LIVE YOUR DREAM

I don't know who Cyndi & Bill Weiss are but I like what they chose to put under their names "Live Your Dream". The plaque is one of the many placed on the guard rails at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Most are memorial plaques while some are for anniversary or to commenmorate other important events. I wonder what the Weiss' dream was and how they actually lived their dream.
Over the years my dreams have changed from a simple dream of being a journalist/teacher when I was growing up in Viet Nam, then after survived the boat journey, seven months in the refugee camp, the first few years in America, I dreamed of becoming a nurse so I could volunteer for an assignment going back to the camp to serve the refugees that were still left behind. (That was the 20 years old naive and foolish me!) Somewhere along the way, around 1984, after a few years living in America, my dream turned 180 degrees to self-serving goals of being a "Yuppie"! I wanted a good life with money, fancy home and social status.
In 1987, a Spanish professor encouraged me to sign up for an internship program with the United Nations. She told me it would be a great match for my language and cultural knowledge of Vietnamese/Chinese and since I majored in Communication/Political Science, I should consider a career as a diplomat. I completed a year of internship with the UN in 1988 and in 1989 I got married and moved to Grand Haven, Michigan! (That was the "smart women foolish choice" me after I became blinded by the silly thing called love!)
I don't remember the last time I became passionate about living a dream. It was almost as if I just treading along, accepting whatever handed to me instead of setting goals for what I wish to become. Sure, I had a few good years of the limelights including being featured on the front page of a national magazine, getting a person-of-the-year award and 15 seconds of fame from articles I have written for local newspapers. Now at the age of 49, I could not formulate what my dreams are and how I wish to live out the rest of my life? It was as if I have become frozen, rusted, unable to move beyond the trapped door of complacency.
Should I follow the steps of Ryan who ran from Amsterdam, Holland to Athens, Greece in the summer of 2009? (Ryan completed his run in October 2009, but you could read about his interesting stories at http://www.ryanrunseurope.blogspot.com/)
Or Teresa, a school teacher who gave up all the security to live on a sailboat to explore simple living. (You could visit Teresa at http://www.sailingsimplicity.com/).
Or I should look beyond my own needs, stop being selfish and dedicate my time and energy to serve others instead of being self-indulgence. There are millions of good causes that could use more volunteers and financial support. Excuse me, I think it is about time I take my sorry a$# to the back of the shed and give it a good whipping.
Would you like to share your dreams and how you plan to live life to the fullest?