"Never Give Up" -Derek Redmond

In 1992 a young man Named Derek Redmond arrived at the 1992 Olympics Summer Games in Barcelona, determined to win a medal in the 400. The color of the medal was meaningless; he just wanted to win one just one. This is the same runner who had shattered the British 400 meter record at the age of 19. So when the 1992 games arrived, this was his time, his moment, and his stage, to show the world how good he was and who he was.The day of the race, Derek and his father who were very close reminisced about what it took for Derek to get to this point. They talk about ignoring past heartbreaks and failures and agree that no matter what happens, Derek has to finish the race. The stadium is packed with 65,000 fans, bracing themselves for one of sport's greatest and most exciting spectacles. The race begins and Redmond breaks from the pack and quickly seizes the lead. "Keep it up, keep it up," Jim says to himself.Down the backstretch, only 175 meters away from finishing, Redmond is a shoo-in to make the finals. Suddenly, he hears a pop. In his right hamstring. He pulls up lame, as if he had been shot."Oh, no," Jim says to himself. His face pales. His leg quivering, Redmond begins hopping on one leg, then slows down and falls to the track. As he lays on the track, clutching his right hamstring, a medical personnel unit runs toward him. At the same time, Jim Redmond, seeing his son in trouble, races down from the top row of the stands, sidestepping people, bumping into others. He has no credential to be on the track, but all he thinks about is getting to his son, to help him up. "I wasn't going to be stopped by anyone," he later tells the media.On the track, Redmond realizes his dream of an Olympic medal is gone. Tears run down his face. "All I could think was, 'I'm out of the Olympics -- again,'" he would say.As the medical crew arrives with a stretcher, Redmond tells them, "No, there's no way I'm getting on that stretcher. I'm going to finish my race."Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of millions, Redmond lifts himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and starts hobbling down the track. The other runners have finished the race, with Steve Lewis of the U.S. winning the contest in 44.50. Suddenly, everyone realizes that Redmond isn't dropping out of the race by hobbling off to the side of the track. No, he is actually continuing on one leg. He's going to attempt to hobble his way to the finish line. All by himself. All in the name of pride and heart.Slowly, the crowd, in total disbelief, rises and begins to roar. The roar gets louder and louder. Through the searing pain, Redmond hears the cheers, but "I wasn't doing it for the crowd," he would later say. "I was doing it for me. Whether people thought I was an idiot or a hero, I wanted to finish the race. I'm the one who has to live with it."One painful step at a time, each one a little slower and more painful than the one before, his face twisted with pain and tears, Redmond limps onward, and the crowd, many in tears, cheer him on.Suddenly, Jim Redmond finally gets to the bottom of the stands, leaps over the railing, avoids a security guard, and runs out to his son, with two security people chasing after him. "That's my son out there," he yells back to security, "and I'm going to help him."Finally, with Derek refusing to surrender and painfully limping along the track, Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish, and wraps his arm around his waist."I'm here, son," Jim says softly, hugging his boy. "We'll finish together." Derek puts his arms around his father's shoulders and sobs.Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. A couple steps from the finish line, and with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son, so Derek could cross the finish line by himself. Then he throws his arms around Derek again, both crying, along with everyone in the stands and on TV."I'm the proudest father alive," he tells the press afterwards, tears in his eyes. "I'm prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal. It took a lot of guts for him to do what he did." Now, some 17 years after the race, not many people remember who won that semi-final race or who even won the final. But, many still remember Derek Redmond. In those days and weeks and years when you just feel like throwing in the towel. When unforeseen circumstances build a wall between you and your dreams there is a hope. When failures lurks nearby and whispers of doubt cause confusion and fear to creep in and try to strangle the life out of your dreams remember that this is not the end because every day is new and we can start again. It’s not how you begin but how you finish be encourage this week because “You can and you will be all that you dream to be.”-Angela Short

Please take a  moment and watch this inspiring clip!

"No Greater Love hath a man, than he that layeth his life down for another" -Jesus Christ

This week I have the honor of writing the success story of my best friend.

His vision and purpose driven life are the true meaning of success.  His fame has spread across the world and his outrageous acts of kindness are told in over 2,018 languages. 
 Who was this man? And what was his dream?

 Well, his dream could be described as building a bridge but the bridge was only the tool.  You see his true dream was to fill the gap between man and God.  

  As a child, he knew that he was destined to do something great. His father was a carpenter and Jesus would help him build and work on things but Jesus was more of a teacher.

  Jesus performed his first miracle ever recorded by turning water into wine at a wedding for his mother when he was in his late twenties.

   By the time, he was thirty he and twelve men who were later called apostles went about preaching the love of God. His teachings and miracles including raising a man named Lazeruth from the dead who had already started the decaying process having been dead four days  was heard of and spread abroad  and caused people to believe he was the coming Messiah  that the prophets had long ago prophesied about saying, “He would come and save the world.”

  Now Jesus had performed may miracles by the time he was thirty-three and It would appear that my friend would be loved and adored by all. After all, he had, opened blinded eyes, and deaf ears, he made lame to walk and the mute to speak and on several occasions raised the dead. But Jealousy overcame many people of power in that day and time including so-called “men of God” who called him a blasphemy.

