Celebrating a dream come true!

Today I'm celebrating a dream come true

This week the Wetpaint wiki hosting service is saluting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and his ambition to dream. I've been selected as a top contributor on Wetpaint's home page this week. Because my new Bucket Lists wiki dares to dream and in an effort to recognize [my] efforts, my just_tonya user name and its avator plus a link to that wiki are posted on the Wetpaint home page. Yippee! I sure look good on that Wetpaint home page. (hehehe) Visit the Wetpaint home page to see me and link to my wiki. Don't delay, it won't be there long. ; ) Better yet, join my Bucket Lists community there and let's follow our dreams together.

I think I'll sing a round of my theme song now in celebration. : )



As posted on YouTube by ICDeddPeople

Image credit: creativeprek

Really achieving your dreams

Today I'm celebrating living a life where you achieve your dreams!

Today is designated by some as Make Your Dreams Come True Day and that sounds like a great day to observe. It's not celebrated by just taking the time to think about your dreams, but it's a day to develop a plan for achieving them and choose to live the life that makes your dreams come true.

About.com tells about the 10 traits that most help people reach their goals and achieve their dreams, according to a recent survey of successful people. They

1. think positive at every opportunity
   
2. are specific about dreams and goals
   
3. take action to make their dreams real
   
4. never stop learning
   
5. are persistent and work hard, never giving up
   
6. analyze details, getting all the facts and asking for input to make wiser decisions and to learn from mistakes
   
7. focus time and money without letting people or things distract them
   
8. are not afraid to innovate and be different
   
9. communicate with people effectively -- with honesty, practicing understanding and motivating others
   
10. are honest and dependable, taking responsibility for what is done, always keeping promises and admitting when wrong and have made a mistake.

The survey said that together, these traits help successful people meet their goals and turn dreams into reality. It doesn't take a lot of time on the Web or watching late night TV to notice that there are lots of people who also think that they know the secret of success. Many are offering products that they want you to buy. I think that most of those people likely don't have the answer --- their success has more likely been a result of enticing you to buy their product.

I could fill this blog with lots of songs (like My Wish as sung by Rascall Flatts and playing on this blog) and quotes to encourage you to dream big and work to make your dreams come true. However, I think that you all should know Dr. Randy Pausch. Randy Pausch, a young, charismatic professor at Carnegie-Mellon University with pancreatic cancer with only a few months to live and leaving behind three small children and a wife, delivered a humorous and inspiring last lecture "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" in September 2007 about the virtues of living with a passion, including pursuing your childhoold dreams. His talk discussed how he achieved his childhood dreams and realistic advice on how you can live your life so that you can make your childhood dreams come true too.

You can learn more about Randy Pausch and hear a portion of his lecture from the YouTube video below:

As posted on YouTube by the Wall Street Journal Digital Network

You can hear his entire lecture below:

As posted on YouTube by carnegiemellonu
Sure, it's lengthy, but it's worth hearing his advice for success in achieving your dreams.

There are two things that stood out to me during his lecture: the significance of brick walls and how they can be overcome by those who are really determined and the importance in showing gratitude. Today I'm especially proud of my parents who taught me that you can basically do anything you set your mind to, with hard work and determination. I'm appreciative of those teachers who were encouragers, who vouched for me, or were the source of my inspiration, people like Ms Griffin, Mr Sawyer, Dr Sheppard, or Dr Norris. Those were the type of educators who help you meet the challenges of people like Mr Yates or Dr Van Dran (who have both passed from this life), who at a crucial time in a student's life seemed to take such pride in building brick walls. After hearing that lecture again today, although there was not enough time for them to actually surprise me on how great they were, I can appreciate those brick walls that they tried to build. As tough as their brick walls were hard to scale, they helped me in building character, in appreciating those who take chances, and in learning the importance of inspiring and helping others.

Today, if you've been inspired to make your dreams come true, I encourage you to visit the new Bucket Lists site, where you can view both popular and incredible life goals, learn about famous life listers, log your list, and be an encourager to others. More importantly, I hope that you're inspired to help someone along the way to achieve THEIR dreams.


Image credit: Inkadinkado

May your dreams stay big

Today, I'm celebrating making dreams come true on the birthday of Mickey Mouse!

Mickey Mouse is the most famous of the Disney characters. Mickey made his debut in "Steamboat Willie" at the Colony Theater in New York City on November 18, 1928. He starred in >120 different cartoons and his own "The Mickey Mouse Club" tv show. He's very talented too and you can see him playing the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor in The Opry House cartoon (1929). Many a young star has been born on his show, including today's music star mouseketeers Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. Mickey Mouse has been featured in Time, Newsweek, Life, National Geographic, and Good Housekeeping magazines. For someone who only stands two-and-a-half heads tall, he's well known worldwide and across generations. Mickey is recognized for his optimistic outlook on life, boyishly enthusiastic nature, and focus on positive values and integrity. Mickey holds the title of Chief Greeter at the Disney theme parks. What visit to a Disney theme park would be complete without seeing Mickey?

Mickey Mouse is the creation of Walt Disney. Here are some things that Walt is famous for saying:

• When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it's because he's so human; and that is the secret of his popularity.
  
• I love Mickey Mouse more than any woman
  
• I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.
  
• When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.
  
• We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
  
• All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.
  
• If you can dream it, you can do it.
  
• The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

In celebrating this day, I could not help but recognize the importance of dreams and a positive, enthusiastic outlook on life, with priorities on positive values and integrity.

One of my favorite songs playing on this site is My Wish by Rascal Flatts. You can watch them singing the song on the CMA Awards show.

Today, my wish for you is that your dreams stay big. And, I challenge you: when you get the chance, help make someone else's dream come true.

Post a comment about your favorite Mickey Mouse or Disney memory.
Also, tell us about your dreams and those that have come true.