Tag Archives: Follow Your Dreams

Swimming in Deeper Water

September 9, 2022 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

Water can be frightening; you only see the surface, and there is no way to know the depth underneath. There is also no way to know what is lurking under the surface, so water can be challenging to deal with for those who choose fear. Yet it is in the deep water that more significant movement to be yourself exists, a better chance to find out what you are made of, what is important to you—the opportunity to overcome fear and swim on your own and in your most natural and productive way. Life will continually offer you the chance to explore the deep waters around you. All you have to do is be brave enough to jump in and see what is there waiting. It could be great, and it could be terrifying. You will apply the labels of your discovery at a later time. Be afraid to jump but jump anyway. It is only in this way your authentic story will be discovered. What is waiting for you in the deep water of your adventure?

Dreams

All people have dreams of what they want to do with their life. Sometimes life gets busy, and those dreams worsen with thoughts, making them appear foggy and unclear. We think we must do in our lives, pushing the goals underneath the deep water and leaving us not remembering or recognizing these dreams anymore. It would help if you had a career to be successful. There is money to be made and roles for you to play, which are expected, often leaving no room for you to be your authentic self.

When I was a boy, I was afraid to swim. Like many people in my generation, a simple solution was employed to teach me. One day I was thrown into the deep water by a well-meaning uncle. I remember being frightened when I first went under, but then there was a calming realization that I was OK, and in that split second, I was no longer afraid. I also realized that I could swim as well. And swim, I did. The deepwater became a place I loved.

That is how it is with dreams, I think. Jump in the water and see what you can do. There is no guarantee that you will be able to swim in all deep waters, but you will no longer fear them. Knowledge is the light that shines on fear and eliminates those second-guessing, unproductive thoughts that you have in your head. Knowing what is there, lurking below the surface, provides a person with power. The only way to gain this knowledge is to experience it. Jump at your dreams. Feet first, head, sideways, or belly flop, but jump. The world needs your gifts.

Relationships

In relationships, it is the same thing. Some people find the person perfect for them right away in life, which is excellent, but the water can still get deep for all people as they grow. There will be issues of trust, acceptance, growth, and continual love that will rise. I experience that eventually, you are standing on the dock of life, looking into the deep waters of that relationship, and you are afraid of jumping in. Those waters are more profound and darker than ever if you are looking for that special connection in life and haven’t found it yet.

Sitting on the comfortable dock is easy and reassuring yourself how safe you are there. Maybe you dip your feet in the water and splash around a bit. That will tell you nothing valuable. The only way to find out is to jump in. Be prepared for the full spectrum of what you will learn. Not everyone is for you. Understanding what the deepwater others are swimming in will reveal this to you. Some people like to dive deep and see what they can find. Others want to swim along the surface. Find a partner you can love just as they are and who loves you exactly the way you swim. Deep waters reveal the truth in all things. There is no place left to hide.

Living any aspect of your life will involve finding this out, to some degree: work, relationships, personal growth, and spiritual growth. The only way to clearly understand something is to experience it consciously and personally. Only then can you decide if that person, place, or thing resonates with you, your goals, and your dreams. Don’t fear the deep waters. Explore them. Hold your breath and dive deep into them. Open your eyes to see the wonders and dangers below the surface.

Learning about life only really takes place this way. You can try to read about it and listen to other people’s experiences. But the only way you know what you will enjoy is to give it a go and explore the deep waters in front of you. There are risks involved in every moment of every day. Not letting fear limit our explorations is one of the essential talents in life to master. It will lead you exactly where you need to go.

Knowledge Will Change You

July 14, 2022 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

Belief Our minds work overtime sometimes, and we must establish a clear representation of our thoughts, goals, and perspectives on life to find our direction based on the things we truly believe. All knowledge will change you and move your consciousness one way or another and leave you with a final set of core beliefs representing your experiences and how you choose to interact with the world. Looking at my experiences over the last year, I needed to revamp my collection of what I think and look at other people.

So here is the current version of MY Mission Statement. Presented in no particular order, here are a few things I hold as truths in my life.