  One day, Jesus told his disciples that he was about to be betrayed and that it would lead to his death. No one could understand who would do such a thing and refused to hear the truth that Jesus was saying. Then Jesus said this to them “No greater love hath a man than he that layeth his life down for another.”

 Soon after Jesus was betrayed and crucified just as he had said. His innocence and purity as that of a sacrificial lamb were seen by God and it is in Jesus’ death that the bridge between man and God was made. Giving everlasting life and healing to all men who would simply believe.

During Jesus life, the only way to be forgiven of sins was through the blood of a sacrificial lamb. And the relationship between God and man was a priest.  Jesus wanted people to be able to come before the throne of God and have a personal relationship with him, and to be able to simply ask forgiveness with a sincere heart and forgiveness would be given.

 His dream was not simply laid in a tomb after his sacrifice, nor will you find his body in a cemetery.

To complete the life cycle of the dream he had for every living soul, Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where he is building a place for believers to come and live for eternity, where with God, there will be no pain or suffering no sickness and even no tears. Can you imagine?

I know it all seems a little hard to believe. I mean why would anyone care so much? The truth is I don’t know but I do know that “I love him because he first loved me”. And the more I use that bridge of communication, and grace that he built. The more I am in awe, that my best friend, not only gave his life for me but continues to  encourage me when I am down and gives me strength when I feel unable to keep moving forward.

 He is truly my inspiration and an encourager to all dreamers cheering us on our way – because of Jesus, I can and I will be all that I dream to be.”

"Never say Never"-Justin Beiber

This week’s blog will truly be short and sweet, mostly due to the fact that our dreamer is only sixteen and hasn’t had many years to tell of, and he’s super sweet!
 Born March 1, 1994, in Ontario Canada to a single mother, Justin Beiber at age twelve came in second place in a local talent competition. A video taken by his mother was posted on youtube so that family members could see his performance but the video went viral and turned into a YouTube phenomenon! Within months, Justin was an internet sensation with a large following of fans. 

The video soon caught the attention of talent agent Scooter Braun who was able to secure an important audition with Usher Raymond, who was impressed and helped Justin sign a record deal. After signing a record contract with Usher he hit the studios to record his first album and became the first solo artist to have four singles enter top 40 before the release of a debut album! 
 His first single “One Time”, was a worldwide hit and was certified platinum in Canada and the United States. 
 This was followed up by his record, “My World” that hit the stores in November 2009, and has gone platinum in several countries selling more than 137,000 copies.
 Beiber is a true overnight success, having gone form an unknown, untrained singer whose mother posted YouTube clips of her boy performing, to a budding superstar with a big-time record deal, all in two years.
 By 2011, he was named Google’s most –searched person. Along with that search, Justin was also recognized as having a higher score on the Klout online “influences” than Barack Obama.
 Another fun fact I found on Beiber was his change of hair style in 2010, and the consequent alterations to Beiber products, led to it being called “the most expensive musical haircut of all time; one company spent $100,000 to fix its dolls for the 2011 Christmas season.
 Also in 2011 “Never say never” was released as a 3D film. The film followed the pop star Justin Beiber during the ten days counting down to what is considered his biggest performance, that of August 31,2010 in Madison Square Garden, which sold out in 22 min.
 The film topped the Friday box office by an estimated grossing of 12.4 million dollars on its opening day and for the weekend, it grossed $29,514,054.

Beiber is continuing on his journey looking for ways to share his good fortune. He is involved with several charities like the red cross, Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, and New Look Foundation where he not only donates money but his time as well. (I have listed a few videos of his giving, on the sidebar for your viewing pleasures.)
   I love this young man’s words of encouragement to those who still seek a dream. “Never say never” because weather it comes over night or years down the road,
 “You can and you will be all that you dream to be”-Angela Short

"Trust your gut."-Barbara Walters

 In 1976, ABC news signs the first female co-anchor in history.Her name, Barbara Walters. 

Barbara was an energetic individual and hard worker and from the time she graduated collage she knew what she wanted and that was to be a newscaster. 

Having a go get ’em personality Walters wasted no time and positioned herself in a career that would allow her to sharpen her skills as a writer. And those skills were soon recognized by the director of a CBS affiliate where she started as a writer and researcher. During this era it was believed that nobody would take a woman seriously reporting "hard news” said Walters. After ten years at CBS working as co host on “The morning show” but never named co host, Walters was finally awarded the opportunity of a life time, when she was approached by ABC news and signed a 5 million dollar contract for five years to be the first ever woman co-anchor. 

Sounds like a fairy tale, but Walters’s fairy tale only lasted about a week. What the network and she had hoped would be a blissful partnership between her and her co-anchor was anything but nice. Her co-anchor was not only upset that he had to share his time with a woman but she was also getting paid double his salary! And although Walters tried to make it work it was just impossible and the show began to lose viewers. Walters confided in a CNN interview, “I was a terrible failure. I thought my career was over.” She was removed from the desk, but to fulfill her contract, ABC launched the “Barbara Walters Special”, which saved her career.

 What I love about Walters’s early life is that she positioned herself to be close to what she wanted. And while she waited for the opportunity she polished the tools she would need and would use in the area’s she was looking to work in.

