What if I Fall? Oh Darling What if You Fly?

     This has be the topic of discussion lately in the Lopez residence. Let's face it, we all have dreams, ambitions and desires for our lives. Some dreams are as big as the sky, while others are as simple as a blade of grass. Deep inside every individual lies an innate desire to be bigger and to crave more than what we see in our present situation or circumstance. Deep inside every individual lies the innate ability to imagine a future with limitless possibilities.

     As a child, it was easier to "dream the impossible dream."  It was easy to believe I could be anything I wanted to be. So with an ambitious heart, I imagined my future. I carefully sculpted my soon to be adulthood. Boy did it look great!! I eagerly looked forward to each year and the chance to achieve my goals.

     As life went on, my dreams soon met reality. I found myself not achieving most of my goals, and when achieved it was definitely not in the time frame I set for myself. This was devastating to say the least. Consequently, I slowly began to stop dreaming and having desires. "Grow up and be more realistic," I said with clinched fists. Though necessary, realism has it's flaws. It's a good quality to accurately assess a situation and see it for what it really is, but it does have its down side. Realism allows you to live with levelheadedness and practicality. Where's the joy in that? Sometimes dreams are irrational and unpractical...but that's okay! It's good to have your head in the clouds sometimes and focus on something beyond you, beyond natural ability. It gives you a sense of hope. It gives you something to strive for!

     The truth is, most of what we desire will never come to past. Should we stop dreaming? Should we allow past failures to negatively affect our ambition, resulting in a defeated perspective? Of course not! The possibility of failure is always present, but the possibility of flying is present as well.  In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, "If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving!"