How to Dream Big and Succeed
Believing in your self is the first step toward success and the second step is casting your cares on God
When I was very young, I had many dreams and goals. Worked hard for each to come true. Did they all come true, mostly yes, to some degree. Some more than others had been very fulfilling.
Just to list a few, as a young girl I wanted to be a businesswoman and used to walk around with a briefcase like I was and low and behold after relocating to New York, landed a job with Verizon becoming a business woman. Then I wanted to be an actress, yes fulfilled to some degree. Like Ms. Person, got my degrees, another childhood desire.
Everyone has dreams and goals, some shove them so deep in their subconscious they no longer recognize them or just choose not to pursue due to fear of failure or some other reasons that causes inactivity.
I have heard a lot of older people end many conversations by saying, “I wish I had pursued my dream of being______” and they lived with much regret. Also, many homeless people are homeless because of having no hope or have lost sight on a dream, excluding the homeless that have had financial and/or health issues.
While I have always been a proponent of all pursuing a dream or a life long goal, I do live with one regret myself and will share so others won’t make the same mistake. When the opportunity door is opened, you have to take advantage because it may never come again.
When I was in graduate school in a master/doctorate program, I opted out to complete Doctorate Degree but obtained my Master’s degree. Other personal responsibilities forced me to make a decision that I will forever regret but can live with this at this point in my life. My advice to others, when the opportunity is there take it with all your gusto.
If you reading this and trying to determine if you should pursue your dream or not, my advice would be to give it a try so that you will not have any regrets later especially in your old age. If you are elderly now, then do it or at least try to. There is also gratification in doing.
There was an article in the LA Times about this veteran who always wanted to get his GED but due to the military draft was unable to finish high school. After retiring from the military and family life, prevented him from acquiring his GED. His school heard of his desire and fact that he was a veteran, they extended him his much longed for GED at the ripe old age of 95. He was one proud graduate!!
Again like the veteran, a Portsmouth resident, Ms. Person, earned her bachelor’s degree at age 82. She was the perfect example of living her dream to the fullest.
Her name is Bessie Person who is 82 years old and lives in Portsmouth and recently completed a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Technical University, fulfilling a life long dream. She believed she could and she did. She lived by her words that you are never too old to learn and to use your knowledge in a beneficial manner.
She stated, “When I started this, I didn’t know how far I was going to go, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
While Ms. Person had traveled around a great deal for work and otherwise, and had attended many schools, she was never able to obtain her degree for one reason or another, i.e. financial or personal.
She stated, “I didn’t complete any of those courses at Teikyo,”, and “I also had some courses at (a school in) Cambridge, Mass. I tried to get a degree at every school I was at.”
Once she retired at the age of 57, and via a telephone conversation with her sister the desire was rekindle to get her degree. Perhaps, unbeknownst to herself the desire had been there and the time had finally come. Like the proverb, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Likewise, when Ms. Person’s life was ready, the opportunity arose and the rest is history. Her sister told her to just do it, and she did it!!
At that time and in her seventies and based on the advice of her sister to just do it, she did and the proof is now in the pudding. Thank God for the internet, she went online and found Colorado Technical University where she enrolled in an associates degree in business administration. After completing her associates degree, she worked on a bachelor’s degree in business administration and digital marketing all done online.
She stated, “I didn’t think about age.” and “It was something I wanted, and I thought I could do it.”
After she obtained her associates degree in two and a half years, she went on to obtain bachelor’s degree and graduated with honors with a GPA of 3.74. Not only did she acquire her two degrees but simultaneously updated her technological skills in order to do so.
None of this came easy but her passion drove her to succeed. Determination gets one started but passion keeps you in the game even when the road ahead look bleak.
Hard work, studying 4 to 6 hours every day, six days a week paid off, ” was the path that led Ms. Person to much success in acquiring her bachelor’s degree.
Kudos to Ms. Person and now she is moving on to another milestone in her life, a book about her life. According to Ms. Person. she advised that there is a book within her.
In conclusion, yes, she does have many books inside her as she shed a bright light for many to follow their dreams. This story comes to say no matter what never give up on a dream or goal. It may not come when you want it, but when it does it will be right on time.
EP McKnight a writer, teacher, stage playwright, fitness coach and constant dreamer. She is a GCU doctorate student in Performance Psychology, Graduate and Undergraduate in Educational Psychology and Communications at Fordham University New York, New York. She’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and you can read more of her on www.epmcknight.com
