I’m excited to have this author here today, and she’s going to be my last post for the month of July. I’m taking a break, giving myself some time off, and then knuckling down to work on my book. Hope you’ll come back in August to say hi. Have a wonderful end of July.
Welcome to LM PRESTON
author of
EXPLORER X – Alpha (Buy Now, Amazon and All bookstores)
THE PACK (Buy Now, Amazon and All bookstores)
HOW TO DREAM BIG
Dreaming big, is something we do most when we are children. Yet, when we hit the teenaged years, our dreams have gotten so beat up that we start to ‘Dream Safely’ or not at all.
For me, growing up in the inner city with teenaged parents, I was counted out before I even started. In order to persevere, I had to have a spirit for survival in order to catapult me to the person I am today. Most people, who knew me, would meet me and never grasp the struggles I had growing up. Truly, I didn’t grasp them because I always saw the glass as half full, yet it could get empty if I didn’t hustle to make something happen.
Dreaming big, is taking your dreams, and mapping them into reality then talking yourself out of moments of depression to push through no matter what. No matter how many times people tell you that you can’t, you smile then say ‘I will’ and make up another roadway to your success.
Here are my steps for Dreaming Big:
KNOW THY SELF
Dreaming big starts with taking time to get to know the person you are turning into, and the person you want to become.
I loved myself at an early age, and knew myself relatively well. Part of the reason why was because I imagined myself as what I wanted to be. I would create versions of myself in my minds eye when I was a kid, while I talked to imaginary friends. I believed that I would be a warrior that killed dragons while I rode in on my unicorn. I even wrote little stories about my imaginary adventures.
When I look closely at my created worlds when I was young, I realized that I created a place in my imagination where I could win. In that world, I never took ‘no’ for an answer. In that world I had revealed a lot about myself.
DREAM, YOU CAN DO IT…DREAM OF WHAT YOU WANT TO BE
First of all, you have to DREAM it in order to ACHIEVE it. That was a motto I learned at a summer camp, and it stuck.
As I got older, and started to listen to the many people in my life that told me that I couldn’t do this or that, I staggered in my dreaming. I started to dream safe dreams. I didn’t allow myself to wish for something beyond what I could see.
Don’t ever do that! You don’t want anyone else to have control over your dreams or aspirations. You own them, and you can make them happen.
PLAN IT! RE-PLAN IT!
All dreams can come true. However, you want to think about how you can do it. You have to have a plan A, B and C. If none of those work, figure out another way.
REJECTION WON’T STOP YOU!
Never let a ‘NO!’ stop you. Turn that ‘no’ into your own ‘YES!’
Brush it off and move onto plan B. If plan b, c, d, e, f is not working then you need to take a step back and re-evaluate if you are ready to pursue the next plan.
As a writer, our first draft is not complete. I have had to revise, edit, and rewrite my books up to ten times. In the end, it was a better, cleaner, shined up piece of work.
After I received over fifty rejections on one manuscript, revised and edited my work, then I finally reached my Big Dream.
BE WILLING TO REDIRECT
Sometimes you set forth on a dream and find that you are no longer willing to pay the price for that dream.
Redirect – Take what you have learned from that dream and build your next dream.
Unlike most writers, I never dreamed of becoming a writer. I just wrote because I loved it. Some friends told me that I mentioned to them that I wanted to become a writer, but I truly didn’t remember that dream. My original dream was to be a CFO (Chief Financial Officer). I know that’s not exciting, but I really wanted to do that. Okay, to be honest my first dream was to be a teacher, and then it was CFO.
Well like most people, I had unrealized talents. I went to college and become a Financial Analyst. I hated it. I worked as a Financial Analyst for one year, and then I went back to school for my Masters in Information Technology. I loved working in the Information Technology field, and took to it like a fish in water. My recreational writing came to a stand still and I started writing technical documentation and designing large computer systems.
After sixteen years in IT, I decided to apply for a job teaching at the University. I loved teaching. It allowed me to create all of these really cool science fiction type devices for my students to design.
While working as an Engineer, I ran across a published author who I revealed that I wanted to write a book but I didn’t have the time. He encouraged me to write a page a day. After our conversation I put that thought away and did not start writing. Later that same year, my husband suggested that I should write a book, and once I started I couldn’t stop.
I’ve had many Big Dreams, and some of them I have reached, others I have not. The pleasure of pursuing those dreams, and the lessons I’ve learned in doing so has given me a fulfilled life. I don’t ever have to look back over my life and say “I wish I would have tried to do that.”
You only ever get one life, so don’t be afraid to Dream Big and pursue your dream.
Thanks for the post, LM. Loved what you had to say about dreaming BIG! Be sure to visit LM at her BLOG and follow her on TWITTER @LM_Preston. She loves fans and she has a lot to share with them.
Arlee Bird says
Dream big and never give in to disappointments–they're only temporary unless you let them take over.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Margo Berendsen says
I like the point about re-directing. Lots of wisdom here! And your previous post – so glad you are making progress (and still mentioning your ROW80 buds!!!) I've taken a break for July, but plan to rev up and get going again soon with my revisions.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Thanks PAx. We're in total agreement. You guarantee failure when you don't even bother to dream and try your best.
M Pax says
Enjoyed LM's post about not having regrets no matter the outcome. That's the philosophy I had from a young age — never wanted to say I didn't try. All success to LM 🙂
Leslie Rose says
What a super message, LM. Thank you for the positive vibes. I wanted to be an astronaut after John Glenn orbited Earth. I wish I'd never given up that dream, but writing Sci Fi lets me go even further in space.
Have a wonderful break, Lee. May I recommend a chair that reclines.
Ciara says
Have a great break. I look forward to visiting again in August. 🙂
Julie Musil says
This is awesome advice, thank you. Lee, enjoy your break and we'll see you when you get back.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Very nice to have LM here as my last guest before I take off. Thanks for stopping in to say hi.
Jackie Jordan says
Thanks for the inspirational message – well said! You mentioned discouragement, and this reminds me of one of my old quotes: "Failure is merely the start of a new beginning". Thanks again . . .
Clara Gillow Clark says
Thanks for bringing LM to your blog, C.Lee. I always love the jolt of being reminded to dream big! I'm recharging those dream batteries now!
khashway says
Great post by LM. As usual, she has much wisdom to pass on to other writers.
Lee, enjoy your break. You deserve it!
Marcia says
Good post, and may your break be productive!