Dreams Are Not Enough

Alright. So you discovered BiggerPockets and read some really interesting books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad but the thing is you're still stuck. It seems that the world is moving fast and you seem left behind. You wonder, how come they make it while I don't?

Well, the sad truth is, dreams are not enough.

No matter how much you think of having that first property, you're always going to be sucked in the quicksand if you don't help yourself. 

Sometimes, we never know that we have these negative programs embedded deep in our mind until it manifest our lives. Sometimes these adverse manifestations persist because we stay blind to these programs. They say that where we are right now, what house we are living in, what amount we have in our bank accounts, what car we are driving, reflects what's going on in our mind. Now that sucks because I don't even wash my old car that often... Hopefully, that does not mean that I have a dirty mind! 

But seriously, the more I think of these concepts, the more I start to think that this is truer than it gets.

What you have in your mind will eventually reflect, physically. But isn't that a contradiction? You might be thinking: You just said dreams are not enough, now you're saying that what is inside your mind reflects on the physical world. Aren't dreams formulated in the mind? Well, these dreams of yours may never have been planted deep enough that they're rooted and become automatic, which is the case of programs. Programs are automatic.

Programs vs Dreams

Programs are deeply rooted and grounded in our minds. They may come from how we were brought up at home and the people that were around us since day 1. They are also automatic and they are linked with our emotions, it is usually referred to or even synonymous with habits. So, the next time you think of doing something and these deep programs start functioning, you end up doing the opposite and you never know what just happened. It sucks.

The key to resolving these programs and replace them with better ones is to acknowledge that they exist. That's the first part. Now it takes a while and all the guts to change them, especially if you go through life with a routine. 

Change is always healthy. One said that if you think you are not sure where you're headed, leave and change something or travel. You'll come back fresh and a better version of you. Changing your environment and your routine even for just a short while will help you see things differently. It gives you a better chance in forming new programs or habits, hopefully for the better.

Ideas are cheap

Ideas are cheap, unless they become real. No one really cares about your ideas. Before, it's silly that I try to hide my ideas from others thinking that they might steal them. Well, the truth is, despite you sharing your ideas to others it won't matter since they may be just like you and never act on them. 

The richest place in the world is the cemetery, for there lies the billion worth of ideas of people that passed away. Don't be one of those people!

Talking about it is not enough

Action speaks louder than words. But we all know it is so hard to act. We think that someday is always easier than today. Then we realize someday is never going to come. So what are we going to do about it? 

I should say take baby steps and enjoy the process - by enjoy, it means celebrate and appreciate your progress.

Baby steps may just mean analyzing one property a week. Once you do it for a month, then celebrate and actually give yourself a reward (a cake perhaps?). Then you may move up to two properties a week. Of course, this is just an example, but you get my drift. 

Just take small steps that you are comfortable with. Anyway, no one is going to test you and no one is going to fail you, except yourself. It's up to you if you raise the standards or not.

No one is going to spoon-feed you

It's time to wake up and let go of thoughts of someone spoon feeding you with everything. The sense of entitlement, of thinking that everything will just fall into place is a toxic thought.

The key here is to trust ourselves. You are stronger than you think and highly capable once you believe in yourself. Also, everything has to start from you. The act of reading books that help you, starts from within. The act of finding people to emulate, starts from within. 

Furthermore, find people who actually trust in you. If you think you are sucked deeper in the quicksand because of your lack of motivation and your laziness, then perhaps try to find new friends that allow you to become the best version of yourself. These are the people that lift your spirit without you knowing why. But the thing is, the more you surround yourself with these motivated people the easier you become like them. You start to truly believe in you.

Forgive yourself

Now I'm writing this not to be all knowing and to put blame to yourself. But most gravely to acknowledge my own faults (remember the first step on changing programs?). I'm pretty weak. I'm lazy on my dreams. I'm a dreamer yet spend all day talking, doing stuff that doesn't really have a huge impact, and spending time with people who take their dreams lightly. I could say I'm bitter and I'm blaming myself, others, and my situation. But I should know that it's okay...

Life has its own way of providing us the lessons we need at a certain point of our lives. And that's probably alright. The thing is, it doesn't tell us when we need to move up. You could stay on that certain step of the staircase for as long as you like. No one's really going to hate you. Well, unless you have people depending on you. I mean, for all I care, you could be asking people for money on the streets and you get enough to live and eat and that's fine. However, what a way to live! 

I always believe that we are born for greatness. But I also know that we are not perfect. Sometimes, if we are stuck in a situation for so long and we really don't know why we are not moving forward despite how much we try, maybe just maybe, it's because we haven't forgiven ourselves.

Forgive yourself today and tell yourself that it is okay. We all deserve forgiveness. Grasp the failures, grasp the anxiety, take it in and just breath. 

Dreams may not be enough. We may never know if we become successful. But, if we forgive ourselves, accept who we are, accept the failures we've made, and take really small steps towards progress, we know (and we are confident) that life gets a little bit easier and a lot worthwhile.