We Are All Connected

Call it God, the Universe, or whatever your religion dictates, but to me, we are all connected through a divine order. All people have the same abilities for great love and equal power to commit evil, which is just a part of this crazy game called life. We are given individual gifts at birth to make our unique mark on the world if we choose to do so. When you look at all things, events, and people in your life, you can see the thread that connects everything.

This connection runs through the hearts of all people. There is an illusion that our experiences are seperate events; a universal force is running between us all, connecting all of our stories. Remember this the next time judgment of others and separation’s effects enter your life. There but for the good fortune of your circumstances, go you. There is no difference between you and anyone else but choices and details. We are all connected.

Our Beliefs Control Our Lives

Each of us has developed throughout our lives a core belief system. We established most of these beliefs early on in life. These are limiting beliefs that delay or even stop our development completely. Our expectations were built by our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, religion, and peers. Most were developed before age ten and have remained with us to this day. Our beliefs have to power to achieve goals or stop us from becoming what we should be.

The great thing is that all beliefs can change at any point in life when we look and find irrefutable evidence that contradicts them. All of the “you can’t,” “no’s,” “you’re not good enough’s,” “You can’t make a living doing that’s,” or any other limiting statement from your youth making you feel like you are not good enough can be eliminated — the processing and acceptance of new information about you and your abilities.

Here is a secret; you are powerful and can do anything you set your mind to accomplish. You have the chance to try anything. Look honestly at the barriers stopping you; most often, you will find insecurities and limits that we place on ourselves because of limiting beliefs we choose to accept. Accept new ideas to guide you.

Your Actions Define YOU

Talk is cheap; what you do is the definition of your character. I have heard the soft and sympathetic words that were worth nothing but have been blessed by the actions of many great people. Saying you are something means nothing, and being that thing means everything.

Each day is a new opportunity to take action toward a goal or a dream that you have. Take a step, mail a letter, make a call, or do whatever small thing you can that will lead you toward your goal. Action is the power source for people’s dreams and will cancel out fear.

Every person that has ever been born has had a dream of some kind, and there are no exceptions. When a person takes action, they can make their dream come true. If that action leads to failure, then at least you know, and a direction more suitable to you may show itself from the effort.

Thinking Positively Leads to Positive Results

Bad stuff happens to everyone at some point in life; how you deal with it is crucial. Life is full of things that we define as good or bad. Positive thinking is not about ignoring the “bad” in life and always looking on the bright side, although those factors result. Positive thinking is bringing the focus of love, understanding, kindness, acceptance, and peace to all you experience—ignoring your counterpart’s hate, judgment, separation, meanness, and conflict.

All experiences have the power to bring the positive or negative inside a person to the surface, and what emotions and thoughts you let dominate your behavior will decide what actions come from you and what feelings are happening inside you. All things are just things until we assign a value to them and determine how we look at them.

All People Have Value

A person’s value is difficult to remember when I am angry or someone has hurt me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I believe this is true. People live differently, make poor decisions, and look differently, but they are all valuable and unique individuals. All that separates us from the circumstances of another is mere chance. At our core, we are all beings of love, and understanding and are looking for acceptance in the world.

We are all born with a unique gift that can contribute to the world’s good. It is the meaning of life to find out what that gift is and how to use it. Some people lose their way through the experience of life and bury their talents too profoundly to be retrieved, but the reward is still there. With the right nurturing, perhaps it could resurface.

Gratitude is the Gateway to Abundance

How often do you appreciate all the positive things in your life? Moving through life each day is easy; let events and people swirl past you without absolute acknowledgment. Stop for a moment and give thanks for each experience. Even when the lessons are not what you are looking for, they will provide clues as to the direction you should be moving in.

Being grateful and putting yourself in that mindset each day creates an energy of acceptance around you, and that energy attracts more into your life. What you focus on multiplies; if you are grateful for what you have, you will have more things to be thankful for having in your life. Take time and reflect a bit each day on the blessings in your life. Breathing in and out and having an experience is a blessing many lose daily.

Forgiveness is Necessary to Move Forward

To forgive someone for something they did that harmed you is very difficult. It can’t just be lip service of saying you forgive; it has to be inside your heart. The only one who can give forgiveness is you, and the sooner you give it, the sooner you can move on. Letting go of pain, sadness, anger, or any other negative emotion is key to enjoying life. I read somewhere that you know forgiveness occurs when you think of that person, and there is no subtle searing inside your heart. It can take a conscious effort, but with forgiveness comes freedom and strength.