 I have a saying that I live by – “Luck, is when preparation meets opportunity.”In other word we have to be fully prepared and in the position to be ready when opportunities come along. 

Walters worked 10 years as a writer and researcher before she was ever recognized for the woman we know her as today. But had she not prepared and positioned herself the opportunity would have never come.

 I know sometimes it feels like our dreams are in the hands of others and it can get discouraging when you feel ready and maybe even more talented than the person in front of you who is doing what you want to do. But know this- “you can’t control time, but you can control your future if you position yourself.” 

Reality is the state of being real. So get real with yourself this week and ask yourself the hard questions.Am I positioning myself for my dreams to become reality? I hope you all have a great week and look forward to hearing good reports on your journey from dream to reality

 “You can and you will be all that you dream to be”

"Do the best you can do".- Paula Dean

Hi ya’ll! Bet you can’t guess who to days dreamer is!

 That very familiar and now famous voice, of the well-known and loved cook, Paula Dean is as welcoming as the home cooked recipes she creates. But did you know that if you would have meat Paula 25 years ago you would not have been able to see the sweet inviting person she is in the public’s eye today. Instead you would find a mother with two teenage boys who was afraid to go out into public places. Paula had a fear of death which led to agoraphobia-a fear of being in public places this was a result of losing both of her parents by the time she was twenty-three.
 In 1986 she felt well enough to take a job as a bank teller.  One year later She was robbed at gunpoint and the incident led her to deal with her agoraphobia head-on.

  During this time here marriage was on the rocks and soon Paula found herself divorced with two sons, no job, a fear of going out in the public, and two-hundred dollars.

Now here is where you find a dream formed out of necessity. I like how Bishop TD Jakes says it, “Necessity is the mother of inventions”

At this point in her life she decided to invest her two hundred dollars in the one thing she was good at, and that was cooking. So she stared selling brown sack lunches that her boys would deliver for her. Soon it turned into a catering service she called the Bag Lady. The home business soon out grew her kitchen and in January of 1996 Paula opened her own restaurant, The Lady& Sons, in downtown Savannah, on West Congress Street. Within a few years, the restaurant moved to a larger building.

 Lady  & Sons was named “International Meal of the Year” in 1999 by USA Today.

But what truly launched Paula to fame is when she was given her own show on the food network called Paula’s Home Cooking, which premiered in November 2002. Since then, Paula has been given two more food network shows, Paula’s Party and Paula’s Best Dishes.

She has also written several cook books, has her own monthly magazine, and has been featured in movies such as Elizabethtown, starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst in 2005. She played the aunt of Bloom's character, and her cooking was featured. A Food Network special, Paula Goes Hollywood, aired in conjunction with the film's premiere.

On an interview with Oprah Winfery, Oprah asked her, “So was this your vision”? To which Paula replied with a laugh, “No honey, there was no vision.”

  You see her dream was born of necessity. At the time her dream was, to be able to go to the grocery store on Wednesday if she needed to and not be afraid the check was going to bounce before payday.

“Paula, I believe that hard earned 20 million you’ve got now, will take you a long way at the grocery store!”

   Maybe you are at the place in life where you know that you are meant for more than your current situation but you don’t know what it is. I would encourage you to follow that instinct and the first place to start is one- what makes you happy? Two- what are you good at? 
   If you already have the answers to those two questions then next step is, believing that you can do it!

  You have a friend here at www.iwill-365.blogspot.com and we believe 


“You can and you will be all that you dream to be.”

  Until next time, “keep on keeping on my friends.”

"Of all the things I miss I miss my mind the most"-Ozzy

A few weeks ago I asked my readers to send me the name of someone they thought were inspiring in the category of “dream to reality” and that I would choose one to write on. Well my good friend Sam was the only one who posted me a name so this week’s blog is about someone who I would have never thought about writing about but I am glad I did because I learned some new things in researching the “legendary” Ozzy Osborne. John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne was born in Birmingham, England, on December 3, 1948. The nickname "Ozzy" was first used when he was in primary school. Osborne states that “it has been a long time since he's recognized himself when called by his formal name.” Ozzy grew up dealing with dyslexia and other learning abilities and recalls several cases of abuse during his junior high year from his teachers. This made his child hood very difficult. At age 14, he became a great fan of The Beatles. He left school at 15 and was then employed as a construction site laborer, trainee, apprentice toolmaker, plumber, car factory horn-tuner and slaughter house worker. His father told him son your either going to grow up to do something really special or you’re going to end up in jail. Soon after he was caught stealing and was turned in to the police by his father and sentenced to six weeks in prison. Turns out the fathers tough love was just the diagnose that Ozzy needed and after getting out of prison he decided that a career in music was what he would do with his life. At this point he met a few guys who he began playing and singing with who would become known as the “Black Sabbath”. Looking for a way to market themselves Ozzy watched as people would flock to see scary movies and things of such nature and told the guys about it and soon started writing melody’s and lyrics to what would soon become his signature sound and look.Ozzy loved the stage and entertaing people and he did so to the extreme some might say. Unfortunately he went through a long period where the extreme mixed with excessive drug and alcohol abuse lead him to nearly killing himself and his wife Sharron. It was after this episode that he told Sharron “I want to stop” and I’m proud to say that in 1990 with the help of his wife he did just that. At the end of a legendary40 years (so far) you could remember a lot about Ozzy but the truth is he is just another dreamer who found a way to turn his dreams into reality. Ozzy said “all I ever wanted was for people to come to my concerts and have a good time”. Ozzy has earned an estimated 100 million from recording, touring and TV shows. In 2008 he was crowned with the prestigious Living Legend award in the Classic Rock Roll of Honor. “Ozzy I think they had a good time!”I hope you guys have a great week and remember –“You can and you will be all that you dream to be”.

