“A musician’s fingers are always willing to strum the chords and play another song, a writer’s pen eagerly inks another story, an artist’s brush, yet another colorful painting, and like all good dreamers, a dreamer’s soul will always dream of another dream.” —Squiggly
Long ago, I used to believe in and follow the self-help community, but I slowly started to feel disgust at these so-called self-help gurus (Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins, Steve Pavlina, etc. etc. ) who made people believe they weren’t enough, but to follow their shiny bauble because they had all the answers. Like they’d commonly say, “Most people go to their grave never fulfilling their dreams.” All they do is to prey off people’s insecurities. As the Target saying goes, “Life’s a moving target.” throughout my life, I want more than just one dream and to keep living another story. I want to be the dreamer of all dreams, the master of songs, and an expert storyteller who puts people on the edge of their seats as they gather and listen around the campfire to another Squigman tale.
Nicaragua and Mexico: Closing the First Book of a Dream
The problem with having only one dream is where do you go from there if you only have one dream, and you achieved it? You might as well give up after you’ve accomplished it, for you will have nothing more to look forward to.
My first dream began in Nicaragua where I traveled and lived abroad and met some of God’s finest and most interesting people. Now, however, I have returned and gone home and the last pages of that first adventure have come to a fruitful end. I could get seriously depressed just sitting here after having accomplished and lived those dreams were I not preparing to strum the chords on my next adventure. I’m simply in a cool down period now where I’m acclimating my experiences while spending time with my family, but I’m honestly ready to go again as just sitting here is wicked boring.
Now truth be told, I could certainly die happier having lived even one of my first dreams, but I definitely want to visit many other countries and continue dreaming. My goal is to continue dreaming throughout my life, and though it may change forms and transform into another shape, I never want to fully stop with my dreams. I’m not living, the American Dream or only one dream. I’m living many dreams.
Lionheart Lessons: Alexander the Great
Having studied a little about Alexander the Great, I found him an extraordinary man. One of the key lessons I took from this legendary war commander was how he educated himself through Aristotle, and read one of Homer’s books, the Illiad, which sat underneath his pillow for the rest of his life. Alexander the Great lived so bravely, like he’d jump into the thicket of the fighting even if it meant risking his life. His key lesson was how it was better to burn out fast and burn brightly than to fade away slowly into insignificance. To live a life full of adventure and brilliance that was short, than to live a long life that was not fulfilling and devoid of enjoyment as sadness and despair sapped the strength from your bones. That’s how I plan to live my life as well. Though it’s possible I may not live to see old age, but I want to live a life full of many interesting and fun stories, and if I die in the process, I will know that I have at least lived.
Meant to Fly: The Human Plane
I watched a video last night that was spoken word poetry (my baby got me into it). Basically, it talked about how planes were not meant to sit on the ground. The most dangerous time for a plane was when they sat on the ground idle and unused because when they were parked, they started to rust and malfunction, more than when they were flying in the sky. As humans, we are also not meant to sit on the ground, and though when we fly there’s always a chance we could crash, our planes will still fare better than if we had never left the ground.
Having lived my first dream, I feel happier than if I had just stayed home and did nothing, and I could not regret such a life-giving adventure even if something bad were to happen because I would know that I had truly lived. Certainly it’s important to take care of yourself, but you don’t want to live so cautiously that it stops you from having fun and living your life. Let the jovial-hearted song of the jester inspire you to live a life of joy-filled adventure.
See the World with Squiggly 