Embrace Love, Avoid Fear

All people carry this inside of them, and the one you pay attention to will determine how much you enjoy this ride we call life. Focus on the love-based emotions like kindness, understanding, generosity, acceptance, patience, and love while avoiding the fear-based feelings and thoughts of anger, hate, separation, jealousy, stereotyping, and judgment. It can be harder to do than it sounds, but the effort is well worth it.

Remember that fear will be a continual battle for you throughout your life. It will attack you both outwardly with dangers real and imagined. It will also subtly invade your life through indirect methods, invading your thoughts and being powered by your emotions. All things will work out if you let them. Some powers exist which are far wiser than you. Learn to trust them.

Our beliefs are essential to the type of life that we live. If you do not work to control them, they will direct you. We all have to live with the results.

Dreaming My Dreams

May 2, 2022 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

Dream

My goal is to establish a positive focus every morning by concentrating on one positive word or phrase. There are enough negative influences in the world, and I believe that through a conscious movement of thought, we can improve our emotions, words, and actions and make the world a better place and our lives more enjoyable. Follow your dreams today?

What is a dream?

One of the great things about life is that we can conjure up images in our minds of things we want to experience and accomplish through our efforts. These are nothing more than thoughts in our imagination, which are dreams. Once you establish these dreams, then it becomes a quest to see if you can accomplish them or not. There are plans to make and actions to take, which will allow you to complete all the things you set out to do.

Sometimes you will reach your dream, and sometimes you won’t. But it is the journey to accomplish the things in our minds that provides spice to life. To believe in yourself and your ability to perform things when all others doubt you and make it happen is the greatest accomplishment. Follow your dreams!!

Finding the Value

Not all journeys are going to be comfortable and seamless. You can set out on the path to chase a dream, and it will be comfortable in the beginning, but there will be challenges that arise and obstacles that get in your way. At these moments, a person needs to look for the lesson they are being taught or the skill they have the time to develop. Often that is the best value that dreams provide an increase in agility, thought, and performance that would have never existed if you didn’t have the plan in the first place.

There is also an enjoyment of the journey that gives a zest to life we can all use. As you go down the inevitable path, your dream will take you; there will be experiences along the way. There is knowledge to gather, people who encourage you, people who don’t encourage you, and tiny victories and defeats along the way. Take the time to appreciate them all because it is in the struggle that the value of the goal is felt.

Dreams Come True Every Day

The most important thing to remember on your journey is that dreams come true every day. There are people out there with no more talent, skill, or drive than you are turning their imaginative thoughts into reality. You can do it too—some simple things to do. First, keep the image of your dream in your mind daily. Please write it down. Look at it regularly and use your imagination to think about what it will be like, then it comes into your reality. Second, don’t listen to those with a negative mind. If you want to get discouraged, tell people about your dream. They will most often list all the reasons you are unrealistic or that it can’t possibly happen. Keep your goals close to your heart and yourself, except for those who are optimistic supporters. Third, keep on going and moving forward. This track is done by taking consistent and appropriate action, developing your skills, and getting you closer to accomplishing what you dream about.

Dreams are a human experience. No other creature we know of experiences something in the imagination and then brings it into reality. Our ability to attempt to do this brings us to hope that life can get better and that we can turn things we desire into reality. That means we can create almost anything in our lives. Become better, develop your skills, and follow your dreams. They are a reality on the other side of your imagination.

“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.” ―James A. Michener

“How long should you try? Until.” ―Jim Rohn

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ―Nelson Mandela

“You just can’t beat the person who won’t give up.” ―Babe Ruth

Time for Hope

December 13, 2021 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

“And sometimes, against all the odds, against all logic, we still hope.”

The goals we set and the dreams we create about life are the fuel that gives us purpose and allows us to thrive. It is a common occurrence for people to get overwhelmed sometimes. There are bills to pay, family obligations to keep, personal tragedies, and work bringing us down. Sometimes the challenges we face seem like they are mountains too high to climb, and our goals and dreams fall to the back burner as the life of obligation takes over.