"Whatever life you want"

 A good idea is the conception of a dream- this week’s dreamer came along with the right idea at the right time. At the age of 14 Ashley Qualls was creating custom web designs for her friends my space layouts and posting them online. By 2005, her traffic had exploded and she needed her own server. She signed up with Google ad sense to make money so she could own her own dedicated server. This allowed her to continue to post the designs free to people but to receive money from advertisers afflicted with Google AdSense. She called the website “whatever life” meaning you can have” whatever life” you want. Her first pay check of any kind was $2,790.00.

A short three years later according to Google Analytics, “Whatever Life” attracts more than 7 million individuals and 60 million page views a month. That’s a larger audience than the circulations of Seventeen, Teen Vogue, and Cosmo Girl Magazines combined! Although Web-site rankings vary with the methodology, Quant cast, a popular source among advertisers, ranked Whateverlife.com a staggering No. 349 in mid-July out of more than 20 million sites. Among the sites in its rearview mirror: Britannica.com, AmericanIdol.com, FDA .gov, and CBS.com.

And one more, which Ashley can’t quite believe herself: “I’m ahead of Oprah!” (Oprah.com: No. 469.) Sure, Ashley is a long way from having Oprah’s clout, but she is establishing a platform of her own. “I have this audience of so many people, I can say anything I want to,” she says. “I can say, “Check out this movie or this artist.’ It’s, like, a rush. I never thought I’d be an influencer.” 

At the age of 17, Ashley is very much an internet professional. In less than two years since whatever life took off, she has dropped out of high school (taking classes on line) bought a house, helped launch artists such as Lily Allen and rejected offers to buy her young company. Although Ashley was flattered to be offered $1.5 million and a car of her choice-as long as the price tag wasn’t more than $1000,000-she responded “whatever, I don’t even have my licenses yet,” she says.

Now her life is centered on working in the basement of the two-story, four-bedroom house that she bought last September for $250,000. It’s located in a fenced-off subdivision in the community of Southgate, a couple of blocks removed from Dix Highway, a thoroughfare dotted with body shops and convenience stores. She lives with her mother; her 8-year-old sister, Shelby; three cats; two turtles; a Rottweiler; a hamster; and a fish.

Ashley’s home office is the physical embodiment of her Web site. The business brings in as much as $70,000 a month, but there’s not a whiff of corporate convention. It’s fun, whimsical, and unabashedly pink. Pink walls, Pink rug, Pink chairs, pillows, and lamp. Even the blue, green, and silver stick-on robots dancing on the wall have tiny pink hearts. It’s a teenager’s version of the workplace, which earned raves when she posted pictures on MySpace.

Earlier this year, she created an online magazine, Cell-phone wallpaper, a new source of revenue at 99 cents to $1.99 a download, is in the works.

So if you ever find yourself tossing around an idea just remember Ashley’s story and don’t short change yourself thinking” this is just a silly idea.”  Ideas are seeds, and everything that’s ever been achieved or created started off an idea.

So pull out those thinking caps and that scrap of paper you’ve been jotting ideas and doodles on someone out there needs the very idea you’ve been dreaming up.

Stay encouraged my friends because, “You can and you will be all that you dream to be”.

"Anything you want is possible"- Tyler Perry

 Have you watched any Tyler Perry movies? Do you know “Medea”?  If you haven’t, this week’s story will still be inspiring, but you have got to go see some of his movies and play’s there awesome!

This week’s blog is not just about a man but  a story of three  amazing people and how their journey from dream to reality meet up on the same path by a an outrageous act of kindness.

I had the incredible fortune of having this story come straight from the sources mouth when my

 Father-in law met them at Opryland hotel.

Tamela Mann-also known as Cora Simmons

David Mann – also known as Leroy Brown

Star in “Meet the Browns” as father and daughter but in reality are husband and wife. But they weren’t always stars.

Sitting on a bench at the Opryland hotel Tamela recounted the years before their fame.

“It wasn’t but a few years ago when my husband and I were so poor we couldn’t pay attention,” she said shaking her head with a smile.

“We were on welfare and still not able to make the bills so we were forced to live in our station wagon that had no heat in it and since we had no address, we had no welfare coming in either.

 We were at rock bottom."

Tamela’s husband David and she have always worked together professionally ,Both seeking a career in acting as well as singing, and as everyone knows both music and acting can be fest or famine and they were facing the famine.

Tamela said they had stayed in the station wagon for many months when a lady at their little church offered them to stay in one of her homes. Of course they couldn’t afford to turn the water on or the electric but “it was a place to lay their heads at night” she said.

