Do you remember your childhood dreams of career choices, the man/woman of your dreams, or the prized sports car? Did you replace them with new dreams as you got older as most people do? Have you attained your dreams? If not, why?

The saying, 'We are the creators of our own destiny' is right on the mark! We spend a great deal of time thinking about what we want. What we want to be when we grow up, the type of lifestyle we would like to lead, the location and type of home we would like to own, but so many of these dreams do not come to fruition. Why? Because they are often just yearnings, hopes, or the proverbial brass ring. But they need not be. You can actually attain the things you have always wished for, but you need more than a vague idea of what it is that is truly desired. You need to deliberately pursue your goal to create your reality.

Dreams and aspirations are kind of like seeds in a garden. Would you just plant seeds and leave them to fend for themselves, expecting them to grow into the desired fruit, vegetable, or flower? Of course not. Without water to stay quenched, fertilizer for growth, and regular weeding your seeds would not thrive at all. In fact they would just wither away. That is exactly what can happen to your dreams. They will never flourish without thought, attention, and energy. Deliberateness is needed. It is the process of putting action to your intentions that will help manifest your dreams. Claire has fallen into just such a rut. She has been a waitress for nearly three years but she dreams of much more. Since the age of three she has wanted to be a dancer. Claire is quite good, but she has yet to act on her goals professionally. Instead she attends dance classes during the day and waitresses at night, dreaming of how different things will be once she is finally discovered.

During her lunch break she goes a few doors down to meet her friend Sam. Sam is a man on a mission. He works as a waiter in the evenings, takes classes in the morning and pounds the pavement, literally or virtually in between. Sam has had the dream of becoming a freelance writer ever since he can remember. But instead of hoping that his dream comes true, Sam is helping his dreams along by putting action into play. Unlike Claire, he is making contacts with agents and publishers, is part of a writer's workshop and even donates his writing to a few not-for-profit organizations. Sam is insuring that his work is seen by as many people as he can, thus increasing his chances for success.

Claire and Sam are both people with ambitious dreams, but they are clearly going about attaining them in two very different ways. Claire is waiting for her dreams to materialize, while Sam is setting out to make his happen. Are you more like Claire or Sam? If your dreams have not yet become a reality, take some time to reflect on the reasons why. Ask yourself if there was something that you could have done to help them along? If the answer is yes, then you have a starting point for action. Assemble a plan for how you are going to achieve your dreams. Action takes courage, the universe recognizes courage as an acknowledgement that you are ready to handle the next step, whatever that next step may be. If you keep working towards your dreams and aspirations, you WILL achieve them. Use action as the catalyst and watch what begins to manifest, believe me you won't be surprised after all, you made it become reality.