DREAMS ARE MEANT TO BE SHARED

I keep reading these articles about NOT sharing your dreams – instead show them.  To me that’s crazy.  Dreams are meant to be shared.  But do so carefully.  It’s a commonly held belief that when you set a new goal for yourself – whether personally or professionally – one should not broadcast it to everyone you know.  In an age where social media rules, where people put too much of their business out there for the world to see – I can totally understand why one would want to keep their dreams, their goals, their ideas a secret.  Platforms like Facebook (statuses), Instagram and Twitter allow too many people to respond.  Too many responses equates to too many opinions.  Those opinions sometimes kill dreams because, essentially, people can be dream killers (or haters – depending on what word you like most). First and foremost, NEVER use Social Media as your dream announcement platform unless you have thick skin.  Honestly.  There are people out there that live to see you fail.  Trust me, I know this from experience.  Those individuals are your “friends” or “followers” online but in real life they are quietly plotting for your demise.  So in addition to dreams, just shut up when it comes to your personal life and your public life online.  Use those social media platforms instead for fun.  Don’t air your relationship issues, your work problems, your inner most thoughts and feelings on the internet where they are permanent…as in forever.  Instead, connect and reconnect with old and new friends. Watch and participate in commentary concerning #Empire, #Scandal, any dumb BET awards show, or what ever may be the hot topic of the day, week or hour.  Read the articles. Join in the discussions.  People post some awesome stuff on Facebook and Twitter.  But if you can’t take the heat when it comes to your personal life, just keep it to yourself.  Especially when it comes to your goals. So, who should you tell your dreams to?  Your circle.  I’ve blessed with this AWESOME group of friends – many of whom are more like family to me than my own flesh and blood.  When I want to do something, whether it’s to pursue a personal or professional goal, I say it out loud to them.  Most of the time they roll their eyes because my dreams are a little more crazy than most.  For instance, I wanted a franchise.  I bought and opened 3 Quiznos Subs (closed and sold them heauxs too).  I wanted a snoball – so I created NOLA Ice (www.NOLA-Ice.com).  I developed a “business bucket list” in which I’ve listed various professional pursuits that I wanted to pursue over the course of the next 5 years.  One of those was to open a gas station/convenience store. I bought one in December 2014 and we opened our doors February 19, 2015.  But with everything that I did I told my friends.  Not to brag. Not to be discouraged.  But because I knew if I didn’t say these ideas, these goals, these dreams out loud, I may never pursue them. Have I mentioned that my crew(s) is awesome?  If not, I just want to let you know that they are.  So in telling my dreams to them, they entail push me to accomplish them.  This what we do for each other actually.  Want to run for political office?  Cool come up with a plan and we’ll put it into action. Want a new job?  Figure out what you want to do and we’ll help and support in any way possible.  Want to jump out of a plane?  Call Kelli she’ll set up an entire weekend build around it and it will be epic…TRUST. One of my favorite books is “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho.  From it I learned this simple concept: Once you make the desires of your heart known, the universe will conspire to give it to you.  My universe is God and my crew.  With them all things are possible. With them I will accomplish all that I put effort towards achieving.  I’m not saying that everything is butterflies and roses because I do get asked the hard questions.  I do get the doubters.  But I also need this in order to work out, in my mind, what I am trying to do, trying to accomplish.  I need the difficult friends who see my goals as far fetched.  I need the people who help me work out numbers, and ideas to make sure this could actually work.  I need the people who won’t always pat me on my back and tell me I’m doing a good job, or what I am attempting to accomplish is realistic.  I need all sides. Don’t keep your dreams a secret.  Write them down, talk to others about them.  But be prepared for the good and the bad.  Pray about it.  Then make your decision.

Thoughts? Website: http://www.NOLA-Ice.com, http://www.CaulfieldHoldings.com Twitter: @NOLAICEBham Facebook: ww.Facebook.com/NOLAIceBirmingham