places you never imagined. Sometimes, the road is easy. Other times, the way is cragged, circuitous, and uphill. But with determination and help, you will find your way to victory. All dreams are for the good of all. Otherwise, it’s a nightmare and serves no good purpose.
Your dreams define your mission and purpose. Everyone has at least one gift, which becomes their contribution to life and mankind. Actualizing your dreams is the only way to achieve complete fulfillment. Otherwise, there will always be a sense of something missing.
Most of us don’t have to contemplate being murdered for our dreams — like Martin Luther King and two assassination attempts on Donald Trump. Our founders’ dreams wrote down a life where freedom would reign for all. Some patriots have paid dearly for our freedom.
Martin Luther King had a lot of dreams. “…deeply rooted in our founders’ dream of America… that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed…that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character… that little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”[1] These are dreams of unity and love. They’ve come a long way and still have a way to go. I share his dream. I’m willing to learn how. It’s up to us to come together and love one another.
What’s your dream? Is it “… a fire shut up in your bones,” as Martin Luther King described? Then embrace and nurture it with all your might. If you’ve lost it, fan the ember and stoke new life and restoration within you. Then, don’t let anyone (especially yourself) or anything douse it out. You are free. Live the dream. Accept the challenge. You are worth every ounce of effort. It’s why you’re here.
Dream on until your dreams come true.
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Donna Marks is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and addictions counselor in Palm Beach, Florida. She has worked with over 6,000 clients. Donna’s struggle with addiction brought her to a worldwide search for healing. She became licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in 1987. In 1989, she earned a Doctorate Degree in Adult Education, then became Certified in Addictions, Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Hypnosis, and Sex Therapy. Donna developed an award-winning addiction training program at Palm Beach Community College. She co-owns an outpatient treatment program and serves as a consultant to treatment centers. For 36 years, she has taught A Course in Miracles.
Donna is the author of three books: the multi-award-winning title Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure, and Learn, Grow, Forgive: A Path to Spiritual Success, The Healing Moment: Seven Paths to Turn Messes into Miracles of Love, and her latest fiction, Fortis & Sapiente – A Tale of Two Lovers Who Successfully Navigate the Murky Waters of Love. Donna is a public speaker and has shared her methods with millions of listeners on podcasts and radio shows.
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