Thought for the Week
I’ve learned a few things in my____ years on this planet. But perhaps the most important is not to follow my dreams. Does that make me sound like a glass-is-half-empty kinda guy? In truth, I’m a glass-is-overflowing kinda guy. And here’s why: I follow the one who made my dreams.
The problem isn’t pursuing our dreams, it’s doing so with no sense of how to attain them—or what they should really look like. A surprisingly high percentage of the world’s most “successful” people are profoundly dissatisfied. Why? Because they’ve succeeded not in fulfilling their dreams, but in procuring a crude imitation of them.
Our Creator plants a dream inside each of us while we’re still in the womb. But it’s only a seedling. And it’s not until we look back that we fully grasp what it–and we ourselves–were truly meant to be. If we’ve followed our Dreammaker’s plan, it will be something beautiful and unique. But if we’ve followed our imitation of that plan, it will be a deeply disappointing counterfeit.
I was 23 when my father died, and was busily trying to construct a makeshift version of my dreams. So, when my mother asked if I wanted the franchise my father had invested in, I said, “No! I’m an artist, not a businessman!” I was determined to follow not just my dream of writing and making movies, but my idea of how that dream would be fulfilled.
I tried for thirty years to raise enough money to make those movies, but never could. Along the way, some wonderful things happened — I met the Dreammaker, met my wife, and met the two little girls who’d been waiting patiently for us to get together so they could be born. But I never managed to make those movies.
Then I found out the franchise I’d rejected was worth several hundred million dollars, and thought, Whoa, I could have financed a lot of movies with that money! Still, the Dreammaker knows an infinite number of ways to accomplish his plans.
I gave up my dream in 2005, and moved my family to Cincinnati, Ohio. But eight years later, I just “happened” to be cast in the lead role of a feature film, and become friends with its executive producer. One day, he casually asked I had any unfulfilled dreams, and I said, “Funny you should ask…”
With his backing, I’ve since written, directed and produced the multi-award-winning feature films Healing River and Notzilla. So here’s my wish for you: That you too would learn more and more every day not to follow your dreams, but instead to follow…
The Dreammaker’s dreams.
Great great advise. Blessings
And blessings to you, Pete.
I never really had any dreams, coming from an abusive childhood, so when the Lord said I’d write a book, I laughed and said, “Surrre I will.” 12 years later He helped me write my first book and now I have 11 that have been published and I’m working on number 12. With His help of course. I guess I had a dream I didn’t know about. 🙂
What a wonderful testimony, Sue!
Thank you.
Great Post! Blessings and Peace!
You too, Claudia!
very interesting take on the dreams to follow. The patience and allowing for things to come together when and how they are meant to, after we have done all our struggling as well… Very nice.
Thank you, Maria.
Goosebumps! I’d hoped to share my Grandma Leora’s stories, but when I came down with fibromyalgia (pain, exhaustion, brain fog) nearly two dozen years ago, it looked like that dream would never happen. But five years ago the WWII story was published (all five sons served but only two came home), three more since then, and the next one will be early next year! Amazed, thankful, humbled. #aginggratefully
And thank you for sharing a little of yours here, Joy.
What an important point on ‘imitation dreams,’ thank you, Mitch.
My privilege, Dana.
Great personal testimony of how it pays to listen to God’s whispered prompts — telling us how to follow the Path He has set for us. It always leads to a GREAT purposeful destination, far better than what we could have imagined. Alas, being human, not enough of us listen. But after a few knocks on the head by life, He mercifully lets us get back on the Path.
I have been following my bliss for many years….and as I approach 80 – I am so grateful that I chose to do this. Thank you:)
This is a great story–so glad the Lord opened doors for you at HIs time!
Thanks, Carol. Me too.
Love it! Thank you for sharing, Mitch.
My privilege, Iman.
All in God’s time. Congratulations on two great movies worth waiting for. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy!
You have a good point, Mitch, to go where the Lord leads us rather than wander on our own.
Great advice, Mitch. And a great story. I never had a dream to be a writer until I was halfway through my life. I started, then for reasons I no longer remember, I got sidetracked. It took 20 years to get it finished in rough draft, but then didn’t know what to do with it. Then I heard about KDP and lo! I published it in 2018 and now have a number of other books published as well. I waited for the Lord, and He led me in the right direction as He always does. I hope we all keep following the DreamMaker and Giver.
I would like sometime to buy a copy of Healing River, and perhaps Promises to Keep.
Great testimony, Diane. ‘Healing River’ and ‘Promises to Keep’ DVDs are both available at Amazon, btw. Thx!
Yes, I checked Amazon last night. It’s on Amazon.ca too. They are both in my wish list for sometime in the future–hopefully not-too-distant future. 🙂
Inspirational as always, Mitch. Thank you for that!
My privilege, Rhonda.
What great encouragement, Mitch, and love that God is the “Dream maker!”
So glad it spoke to you, Peggy.
Good question! I think that even if our dreams don’t come to pass, the passion of its anticipation drives us to live fully.
I hear people asked how’s it going and heard the response “I’m living the dream”. I take exception to this as I couldn’t have even dreamed of the life God has granted me today!
Me neither, Gregory!
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