Are you a dream chaser?
Me with my editor
I am!
And often at the end of a year I’m bemoaning the fact that a dream or two didn’t happen, or didn’t happen the way I’d imagined they would.
Welcome to life, right?
I know, I should be used to it by now, but being an entrepreneur or creative involves being purposely naive, optimistic and stubborn. Every year a part of me is still shocked I’m not a bestselling author, or pop star or insert a dream here.
Since the epiphanies I wrote about last time, I wasn’t as bummed about my lack of dream achievement this past year, but still. . .
Then a movie about a jazz player and a chess champ gave me some needed perspective.
Soul
Queen’s Gambit
Soul, Pixar’s latest, talks about a jazz musician who’s put his whole life on hold to pursue his dream—even to the point of being so consumed that he’s totally unaware of the people and world around him.
Queens’ Gambit chronicles the journey of a female chess prodigy from age 9 through early adulthood.
What these two movies have in common is that both of their protagonists give up everything to chase their dreams. (Also I enjoyed them both!)
The lesson I took away from each of them has really helped me start the new year off in a great frame of mind.
Dreams matter. If you’re a dream chaser, never stop chasing your dream(s). But also the journey matters. (Which sometimes I forget.) Smell the roses along the way because if you get you get your dream, and I’m not saying if either protagonist did or didn’t get their dreams, it won’t be what you thought it would be. And though achievements are grand, they’re not worth giving up your whole life to get them. In other words, balance is key. (Wonder how many times I’ll have to be reminded of this—a million?)
The other lesson I learned was from the backstory of The Queen’s Gambit. It took Allan Scott, the producer, 30 years to get the miniseries made! He was 51 when he acquired the rights and 81 when it aired! In fact, to add more drama and balance to the story, he was in the hospital with COVID when it premiered on Netflix and had to watch the series from his hospital bed.
Not the way I imagine he thought this dream would play out.
But as much as both movies are cautionary tales about not letting your dreams ruin your life, the back story of Queens’ Gambit pushes me to keep striving for my dreams. Because as Harrison Ford said when asked why so many of his acting peers never made it and he did, “I never gave up.”
What are the dreams you’re chasing now? (A career goal, a new house, a trip, a?) What’s your mindset as you begin 2021? Please share with me in the comments below.
RADICAL RESOURCE FROM THE LIBRARY: Wanna learn a new skill like chess? The library has virtual programs and lots of books on the subject. What new thing will you learn this year?
Click the image to learn more about this resource.
YOU TUBE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Which animals hibernate? It’s not just who you think! (Was doing research on this and found this fun vid from National Geographic.) Click on the image and enjoy.