But hope still exists there buried in the back of your mind and can be pulled out to fuel your fire and try to move us in the direction of success you are dreaming of. Hope can exist in some pretty dark circumstances. It serves a great purpose to provide someone with the belief, no matter how down you are at this moment, things can turn around, and circumstances can present themselves in a way that allows you to find the dream you have in life and to achieve all of the goals you have set for yourself. It is a matter of time, attitude, and perseverance.

Develop a Keen Vision

The people who can hold on in life and make it through the tough times and still move toward their goals are the ones who develop a positive vision of the world. We all know that there will be dark times. Just as the sun comes up in the morning and ends the physical darkness in the world, a symbolic sun will rise in the darker times of your life. Your job is to develop a vision that can see through the darkness and know the dawn of the solution is coming.

Each time a person decides to have faith and maintain hope in the goodness in the world and their life, the world becomes slightly better. We are all given opportunities in life to face our challenges. Some we handle easily, and others, of course, are much harder. But the hard lessons are the ones we take the most value from and the ones that shape the foundation of who we are. If you quit too soon and never give it all a go, you never get a chance to build a solid foundation. Your positive vision and hope allow you to grow into something better.

Just One More Try

So when the challenge comes to you in some way. A job is too hard, you have a goal you only haven’t been able to reach, something you want isn’t working out for you, or a financial problem is rearing its ugly head. Whatever the challenge you face, hope will tell you to give it just one more try.

It doesn’t matter how many times life knocks you down. Life will knock you down from time to time. If you are knocked down eight times, get up after each one and press on. If you are after something you want, a few more moments of effort are worth it. Mentally, it is the man that refuses to be beaten that wins. Talent is great, but hope in a better outcome combined with the tenacity of action will push you over the top and allow you to achieve most goals. Just one more try is all it will take.

Never Forget The Light

It is up to you to never forget your dreams and know that change is inevitable and constant even though circumstances don’t seem favorable right now. It may move slowly, but it moves, and you will have an opportunity to grow and achieve what you desire. It is up to you to take advantage of this opportunity to become what you wish. Or you can choose to give up and never follow your desire.

Keep your hope alive in accomplishing whatever it is that you have always dreamed of having. Every new day comes with the possibility of greatness, and anything can happen on any day. The key ingredient to power these dreams and goals is hope. Be ready to accept all the good that can come your way. And hope is always there. Find your faith and allow it to work its magic in your life today.

I still maintain hope in many things a less stubborn person would have given up on a long time ago. I have confidence the sun will rise tomorrow and reveal a day I am longing for in my life. I aspire to things that could come as soon as tomorrow. I wake with a heart of hope and a mind filled with possibility. What better way could there be to live?

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”- Desmond Tutu

“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope. ” Bernard Williams

“Stay positive and happy. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Be open to criticism and keep learning. Surround yourself with happy, warm, and genuine people.” Tena Desae

Challenges and Fate

May 31, 2021 Jonathan Hilton Leave a comment

Many have wondered if there is really such a thing as free will, or are we just following predetermined cosmic paths created for us to experience by some higher power. Do our experiences happen for a reason, or are they chance?

Constantly, people face challenges and situations that always give them an essential experience or understanding that they need to accomplish a goal or create something that they could never have done without it. Did you make choices about your actions, or was it your destiny?

At times it seems that life is an intricately planned dance, that we are merely providing a well-rehearsed part. So I will determine once and for all right here if you should listen to your heart or if it is an illusion you have any choice at all.

You Have a Choice

One side of this argument is that we all have the free will and choice to do whatever we want to do. There are no facts to back up this idea, only philosophy. We can pursue any goal, try to become anything we want in life. Create any experience we want. However, these goals do not always turn into reality. Sometimes we fail. So what is the choice then? It is often a comforting thought to think that all things happen for a reason. But the bigger question to ask is, what is the reason? Is it a reason we have created for ourselves or a cosmic path we are sliding down?