 Their little church also took up an offering and they took the hundred dollers and went to a little ma and pa dinner that was selling takeout meals for five dollars. They would eat once a day, and they shared that one meal, trying to make the money last so they would be able to eat off the hundred dollars for a while.

Meanwhile another dreamer was about to cross their path that was facing failure.  He was trying to produce a play that would draw a crowd and sell out. Disappointed yet determined, Perry had continued to work odd jobs while reworking the show. He had staged the show in several cities, but success still eluded him. Broke, Perry was living out of his car. "Can you imagine a six-foot-five man sleeping in a Geo Metro?" Tamela asked.

  One day Tamela was walking to the little restaurant to get her and David’s food for the day. She noticed a man sitting outside the restaurant and heard a voice inside her saying, “feed him”. She thought to herself, “if I feed him my husband and I won’t eat today”.  As she approached him she looked down at him and said, “are you hungry?

The man said no, I’m fine but thank you.”

 She said, “Are you sure? Have you eaten today?”

 The gentleman said, “Really I’m ok.”

Tamela said, “ok then” and walked in the restaurant.  But when she walked out with her meal she bent down and handed it to the man.

“Here” she said, “I want you to have this.”  The guy smiled big and said thank you, hesitantly taking the meal.

“Do you have a place to stay?” she asked. After finding out that he was living in his car she invited him to come and visit her and her husband. “I don’t know why I did” she said, “We didn’t have anything ourselves but that voice inside me was screaming help this man.”

Then she proceeded to say “do you know who that homeless man was?”(I literally got chills when I heard this)

It was Tyler Perry- but you don’t know him as a homeless man struggling to turn his scripts into plays. You will know him as the highly respected well-known writer, producer and actor who’s worth over a billion dollars. And he is the man that launched David and mines dream careers as actors/singers!

 Soon Perry, Tamela, and David were performing to sellout crowds and the musical was moved to a larger theater. After so many years of hard work, Tyler finally earned critical acclaim as well as commercial success. His story is so much deeper than this little bit that I have shared with you today. And it is portrayed in the movies, films and TV series that are so much more than just a “show”.

These days you will find Tamela and her husband David inspiring others and living their dreams out on the hit TV show meet the browns. Written and produced by Tyler Perry.  When the series premiered on January 7, 2009, it received a viewership of 4,027,000 viewers. In March 2010, Meet the Browns became TBS's #1 sitcom having a viewership of 2.3 million and among adults 18-49 having 1.2 million. In October 2010, the show continued to be TBS's #1 and #2 sitcom telecasts with an audience of 1.2 to 1.4 million among adults 18-49.

Their friend Tyler Perry is now a Billionaire, yes with a capitol B! With so many accomplishments in the field of writing, producing and acting that I literally don’t have the time to share it all with you. But I will share a link to his bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Perry .

Some of his top achievements are among my favorite movies and shows.And I am excited to see his new movie that is in theaters now called "Good Deeds" which is based on his life.NowI could go on and on about Perry's accomplishments But I know that Tyler Perry is the type of man that would be more honored with me sharing with you his acts of kindness than his achievement’s (although I do hope, if you are not familiar with him that you will click on the link I provided and read his bio from early life as an abused child to his fame he is truly and inspiration)

So here is one of the many acts of kindness he has forwarded from his own encounter with an outrages act of kindness. On July 20, 2009, Perry sponsored 65 children from a Philadelphia day camp to go to Walt Disney world, after reading that a suburban swim club had shunned them. Perry wrote on his website, "I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them."

I hope you have a wonderful week and maybe just maybe I’ll be writing your story of dream to reality.

Each day we are one step closer. Who knows, maybe your dream will meet up with reality by a simple act of kindness. I hope this blog will encourage you to keep moving forward because- “you can and you will be all that you dream to be!”

"Perspective is a key component in a dreamers hand bag to success."-Angela Short

Are you dressed for success?

 Ladies you know how important a good hand bag can be and guys don’t go zoning out on me yet, your appearance may not be nestled in the perfect handbag but the right shoes, tie, watch, and even hair style are all a part of the perspective. If your dream is to be a business man, you better put on a suit and tie because no one would perceive you as a business man and take you seriously if you walk in with jeans and boots right? Even though most of us know how to dress the part there is an accessory my friend that is essential for a dreamer and that is what I want to talk about this week. But first let me introduce to you a woman that is known all over the world and who truly created a "handbag to success."  Her name is Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel.

Having lived at the age of twenty seven, a life of extreme poverty, and extreme wealth, Gabrielle found herself alone, and on her own, with a love of sewing.

Thus Gabrielle became a licensed modiste (hat maker) and in 1910 opened a boutique at 21 rue Cambon, Paris named Chanel Modes. The boutique became very successful, and once theater actress Gabrielle Dorziat modeled her hats in the F Noziere’s play Bel Ami in 1912 it became even bigger

 In 1913 Gabrielle established a boutique in Deauville, where she introduced Luxe casual clothes that were suitable for leisure and sport. This launched Gabrielle a career as fashion designer.  

Chanel known for her simplicity stated, “Simplicity is the key note to all true elegance.”

In 1939, at the beginning of World War II, Gabrielle closed all her shops. She claimed that, “It was not a time for fashion.”

