Dreams don't come true without work and dedication

• Source: Global Times
• [21:05 March 09 2010]
• Comments

Illustration: Liu Rui

"I have this dream, but I'm sure it won't come true." I hear it over and over in my classroom in China. True, some people come from very disadvantaged backgrounds, but I'm persuaded that most worthwhile dreams really can come true.

I don't buy into the opposite extreme that "nothing is impossible" either. The original quote said that nothing is impossible "with God." Humans have limitations.

Dreaming alone won't achieve any goals unless you are extremely lucky. But don't wait for luck to come looking for you.

I used to work with a guy in the US who spent a large sum of his salary every month on lottery tickets. He lived a pretty mundane life, but had big dreams. He talked all the time about how his life would change after he won the big jackpot. But the only step he was taking toward his dream was blowing his hard earned money on the lottery. After spending probably thousands over the years, one time he danced into work shouting, "I won! I won!" He had won 50 bucks.

As far as I know, he still hasn't achieved his dream, and like other empty dreamers, his only hope is luck. On the other hand, there are dream winners who know how to make it happen.

I admire my uncle who retired, a millionaire, from broadcasting while in his 50s. From childhood he dreamed of making it big in broadcasting. There was nothing "lucky" about his life.

He grew up in a very poor farmer's family (my grandparents), a seemingly hopeless situation. But he was a dreamer. As a boy, he'd walk around the barnyard, between the cows, talking into his portable tape recorder, pretending to be a broadcaster.

After graduation from a public school, he went off to the army – finally, a paying job, which would make broadcasting school possible. After a couple of years in school he landed his first position as a DJ in a North Dakota radio station.

His intriguing autobiography, Building the American Dream, (Gary Knapp, AuthorHouse Publishers, 2007), inspires readers to pursue their dreams. From watching his ascent to success, I see three important steps to making dreams come true.

First, have a clear dream. My uncle wanted to be a broadcaster from childhood. He never changed his dream. Someone has said, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it." Some people never see dreams come true simply because they don't have a precise dream or goal.

The second mark of success I see in my uncle and other achievers is the willingness to take the right steps.

My uncle wasn't rich, but he took the first step of joining the army. Next he went to broadcast school, and then worked as a DJ. Later he accepted a job at a larger radio station in Michigan, and finally a third station, where he founded a famous show. He eventually became station manager.

His next step was more risky and costly, but he bought an old three-story house and converted the first floor into a local cable TV station, while his family lived upstairs. He finally opened a FOX network station, and as the book reveals, his dream kept growing.

One student told me her dream was to marry a foreigner. I can't imagine why she had that as her life goal, but her reply to my question, "What have you done to reach that goal?" didn't surprise me. "I haven't done anything. I just hope it happens." I informed her that I don't believe dreams just happen. You have to take steps. Whether it's a person you want to marry, a career goal, or something beneficial to society, dreams don't usually come knocking out our door.

The third ingredient for successfully making dreams come true is perseverance. Before I read his book, I knew my uncle as a successful broadcaster, but I didn't realize how many hurdles he had to overcome to get there. Banks were unwilling to lend money. Permits had to be applied for. Hope was shattered many times, but he just kept trying.

What's your dream? Is it realistic, unselfish and worthwhile? Is your goal clear? If you really know what you want to achieve, keep dreaming. Follow my Uncle Gary's advice, and "Never, never give up!"

The author is an experienced English teacher in Beijing, author of Here They Come! Are You Ready? mdklaoshi@yahoo. com