Putting Money where your Mouth is.

At some point words become nothing. At some point, the spoken word is nothing more than a meaningless squawk from the human lips.

I am referring to the endless babble that people do in regards to their hopes, their dreams, and their plans. I hear it all the time. People talking about what they want to do in the future. Either a job, a vacation, or finishing a task.

Yet, that’s all it is. Endless talk and babble without any real substance. However, what is the reason why its nothing more than talk?

People have dreams.

My nine year old has dreams. He wants to make video games and programs when he grows up. It is a worthy dream to do something that he enjoys. In fact, I encourage it.

I have a friend that has dreams. He talks about it all the time. His goal is to move to a tropical island in the Caribbean. He wants to live in an endless summer without having to deal with cold winter weather.

However, there is a difference between the nine-year-old and the thirty-something.

The nine-year-old has little ability to follow his dream. He is nine. My friend is in their thirties. He is an adult and as such, he has the freedom to follow his dream and his passion. He just needs to figure out how, but he doesn’t.

In fact, the nine-year-old is currently doing more to accomplish his goals than the thirty-something-year-old. My son is studying all types of coding on his own, in school, and on a few web sites like Khan Academy. The programs and coding which he learns are rudimentary and very basic, but it is a start. I have told him that if he keeps up the hard work, then he will get to build a real game in no time.

My Caribbean friend, however, I am not sure what he is doing to accomplish his goals and dreams. He talks as if he is, however, the status of where he is in accomplishing his dream hasn’t changed.

He routinely deviates from his goal. If he wants to live on a tropical island, he has many different problems to address. One is figuring out the immigration system, the second is some source of income. For that, he needs a skill that he can use. Diving is one; if he earns some diving credentials and is able to teach tourists how to dive, he could use that as a way to earn money. He has done none of that.

The Fragile Dream

In a discussion made over drinks about my dreams and his dreams, I asked him how far along he had gotten. The answer was not very far. He is dragging his heels, scared. His dream is this crystal object in the future. In his head, it is pure, beautiful, and pristine. He is afraid the dream isn’t going to be as he imagined in his head. Achieving his dream may prove that it isn’t as he thinks.

It’s a good point. How many times do we want something so badly, but see it with rose coloured glasses? The image in our head is formed through media and our imagination. When we finally get it, the reality doesn’t match the dream. It is a very real problem.

Not an Excuse

All of that is an excuse. Like the sun in his face or fingers cold. Poor excuses for things that don’t matter. In my mind, it is more important to stop making excuses and put your money where your mouth is. If you want something, then go do it. Stop dragging your heels and go. Make a list and start checking things off. Eventually, you will achieve your goal.

Secret

And here is a final secret before I sign off. As you move towards your goal, there will be many chances for reality to bust the rose coloured glasses. Things never work out the way you expect. It is the nature of things. You just need to adapt and roll with the flow. If your dream is something worth pursuing, then it will hold up when the glasses shatter.

If you like what you are reading and wish to support me in my endeavours, please sign up to my newsletter, visit my Amazon Author Page and purchase one of my books. Leave a review, or buy me a coffee. Your help and support are much appreciated.