“Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them” Josie Bisset
How many times have you heard people say, I could’ve done that or I could’ve done this? I hear it all the time and actually don’t always believe people because I am a strong believer of whatever you really want to achieve – you can. If you want something badly enough you can achieve it as long as you are fully committed and are prepared to give anything for it.
Everyone has dreams and aspirations but not everyone realises and pursues their dreams because they let doubt, fear and frustration get in their way. In fact most people will wish for the best, wait for things to happen and make excuses. As time passes they learn to accept mediocrity and stop pushing out of their comfort zone and most people will tend to give up just before they are successful.
A lot of people believe that dreams don’t come true for ordinary people, but this is just a mindset. How do you think the majority of people who have made a difference became extraordinary? Usually it is because they pursued a dream, believed in themselves and did what they needed to do to achieve their dream.
We as humans are very quick to make excuses to cover up for our lack of accountability, for example if you are not selected for a team, don’t say it’s because I am younger than the others or I am too small or they are too fast, etc. Get the excuses out of your head and stop blaming others because you need to start taking responsibility for what you want in your life. If you need to improve in an area, go and work on it until it becomes your strength.
Don’t be scared of your dreams, share with the world what you want to achieve, be clear and ignore those who are negative and don’t let them get you down. Stay determined and work hard and you can achieve anything you set your mind to. If you want to be an international hockey player then work on all aspects to improve your game, work on both your strengths and your weaknesses and aim to be the best at something.
For me, growing up I always dreamt of playing field hockey for South Africa and although at the time I thought I believed I could, I wasn’t fully committed and I was convinced that I didn’t know the right people in order to get into the team. But if that was true then how is it possible to have made my senior international debut after I had been living in London for 6 years? Yes it was a bit of luck to be “spotted” but I never gave up wanting to be a better hockey player and that is ultimately what allowed me to be given the opportunity to achieve my hockey dream of playing for my country.
People don’t always realise what it takes to play at the next level, whether you are at school, looking to play in your local club team or whether you want to get into your regional or national team. Don’t be scared to work hard and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Coaches and selectors are looking for people who are determined and are not afraid to pursue their dreams, despite any setbacks they face.
Dreams are mean’t to be beyond what you think you are capable of so dream big and take small steps to get closer to your dream every day. Then perhaps one day you will wake up and realise that you have achieved your dream and it will be time to set a new goal which is bigger than you had ever imagined!
Don’t just settle for mediocrity, be committed to improving yourself and love what you do. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to get a better understanding of what you really want:
1. What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?
2. What would I do if I had unlimited resources?
3. What are the 3 things I am best at?
4. What would I like written on my grave stone when I die?
Commit yourself to your dreams and take ownership of them. Share your dreams with friends and family and chose someone who will hold you accountable for doing what you need to achieve it. We don’t mind letting ourselves down but when it comes to others, we will pursue for longer and put more effort because we don’t like letting others down. That is why team sports like hockey are so great, because we work together and we have fun together and encourage each other through tough times.
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