In 1954 she returned to the fashion world and was welcomed by Americans and British who became faithful customers.

Gabrielle better known as Coco Chanel is still to this day a leader in the fashion industry for both men and woman. Gabrielle built not just a career but an empire.

We not only have her to thank for the concept “the little black dress”, but if not for her it would be considered unfashionable and denoting to have a suntan! That’s right historically; identifiable exposure to the sun was the mark of those unfortunate laborers doomed to a life of unremitting, unsheltered toil. Chanel took in the sun, not only making it acceptable but a symbol of a life of privilege and leisure. (For this I say, “Thank you Chanel!”)

Coco Chanel made history with her unerring sense of style, and her accomplishments and life are written and recounted in several books and movies.

The hand bag she created in 1955 made of quilted leather and gold or metallic chain strap is still known throughout the world and has never gone out of style.

At age 87 Chanel was still working and creating what would be the spring collection when she passed away in her sleep January 10, 1971.

Our dreamer used patterns and fashion on a very real scale but today as we reflect, let us create the handbag that will truly hold up to the test of time. One that complements the dream we are trying to accomplish.

 When you wear something of great value you become confident, and very careful of its care.  You only place in it things of a similar value, thus it is important that you display your dreams in this same way, with the pattern of virtue, emblems of patience, and then fill it with the simplicity of  being  true to yourself.

For truly a dream is but an accessory of the man or woman in the mirror and you alone  have the power to enable people to see and perceive you for the man or woman you dream to be. So dress for success my friends and know –

“That you can, and you will, be all that you dream to be”.

"To love someone deeply gives you strength .Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage"-Lao Tzu

Ahhhh...... Valentines Day, a day set aside to share our love and devotion to those we care about.
You will probably find it strange who I have picked for this weeks blog considering it Valentin's Day.
But I hope it conveys the truth I wish to share with my fellow dreamers.
  July 27,1981 Adam the six year old son of John and Reve' Walsh was abducted. Sixteen days after the abduction, his severed head was found in a drainage canal more than 120 miles away from home. His other remains were never recovered.
I hear you saying, and thinking, "Angela why would you talk about this especially the week of Valentines Day!"
 I chose not a person but a couple who's dreams were one of inspiration and deep commitment not only to each other but the dream that would be stirred up in them by the loss of their  first and at the time only son.


During the time when most couples fall apart, this amazing couple took their devastation and loss and turned it into a memorial that would give hope and chance to other victims who had no place to go.
During the time of the six year old"s abduction there was no such thing as the amber alert or Adams code. In fact the police department involved in the Walsh case had no idea where to start.


John Walsh, who you will know as the face, voice, and creator of America's Most Wanted, was living a comfortable life as a hotel partner in Hollywood,Florida.
  His wife Reve, and there six year old son, were shopping for a lamp at a sears department store at the Hollywood mall, across from the Hollywood police department. Reve' had dropped Adam off in the Sears toy department while she looked for a lamp . When she returned about 7 min later, Adam was missing. The police records in Adams case released in 1996 show that a 17 year old security guard asked four boys to leave the department store . Adam is believed to have been one of them.
Following the crime, the Walsh family founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, a non profit organization dedicated to legislative reform. The Walsh family organized a political campaign to help missing and exploited children. Despite bureaucratic and legislative problems, John and Reve's efforts eventually led to the creation of the Missing children Act of 1982 and the Missing children's Act of 1984.


Today the Walsh's continue to testify before congress and 
state legislature on crime,missing children and victim's rights 
issues.The hit TV show "Americas Most Wanted", would over the course of twenty years contributed to the  catch of over 1000 criminal with the help of public awareness. 
Because this couple had a dream of a safer place for children and a system that would protect victims,  we have things in place such as "Code Adam" a movement first made by Walmart stores in the southern United States. A "Code Adam" is announced when a child is missing in a store or if a child is found by a store employee or patron. If the child is lost or missing all doors are locked and a store employee is posted at every exit while a description of the child is generally broadcast over the intercom system. code Adam as a term has become synonymous with a missing child, and is a predecessor to an"Amber Alert" which serves as a system of broadcast-driven community notification. 


Also  the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed by president George W. Bush on July 27,2006. Which primarily focuses on a national sex offender registry that also toughens penalty's for not registering as a sex offender following the release into society.  You can even now, find apps or websites that show you a description of the sex offender, and where they are located in your area.
 This weeks quote is not from John but I would say that John and his wife live a life that says  "Dare to make a change, be the difference!


In all there accomplishments  of which I am so thankful for there is one thing, you may never hear mentioned in their story. But to me it one of the most extraordinary things they have accomplished In fulling their dreams.


In a time where over 68% of couple separate from such overwhelming  grief and hopelessness this couple stayed together. 
And this my friends is where I will hope that you will focus and remember  as you walk into your success, because over half of the dreamers who's dreams have turned into reality somewhere along the way left behind the most import thing in life,  and that is their loved ones, or that husband or wife that was there with them through the good and bad of waiting and working towards the fulfillment of a dream. But truly if this Walsh couple could find a way we can too, perhaps by simply being aware of it"s lurking presence. We can like the Walsh family eliminate the threat of separation.


