Follow Your Dreams

(Thank you Katy Betz for sharing this with me...it's inspiring!!)

By Lloyd D. Newell of Music and the Spoken Word

Legend has it that at the end of every rainbow lies a pot of gold waiting to be claimed by the fortunate one who finds it. No one seems to have been lucky enough to win such a prize. Rainbows, like clouds and shadows, are hard to catch. But some people do follow rainbows - every time they follow their dreams.

The writer George Bernard Shaw said: "You see things, and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were, and I say 'Why not?'".

Who is the follower of dreams? Who looks to the rainbow? The entrepreneur who dreams up a product and spends long days establishing a successful business; the scientist who makes a breakthrough after countless hours of experimenting; the father who works overtime so his children can take music lessons. In every case, the followers of dreams are those willing to not only dream but also to work. They know that the dreams they pursue are far more fulfilling than any imaginary pot of gold.

If we would be well led, we should follow someone with a dream. If we would be well taught, we should see a teacher with a real vision. If we would soar to great heights, sail into uncharted waters, or reach the summit of unconquered peaks, we should follow the person who looks at what has never been done and says, "why not?" or better still, we can become that person.

We are all dreamers, in our own way. Even if our dream turns out to be as elusive as the mythical pot of gold, it is surely better to have looked to the rainbow and sought the prize than never to have tried. And perhaps our efforts will leave a legacy that will inspire others to follow the dream.