From Dreams to Reality

Living Your Dreams – 5 Questions to Get You Focused in 2012

My daughter Tapoka fulfilling a dream of bungee jumping off Victoria Falls!

Question 1: What Do I Want to Do?

Do the right thing…

Decide what it is that you want to do. What's that thing that you've been meaning to do for ages, but keep putting off ? You know the excuses... You just can't seem to find the time... You don't have the necessary resources... It might not work... What will other people say or think... It's too much of a bother...

Get rid of all the excuses!

You only pass through this life once. Live your life to the fullest. That involves getting out of your comfort zone and taking a risk or two!

There is still so much that has to be done - inventions to be created, out-of-the-way places to be discovered and explored, lonely people to be comforted, hurting children to be hugged and fed...

Aim to make the world a better place for your having been here.   

Question 2: Why Do I Want to Do It?

Do it for the right reasons…

Motivation is so important. Often it's the key to success or failure (see New Year Resolutions: Top 3 Reasons Why Most Resolutions Fail).


You are one of a kind.  You are your own unique blend of personality, passion, talent and experiences. You were exclusively created by God for a purpose, and the world is eagerly waiting for the brilliance that you have to offer.

Connect with God’s higher purposes for your life, and really start living. 

Question 3: How Am I Going to Do It?

Do it in the right way…

Niccolo Machiavelli, the notorious 15^th century politician, was very wrong when he coined the phrase "the end justifies the means". In actual fact, 'the end is within the means'. The way in which you  reach your goal, is just as important as the goal itself. The way you get it is the way you’re going to keep it.


Doubtful methods - taking shortcuts, using people, being dishonest - may seem to work for a while, but will eventually boomerang on you in the end.

Take it from me, a previously chronic yo-yo dieter, who learned this lesson the hard way! Excess weight lost rapidly (through crash diets, marathon aerobic exercise sessions and other trusty methods i.e. starvation!) = Excess weight gained back rapidly (with several extra kilos added on for good measure!).

Question 4: When Am I Going to Do It?

Do it at the right time…

Timing is crucial. Opportunities can be lost, or at least seriously messed up, if you're too early or too late.


Before you can go after your dream, you may need to develop new skills, or perhaps become more mature in your character so that you have the capacity to properly achieve and handle your dream. Maybe you need to attend a training course, or be mentored by someone who is further along the road than you.

With some dreams you just have to dive in and learn as you go along. Don't be a perfectionist or procrastinate for so long that the window of opportunity passes you by.

Question 5: Who Am I Going to Do It With?

Do it with the right people…

It’s important to have the right people around you. Your relationships can make or break you. 


Get support from family and friends to help encourage you and keep you on track as you work your way towards your goal. 


Avoid toxic, negative people, who don’t believe in you or your dreams, and will only discourage, distract and delay you on the road to your brighter future.