You may have  thought it strange to write this on Valentines
 Day week, but even the origins of Valentine's Day its self is built upon not that of hearts and roses but a person, that ultimately gave his life, so that love might be preserved . 
   You see,
The alleged Saint Valentin where Valentin's Day originated from, belived so strongly in the power of love that he continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret during the time when Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families so he outlawed marriage for young men.
Valentine realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and  was marterd for its cause.   Leaving behind what would be the first Valentin"s day card to his beloved. signing it, 
from your Valentine.


I hope that this Valentin's day finds you well on your way, hand in hand, with the ones you love and cherish for
 "To love someone deeply gives you strength , being loved deeply by someone give you courage."
  So tell that special someone  how much you love them and have a great Valentine's Day knowing,
 "You can and you will be all that you dream to be."

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary"

Hello every one!  Last night’s super bowl was a dreamer’s playground, with underdogs taking home the winnings. You know what those football players physical and mentally went through during, preparation for the game, and during the actual fight for the title, is in essence what all we dreamers go through.  We have a playing field, opponents, great moments and moments where we wonder if a bad decision will cost us the success we hoped to achieve.

In honor of their win last night the winning team was presented not “a” trophy but, The Vince Lombardi trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football’s league championship game, the Super Bowl.

Son of an immigrant Italian butcher, Vince Lombardi the guy in which the Super Bowl trophy was named after, transcended the game which made him famous and which he, in turn, honored with the genius that he brought to it.

But his road to success was like any other dreamers, full of pot holes and unbelievers. Lombardi, a hard worker, pursued his dreams with all his might. He said “The only places success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

 Discovering that he was a good teacher and an even better coach, Lombardi made the moves he was supposed to make, working as an assistant under the legendary Red Blake at Army, then as an assistant with the New York Giants in the 1950s.

But no one offered him a top job.

So he was 46 before the Green Bay Packers, a faltering team in a small, cold town, finally offered him control of his own professional football team.

By then, he was ready!

 "Lombardi" chronicles how long and hard this kid from Brooklyn had to fight before he even got the chance to show that he was one of the best coaches ever.

Lombardi identified and developed what became the hallmark of his great teams……simplicity and execution. He developed a reputation for being a tireless workaholic. During his five years as assistant coach in the NFL for the New York Giants he helped lead them to five winning seasons, culminating with the league Championship in 1956

Lombardi became a hot commodity in the coaching arena, accepted the head coaching position and signed five year contract with the Green Bay

Packers in January 1959. From the beginning Lombardi established himself as a coach firmly in charge. He conducted grueling training camps and demanded absolute dedication and effort from his players. His hard –edged style turned the Packers into the most envied and successful frachise in the 1960’s, leading them to five NFL Championships, including victories in Super Bowl I and II, and solified Lombardi’s status as the greatest football coach in history

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
Vince Lombardi

Be inspired, work hard and play with all your heart on the field of dreams, and remember……

“You can and you will be all that you dream to be!”

"Fail to Quit!"

This is my own personal quote, and I feel that this week’s dreamer is the perfect representation and someone I personally look up to in achieving my own dreams of one day becoming a successful singer and song writer.

   Imagine with me if you will standing in front of the people or person who has the ability to make your dreams come true and now they look you in the eye and say “go home, you don’t have what it takes to make it”.

That my friend is exactly where our dreamer found himself after years of going before labels. This singer song writer had been turned down by every major record label in Nashville.

But with the encouragement of his wife and manager Joe Harris, this soon to be legendary man continued playing whatever gigs he could get giving his all, weather to a crowd of thirty or three hundred.

It was this very passion and commitment that would grab the attention of Capitol Records’ A&R guy Lynn Shultz who heard Garth sing “If tomorrow never comes” at a writers showcase at Nashville’s Bluebird café. Although Capitol had once turned down Garth, Shultz offered him a record deal on the spot!

That’s right we are talking about the legendary Garth brooks!

Can you imagine how big a failure Garth felt as he was turned down by every record label in Nashville? He could have easily said, hey look I have no option left but to quit, or he could have sulked into the next gig with the attitude what’s the point in being here I’m never going to get a deal. Do you think if he had walked into that gig where he was “discovered” with that kind of attitude that the A&R guy would have even paid attention to the guy on stage?

But because Garth “failed to quit”, we have songs today like “If tomorrow never comes”, “much too young”, and “the dance”, just to name a few from his 6 albums that topped well over the 10million mark each! He was also certified by the RIAA as the #1 selling solo artists in US history Garth has sold in excess of 128 million albums!

By integrating rock elements into his recordings and live performances he helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon!

Garth Brooks has made some remarkable milestones but I love that he uses his wealth and fame for the good and he has never turned away from the needs of others.

Here are a few fun facts about Garth that you may not have heard in the news.

Once while standing in a long line at a coffee shop the well-known Garth was cut in front of along with several other “regular” people by an artist(who I won’t shame by naming) saying” I’m so in so, can you go ahead and make my coffee I don’t have time to wait”. The people around Garth shook their heads at the other artist who apparently didn’t realize garth was there and patted Garth on the back with smiles of approval as if to say “and that’s why you’re the real mega super star, and why we support you as fans”

Garth is famous for his generosity towards his fans, like the time he gave a lift to a family struggling with groceries whose car had broken down alongside the road. An hour later Garth returned to the family with keys to a 1986 Caprice Classic.

