Dreams: Realizing Your Heart's Desires

"Let us use our lives more wisely to chase our dreams, find our true purpose, and be as happy and successful as possible." -- Malcolm X

Often times I am asked, "What is the simplest way to achieve my dreams?" My response to that question is "Visualize yourself achieving your dreams. See yourself living that lifestyle that you want, see yourself doing that thing that you want to do!" In his book "Attitude is Everything," author Keith Harrell tells the story of how nine time NBA Championship Head Coach of Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson gets his players ready to play. "...He encourages his players to use visualization to calm themselves during time-outs in games. He advises them to think of a "safe spot" where they feel secure as a method for taking a "short mental vacation" before he gives them directions." (Harrell, 140) In the movie "Rocky," Rocky's trainer Mickey would get him to visualize himself doing the things necessary for him to be a champion. He told him, "If you see yourself doing good, then you do good." You see, visualization can literally take you from chump to champion!

Visualization is the fire that boils the pot of success. It provides you with the faith necessary to work past the adversity that you WILL face along the road of success or dream realization. Faith, in spiritual terms, is defined as "believing in something so strongly until you physically see it." Therefore, visualization is a form of faith. It is the picture that you see that causes you to believe, your faith just brings it to pass. It is visualization and faith, which allows you to see the plans that you will use to accomplish your dreams. As Napoleon Hill says in his book "Think and Grow Rich," "The imagination is literally the workshop wherein are fashioned all plans created by man." (Hill, 70) As Harrell says about Coach Jackson, "Jackson uses visualization "to link the grand vision of the team [that] I conjure up every summer to the evolving reality on the court. That vision becomes a working sketch that I adjust, refine and sometimes scrap altogether as the season develops." (Harrell, 140)

As I show in my Miller Success Equation, Success = (Work/Adversity)^Faith, where work = the decision to be successful + consistent application of a solid plan + persistent effort. So as you see, your faith has the potential to cause exponential levels of success. Visualization and faith, however, WILL NOT bring success alone. There must be some sort of physical work applied. There must also be some adversity to be overcome. I have been taught (and therefore I teach) the power of positive declaration and the power of putting your dreams in writing. Let us take a view at John Doe's dream (a commonly coveted dream) of becoming a professional entertainer and put it into the equation. Also, we will write it out as a declaration just to see the dream in black and white.

John Doe's success at becoming an entertainer:

1. What work will be necessary for me to realize this dream?

A. Make the decision to be successful and declare it (to yourself).

I, John Doe, have made up my mind to be successful at becoming a professional singer.

B. Create a solid plan to be consistently applied.

The plan that I will consistently apply toward realizing my dream is as follows:
1. I will get at least five (5) new industry contacts every month.
2. I will showcase my talent in at least four (4) performances every month.
3. I will continue to get voice training.
4. I will continue to get my demo played by local DJs.
5. I will put samples of my songs on my website.
6. I will sell my extended play (EP) for $5 to everyone who will buy it.
7. I will create flyers promoting myself and place them in every possible high traffic area.
8. I will continue doing anything that positively ensures my success.
9. I will continue to add/delete anything to/from my plan that brings me closer to the success of my dream.

C. Apply persistent effort.

I will remain very persistent in my efforts to become a professional singer and continue passionately until my goal is ultimately accomplished.

2. What adversity will I have to overcome to realize my dream?

I will overcome the following adversities to becoming a professional singer:
1. I need to earn more money to continue funding this project.
2. I have to get additional help to flyer high traffic areas.
3. Convincing DJs to play my song on the radio.
4. Doubters (friends, family, naysayers),
5. My own fatigue.

3. Have faith.

I, John Doe, have undying belief in my God-given abilities and talents. I call on Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) where it states that "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

So there you have it, a blueprint for success. You can simply add your own dream into the equation. Let visualization start the process of dream realization. Let the necessary work help you overcome adversity. And finally, let faith bring your dreams to reality. Good Luck and may success engulf you!

Works Cited:

Harrell, Keith. "Attitude is Everything: 10 Life-Changing Steps To Turning Attitude Into Action" (HarperCollins Publishers, 2000)

Hill, Napoleon. "Think and Grow Rich." (Fawcett Crest, 1937)

Miller, Myles. "The Success Equation" (Lion Heart Publications, 2003)

The Holy Bible. The King James Version

© 2004 Myles W. Miller for Lion Heart Enterprises