WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

A while ago I gave a series of talks at a high school. My goal being that the audience would be able to better themselves in the area of vocation. That is, that the students would be motivated to discover their own potential within and take advantage of the education they were receiving.

This is what every young person needs in order to have the chance to succeed!

In the same way, my desire is that the advice in this book would be applicable to all. That it be easily accessible when facing the future, helpful in achieving one’s goals and dreams in the face of challenges, and that the instruction, teaching, and information received be beneficial.

What I share in the following pages comes as a result of students and teachers sharing their experiences of different methods of grading and accountability, that allows for the development of techniques that promote a better use of intelligence when it comes time to study. Many times we hear the saying: “Knowledge is power.” But that is not necessarily the case. Those ones who understand this or understand that, in fact, applied knowledge is power! Therefore, it is vital for it to be observed in this context: Knowledge that does not illustrate does not help when it comes to matters that are intellectual.

I want to introduce three basic qualifiers, which I will be building on throughout the entire book: Being excellent, being outstanding, and setting - yourself apart. I will be writing about each of these concepts, which have a special meaning for education. I will put them in context so that it will be clear to you which one of these you need to achieve and apply to your own life.

Having clarity will inspire you to be productive, to work towards your own goals in order to achieve what you desire and fulfill your life purpose. Do you think this is something unreachable in the days we live in? In fact, it is required in order to achieve the very best in life. It is possible.

As King Solomon said: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

A friend who read a portion of this manuscript wrote me the following:

“There are things that have been put in this world to beautify, to serve as background, but which are destined to fade away. They don’t have the ability nor the possibility to grow into anything. Man, on the other hand, has been created to grow always and in every way.”

Dear reader, this book is written in sections, and in each one of them a light illuminates the possibilities that exist for everyone. I emphasize this, because my concern is and always will be for you to be able to achieve your goals.

I will share what may help you overcome your limitations, what we sometimes call “mediocrity.” To a certain degree, I consider that mediocrity unfortunately is and always will be a consequence of not developing a good habit of reading. This is especially true due to the little effort that is put into studying.

In order to interpret the reality of how you see the world, I hope that you can have an open mind. As a teacher, I can tell you that in order to achieve superior levels of comprehension, you must increase the time you spend reading, go further in your study of the material that is being covered, and read a great number of pages. You must also accept the other challenges recommended by an academic schedule so that your achievement will be above the average in class requirements. Making that commitment will cause you to be more determined and will allow you to dream; however, it will not be achieved if you harbor a negative attitude in your view of the world.

How do we get out of that negative attitude? By establishing a proactive mentality, that is, choosing to take notes that are useful and can be applied. This will cause your activity and experience to go up, and of course, you will become more intelligent and feel strong.

In order to become more disciplined, young people who receive this advice gain motivation, learning competency in reinforcing their integrity with determination and consistency in their objectives and goals. The trials and experiences of life are part of the process for continued growth.

Keep your hopes alive, choose to fight; with that attitude everything else will be added to you and you will become a studious young person, full of dreams. You will realize that this is not as complicated as it seems, because you have found knowledge in your regular reading of the book of wisdom, the Word of God, which strengthens you and causes you to progress towards your desired end goal.

In your journey you will see that your own judgement can be subjected to consideration by having an open mind, and by allowing others to contribute with their experiences as they can add details that might enrich your own.

I thank, with all my heart, all the people who have given me their support and assistance in the editing of this text. From the time I began writing - What Is Your Dream? until the point it is was published, the whole process has gone beyond my expectations.

My desire to write this book arose from conversations with many young people who shared their concerns and problems that prevented them from bettering themselves in the academic, spiritual and social settings. I know that what is shared here will bring them to greater success.

It is evident that the only thing keeping educational institutions growing is having students who are diligent and fulfilled. Furthermore, the objective of the text you are reading is to inspire you to put all this into practice and for you to increase your desire to look at a horizon full of hope. Keep your dreams alive because it is the only way to be successful in the midst of adversity.

I hope you will continue to work on bettering yourself and that you would make your time count in the area of academics, in friendship, in dating, and in marriage, like the exceptional young person that you are.