You've got to have a dream

The positive thinking revolution is gaining momentum. I was alerted to this fact by a link posted by the BF on Facebook to a BBC news article entitled 'Brain rejects negative thoughts' in which some clever scientist people have proved that those with a positive attitude to a variety of life events are more likely to encounter health benefits. Well this is good news. However, it is not really news as such, because I along with many other non scientist type people have been pretty convinced of this for a while. 

When I was younger I recall telling my parents frequently about all the things I wanted to do when I grew up. Travel the world, drive fast cars (I particularly wanted a black Ferrari) and live in exciting places (specifically Sydney) being the main ones. Whilst I was at university i started to action some of these dreams. I lived in Spain for almost a year and came back and spent my student loans on a car. A little blue Peugeot 106. You have to start somewhere. I then travelled to Mexico and Australia post graduation.  Mum, who was and still is a bit of a worrier, would ask how I'd find the money to pay for these things, and i would tell her that i would get a good job after i graduated. She would fret over this and ask how i could be so sure id be able to repay the student debts which had funded some of my dreams and my reply was simple; I just know I will. 

Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a one day seminar with Jack Black, an advocate of positive positioning and the powers of the mind in a range of scenarios. (not to be confused with the roundish American actor of the same name). As part of his seminar he talked about goals and dreams and why some people seem better than others at getting what they want in life,  and he talked about the question asked of millions of children every day; what do you want to be when you grow up? Suddenly I was transported back to the breakfast room table in the 1990's, and a lot of things made sense. 

 When a child articulates what they want to be when they grow up, they are sharing their dreams and highest ambitions. Many of us will recall as children how limitless our imagination was and that anything was possible. So what what changed? Did all of the wannabe train drivers, astronauts and ballet dancers just change their minds? No of course not. They probably just suffered a monumental blow to their dreams when someone asked them how they were going to achieve them. Jack Black made the point that the most damaging thing you can say to a child who has just told you what they want to be when they grow up, is 'how are you going do that?' By all means ask them why, but by asking how you bring in obstacles and doubt, which will often be enough to shatter the most vivid childhood ambition.

So, back to the breakfast room table in the 1990's, was I an exception to the rule of how and why? No, I don't think so. I don't blame my mum for her worrying concern over my future financial situation. She still thinks I don't worry enough about money and I in turn think she worries too much about it. We'll have to agree to disagree.   I cannot recall  what wanted to be when  I grew up when I was about seven, but I  think though that by the time the specific conversation as recalled here happened I was a little older.   Thank goodness by then  I was too stubborn to listen. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15214080