We all had dreams when we were small about what we wanted to be when we grew up.  Some of us looked to our sporting idols and dreamt we could be like them if only we practiced enough.  Others looked at professions we admired, police, firemen, doctors or astronauts and imagined that maybe one day that could be us. 

And some of us aspired to be princesses, lorries and cartoon characters.  Such are the imaginings of young minds.

But even as we got older and gave up on the wilder flights of fancy we dreamed of as children, we still had new dreams.  Every so often, we look at the state of our lives and wonder “What if I had chosen another path?” Sometimes we might even ask, “What if I choose another path today?”

Those Who Went Before

Probably the most harmful thoughts a person might have are “This is all I am. This is all I can, or ever will be”.  For many people this is an unfortunate acceptance of a reality that, in their perspective, is set and can never be changed. This isn’t only the jaded thoughts of older people in their twilight years either; huge numbers of young people, often without the experience that comes simply from living their lives past a certain point, can find themselves trapped in the mind-set that they’ve achieved as much as they can and their lives have gone as far as they will.

Fortunately, what we think we can achieve and what we can actually achieve can be two different things.  Across the world, huge numbers of people choose to try something new in their lives.  People from all ages and backgrounds who are prepared to reach for their dreams, old or new, and push themselves to fresh heights of personal achievement.

Consider the Story of “Grandma Moses” now remembered as a famous American artist. In her early life there was no opportunity for the hired girl who worked on a farm in New York state to pursue her passion of drawing and painting.  Yet at the age of 80, during an exhibition of her work, she rose to fame, first in New York state and then across the art world.

Or perhaps that of Harlan Sanders, better known as Colonel Sanders, the figurehead of the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain. He started his own restaurant business at 40 and found his greatest success later, when at 64, he sold his interest in the KFC Franchise chain for $2 million.

Reaching For Your Own Dreams

These are but two examples of countless people who were able to reach out and make something of their own, even at an age when most people would be considering retirement.  If you have a dream but lack the knowledge and training to make it happen, a distance learning course can give you the skill and confidence you need to take control of your future. 

Perhaps your want to run your own bed and breakfast?  Or you’ve always wanted to own a small holding with fruits and vegetables or even livestock?  Or maybe your dream is big and you need the business skills to make it function. 

Whatever your dream is, the only thing stopping you from taking the first step to achievement is you!