What Dreams do You Dare to Dream?
May 8th, 2007 by Freddie
Have you ever been suddenly and deeply touched by a song, a film scene or a poem?
It comes upon you in a rush, unbidden. The feeling is intense and overwhelming. Also puzzling. You scratch your head and think: “Now where did THAT come from?”
One thing you do know is that something important just hit you. Like being slapped in the face with a wet halibut, it’s hard to ignore.
Let me share with you what happened last night.
I’ve been in the same choir for twenty years – which is remarkable as I’m not a ‘joiner’. I’ve turned up for choir practice come rain or shine, once a week for two decades and sung in over sixty concerts.
We do a lot of the big choral works but right now we’re rehearsing for a lighter concert of film songs. Many great but unheard-of composers are responsible for the hundreds of film songs you could name.
For example, know ye of Frank Churchill?
No?
He wrote “Whistle While You Work”, “Heigh Ho” and “Some Day My Prince Will Come” all from Snow White.
How about Harold Arlen?
I’ll wager you’ve never heard of him. But you probably know “One For my Baby and One More For The Road” and…
…“Somewhere Over The Rainbow”.
Which brings me on to my experience last night because ‘Over The Rainbow’ is the song we were rehearsing.
Now I’ve heard this song a hundred times (for I once played The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz) and sung it on many occasions.
But last night I suddenly heard the words for the first time and immediately had that ‘wet halibut’ moment.
Here they are:
Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There’s a land that I heard of, once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
Some day I’ll wish upon a star,
And wake up where clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops,
That’s where you’ll find me.
And that lovely final line….
If happy little bluebirds fly,
Beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can’t I?
Now these ‘overwhelm’ moments are non-transferable. I know that.
It’s MY overwhelm moment, so keep your thieving hands off it! You’re most likely to be yawning indifferently.
But wait!
Look at that brilliant and simple lyric. How full of human yearning it is. And how hopeful. We are drowning in a dark sea of media-spawned negativity. We all could use a little hope.
What struck me are how we live our lives WAY below our full potential. And yes, I include myself. I must do, since it was I who was touched by the song.
Don’t you want to soar like a bluebird over the rainbow?
Don’t you want your troubles to melt like lemon drops?
Don’t you want to wake up and have those dark clouds far behind you?
And yet you are likely to be living the same mediocre day repeated endlessly.
I’m not going to launch into a ‘how to’ section here as it would destroy the delicate mood I am trying to create. Instead I’m just going to leave you with what might be a difficult question:
“What dreams do you dare to dream?”
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Quote of The Day
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“We can have more than we’ve got because we can become more than we are.” Jim Rohn
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Don’t Fall For This ‘Staged Accident’ Scam
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Here’s a fascinating statistic.
Latest estimates from the insurance industry put the
LOWEST figure on the number of ‘staged accidents’ at…
wait for it… 20,000 per year!
A staged accident is one in which fraudsters force
unsuspecting victims into a road traffic accident – and
then milk the system for every penny in compensation for
the ‘trauma’ suffered.
Example: A taxi manned by just the driver swerves in
front of a lorry and then slams on its brakes. A
dangerous stunt in itself, but hey, there’s cash at
stake.
Naturally the lorry ploughs straight into the back of
it.
Days after the accident, when the claim is being made,
mysterious ‘phantom passengers’ claim that they were in
the taxi and are now suffering from all manner of
ailments such as whiplash injuries. Eventually, the
insurance company pays out thousands to each one in
compensation.
20,000 is a very low estimate because, of course, many
people don’t realise they’ve been ‘had’ as the accidents
can look so genuine.
Although you would not personally lose money, this sort
of scam forces up all of our insurance premiums
substantially. In fact, fraud of all sorts adds an extra
20% to your vehicle insurance!
What can you do?
Well if you’re unlucky enough to be in an accident, when
the dust has settled, take a photo of the other car
using your mobile phone. Also note down how many
occupants there were and what physical condition they
seem to be in after the accident.
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Seeds of Discipline: Excellence is a Habit
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Thanks to Dennis Waitley (http://www.waitley.com/) for
this. I suggest you read it two or three times.
We learn by observation, imitation and repetition.
Habits begin as offhand remarks, ideas and images. And
then, layer upon layer, through practice, they grow from
cobwebs into cables that shackle or strengthen our
lives.
Habits are like submarines. They run silent and deep.
First we make our habits, then our habits make us.
Habits are like comfortable beds. They are easy to get
into, but difficult to get out of.
Winning and losing are both learned habits.
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That’s your lot for today. I’m off to the corner shop
for some lemon drops.
Yours,
Stuart Goldsmith
The Money Tree
PS. Are you ready to hear that BIG secret that could
make you £788.20 over lunch? Well, I’ve finally pinned
Freddie to a date and he’s promised you the lowdown VERY
soon – Friday to be precise. Whatever you do, MAKE SURE
you take a look at this.
