Dreams Come True- A Lesson in Taking Risks

I believe that dreams are universal to human nature. The act of dreaming, planning, growing, achieving, etc. can be soothing and rewarding to the soul.

I've had dreams of my own, as well. Here is a sampling of those from my teenage/young adult years.



-Play on the school basketball team/do something athletically coordinated

-Have a group of friends

-Be a Teacher

-Get a 4.0

I decided to break up this blog idea into 4 posts, one for each dream, and a lesson to go along with it. Here is the first one.....

In middle school I really wanted to get into sports like my peers. I was tired of being the last kid chosen for teams, tired of getting "special help" when I couldn't do the skills. I wanted to feel really "good" at something athletically coordinated. I also struggled socially and REALLY wanted to be part of a team, thinking that would help me to fit in. The sport I chose was basketball and I planned to try out for the middle school team. For weeks I practiced with my brother- running, passing, dribbling, shooting. I got basketball shoes and the right clothes. But when the tryouts came I didn't even make it past the first day. Perhaps it had something to do with not being able to make a free throw..... I still liked to play, and I did, off and on, but basically put it aside.

Fast forward about 13 years. I had been doing a lot of walking, exercising, a few 5k races. But mostly just walking. I was set against running. Then some of my friends were going on an in-state road trip to see the sights and do a 10k (6.2 miles) race. I had never done a 10k before, was not necessarily prepareed for one (and I am by no means advocating running a race with little preparation) but I really wanted to go with my friends! So I took the risk.

And after my first race didn't kill me, I was hooked and I've been running ever since. I've done a half-marathon (plan to do more) and several 10k races. I've learned, I've grown, I've triumphed, I've improved my running. But if I never took the risk of running that race in the first place I would have missed all that! I also have several friends that I run with and so that fills the need for a "team" sport.

Am I fantastic runner? Not necessarily but I am very proud of my 10k time of 58:05! I don't focus on beating anyone but myself so even if I think I may come in towards the end I take the risk and do it anyway! My next risk is doing a relay race- doing 4 legs of race, each leg could be 4+ miles. I can't wait!

Next time you are considering a dream, don't let the risks weigh you down. (This advice is for me as well!) The old saying is true; "You never know unless you try!" It may not pan out in the beginning as was the case with my basketball dream, but keep trying and stay open to the opportunities regardless of the risks. You never know what could happen!

What are some of YOUR dreams and risks/successes? I would love to hear about them! You can leave anonymous comments if you want to, and as always you are welcome to ask any questions, offer feedback, etc. Thanks!