We are the decision-maker in our lives. We each decide to ourselves if we let a minor setback put off the rails for a long time or resolve to try a different approach, learning the lessons of the past and the steely punch of reality. When you set an intention in your mind and decide to create something, I think the Universe works to bring this about. But you can’t be sort of onboard with the result. If you fail at first, you have a choice. To quit and blame the world for not giving you the thing you hoped to accomplish. Or you can choose to get determined and try again. You are not doing the same thing. That isn’t growth, but learning from the experience and adding that wisdom to the new effort. That is a choice, and we all have free will to follow that at any time. I often have to remind myself of this fact daily. Many people go through relatively the same experiences. Some choose to quit, hide from and be bitter about life, where others want to use the circumstances as a motivation for getting something done, accomplishing the unthinkable, and proving life wrong. You can most likely find both of these experiences inside of yourself.

All As It Was Meant To Be

Another thought is that everything exists out in front of you, and you are following a path that is set for you by God, the universe, the great beyond, or destiny (whatever you choose to believe). To me, this means there is something that is going to happen regardless of your decisions.

If this is the case, then each choice you make is no choice at all; it is just you playing a predetermined part. It will be ironic if this turns out to be true. Some decisions we languish over and spend hours of worry about for no real reason. But, in the end, your choice is already recorded in the books. We are just part of the illusion of control that makes us feel better.

Destiny is an excellent idea because it relieves the pressure. Things may not be as I want them right now, but I am moving toward greatness because it is written in the stars. (or not) I believe that the thought of true destiny without our participation would make no sense, but that is why we play this game of life to figure out the rules required to win. Each step we take reveals a little more of the game, and if a person is observant and reflective, they can learn more every day. There are times I feel like circumstances are as they are meant to be, and others where I can’t imagine the good that could result from the day I just had. I guess the value of anything is judged by you and how it is applied to make your life better or worse. Have you ever just let the fates decide? I know I have, and in those situations, whatever happens, enjoyment and happiness are still a choice.

The Combo Pack

I think that there might be a combination of these two elements at work in everyone’s life. You are living your life, and you are faced with decisions each day. You can be significant, and the choices you determine if you reach your potential or not. If you let the fear of anything stop you from becoming a better version of yourself, you will be less than you could be in life. In all things of value, there is always a chance of failure, loss, and disappointment. I have experienced it all in the past year. It is my choice now what I do about it. If those things drive me to do something which leads me to great success, then, in the end, aren’t the nasty things perfect?

Was it fate that pushed me in the right direction, or was it a personal choice? Does it matter at all if the result is a happy life in which we can be the best version of ourselves? The one thing which I am sure about is that if you are unhappy with your life, then you have to make a different choice than you have been making.

Each choice we make should reflect on our experience. Life had given and where we are going and what we do when we get there. My personal experiences have been telling me that we create our destiny. Through our intentions, beliefs, actions, and confidence in ourselves and our abilities, we forge a life full of accomplishment. Or, through our inaction and doubt, we create a mediocre life that may be acceptable to others but doesn’t follow our real purpose in any way.

Irony?

One of the ideas I love is no matter what choices we make in the day-to-day grind of things. We are going to be pushed this way or that. We do one thing or another. We make a million decisions to try to create something or become something. The irony might be that all roads lead to the same destination. Some are more scenic, and some are more painful. But at the end of the journey, no matter which paths you have chosen, you will arrive in the same place.

If I listened to my heart, I would delete this post. Or perhaps it is my destiny to post it. Or maybe the choice of posting or not will turn my life down one of two different roads, each of which has a million different experiences on them before ending up in the same place. It makes you wonder if there is any point in worrying about anything at all. So perhaps listen to your heart, cross your fingers, and hope for the best is the most positive thing you can do.

So what do you think?

A. By not commenting, you believe that the universe is on autopilot and what happens will happen

B. You can say, knowing that your free will to comment will affect your future, my future, and the future of humanity.

C. It doesn’t matter what you do. The same result will occur.

D. All of the Above

“What fates impose, that men must need to abide;
It boots not to resist both wind and tide.” WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

“Man does not control his fate. The women in his life do that for him.”-GROUCHO MARX

“Maybe Fate isn’t the pond you swim in, but the fisherman floating on top of it, letting you run the line wild until you are weary enough to be reeled back in.”-JODI PICOULT

“We seal our fate with the choices we make.” GLORIA ESTEFAN

Jonathan Hilton Mind Connections