Follow That Dream

Elvis recorded this song in the summer of 1961.

It was a modest hit, for Elvis, reaching number fifteen on the charts.  And it was featured in the King’s movie of the same name.
​
It’s only about a minute and a half long, but it’s still one of my favorite Elvis songs.

---

I think the point of it, just from that simple three-word title, is what’s so important.  And it seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?  But time and time again, we find ourselves with roadblocks, many of our own creation (whether we want to admit it or not), that keeps us from following our dreams.

And when someone else is able to follow their dreams, rather than celebrate them and their success, much of the time, we find ourselves envious.  Sure, if someone had left me a lot of money, I could've done or achieved that.  Or if I knew the right people.  Or had been at the right place at the right time. On and on and on.

If you’re waiting for any of those other pieces to fall into place for you, you could find yourself waiting a long time.  
And that’s really true of so much in life.  If you spend your time waiting for everything to be perfect, you could wind up missing out on, well, everything.  Everything that matters, anyway.

My wife is a wonderful example of someone who followed her dreams.

She recently wrote a blog about celebrating the fifth anniversary of her first book, which coincided with the release of her latest novel, her thirteenth.

She has a wonderful story about meeting Ray Bradbury, and how he inspired her, and continues to inspire her as she continues to follow her dreams.

I encourage you to check out her latest blog, which you can find RIGHT HERE!

I am so proud and excited to be close enough to witness Lisa reaching her dreams!  It’s truly a wonderful gift.  Just five short years ago, she was unpublished, and less than a month ago, one of her books (“Harvest Moon”) won a PRISM award at the recent Romance Writers of America conference.

Since I was around for Lisa’s journey, I can tell you that it wasn't easy, nothing was dropped in her lap and no one leapt in to help her.  It was all her.  Her determination, her work, her blood, sweat and tears.

I don’t think she wants to be world-famous, or to be Trump-rich.  I think she enjoys writing, and wants to be able to continue to do that, sharing her stories with as many as possible (and hoping they enjoy them almost as much as she enjoyed writing them).

It’s funny, but when we talk about dreams, I find that many people haven’t figured out what theirs are, yet.  I think that’s why so many seem to be at loose ends, not really sure if this is the right job, or if there’s another they’d like better.

I’d just suggest taking some time, it doesn't have to be a lot of time, and think about what would make you happy.  What do you enjoy doing?  If money were no object, what would you like to do with your life?

I know it’s a big question.  But it’s really hard to follow your dreams if you don’t know what they are.

So treat yourself to a gift of time, and think about what you would like to be doing, or pursuing. 

And once you've figured that out, start thinking about what you need to do to get there.  It doesn't have to be something that happens overnight, or even over a few weeks or months.  Or even years.

Try to do a little something every week (every day, if you can), to move along your path to your dream. And in another week/month/year, even if you aren't there, yet, you can at least pause to look at just how far you've already come!

And for my wife, Lisa, congratulations on your anniversary and your new release!  I’m looking forward to many, many more!
​
And here’s Elvis, singing the title track from his movie “Follow That Dream”…