Garth also showed up at Fan Fair in Nashville and signed autographs for 23 hours and 10 minutes, never once taking a break to eat, sleep, or go to the restroom.

Another great thing he does is each time a million tickets are sold he likes to say thanks to the fans, for example in 1996 the buyers of the fourth million ticket were invited back stage so they could be presented with tour merchandise, ten dozen roses, a video camera, a 35mmcamera, a holiday to Florida with $4,000 spending money, golf clubs and a Chevrolet.

This all just goes to show that a dreamer is one who will be challenged the most, but upon overcoming great odds will reap the greatest reward and I don’t mean just monetary but the treasure that cannot be bought and that is, a feeling of accomplishment and success in achieving that which was hoped for. I believe that hope mixed with preparation is the two key elements in making dreams come true.

A friend of mine once said to me “Don’t give up five minutes before the miracle”.  (I believe this is also the saying of the Alcoholics Anonymous) but the truth of this statement fits us all. You never know when you will wake up to find your dream a reality but it is imperative that when it comes your way it finds you with your hands stretched out ready to receive it!

Therefore my friends if you are going to fail at anything in this life let it be said that you “failed to quit”.

“Because you can and you will be all that you dream to be!”

I would like to invite each of you to share with me the person that you look up to in achieving your own success and why. I will be choosing one person’s inspirational figure for an upcoming blog.

 I would also like to encourage you to forward this blog to someone you might know who is on the Journey,” from dream to reality”. You can do this by going to the recommend box at the bottom of the blog where you can share it through email, twitter, or face book! I hope this blog has encouraged each of you and I look forward to your comments. Oh and one more thing before I go, feed the fish! Simply click on any of the white spots in the tank it’s addictive! LOL 

 Thanks and have a great week everyone!

Angela

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”

 This week’s blog was supposed to be about a girl who became homeless at 15 because both her parents were drug addicts and dying of aids. And somehow she rose from the ashes of such a shaky foundation puts herself through school getting a later start in high school than most kids her age and then earns a full scholarship to Harvard where she graduates becoming a graduate of Harvard. Quite the accomplishment for a girl who was literal homeless the entire time she went through high school.


 Yet I found myself hesitant to tell her story yes she had beat a lot of odds but she is not rich or well known as let’s say Dr. Phil. Yes she has become a motivational speaker, she’s been on Oprah Winfrey show, and she has had a movie made about her life and accomplishment. But the intriguing part of her story the part that she was homeless seemed a bit less aspiring when I realized a lot of celebrity’s were once homeless before acquiring fame. Wouldn’t they be a better choice to write about? After all these were stars, and Liz well she was a homeless girl who made it to Harvard.


So I found myself studying the entertainers and their road to success, the hardships they faced, as yes, some in their pursuit, became homeless. I actual found a website that listed well known celebrities who were once homeless, and I was shocked at some of the names I found. Two of which I personally am found of, singer song writer-Kelly Clarkson and actor-director-writer-producer; playwright- Tyler Perry (who I will soon be covering in one of my upcoming blogs).


 But you know what is really sad? As I researched I was both in amazement at the persistence and integrity that some of those men and woman showed while no one knew them or was watching them from a video camera. And sadden that there were those who rose to great heights reaching their dreams but in a way that is not fit for retelling .


 This is something that we should all consider as we move forward in our own dreams. For when it comes time to tell your story will it be one that reflects honor and integrity? Because the choices we make today will be written in black and white right along with our accomplishments, so make sure that they are worthy of retelling. There are truly some remarkable people in our world and everyday someone new is reaching their full potential and seeing their dream become a reality. For Liz it was simply to have a better life.


 But her story is not finished She is now a Harvard graduate, a New York Times Bestselling author, and founder and director of Manifest Living, a New York based company whose mission it is to empower adults to create the extraordinary in their own lives. She has been awarded the White House Project’s Role Model Award, a Christopher Award as well as being among the first to receive from Oprah Winfrey, the “Chutzpah Award,” on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Murray’s inspirational story that was captured on Lifetime Television’s original film, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, which was nominated for three Emmys. Liz has been featured on ABC News 20/20, Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNN, written up in The New York Times, as well as numerous other media outlets. She has authored advice columns in the New York Times Upfront Magazine and she is the author of the New York Times bestselling Breaking Night, her memoir, which was released in September 2010.


Her dreams now “are to help transform the lives of others” She quotes one of her favorite quotes by: Coach John Wooden “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” And I strongly agree with her!


 What are your dreams? And where are you at on your journey? I would like to extend my deepest prayers and hopes today and encourage you to never give up even when the tunnel seems dark and you don’t know where to go next.
Listen to that little voice inside saying “you can do this!”    Because ……


"You can and you will be all that you dream to be.”

"This is what I was born to do!"

Strong words from a young man mopping the floors and cleaning the toilets of a Museum.

But Roy Andrews only ambition in life was to work at the American Museum of Natural History. And he had made it!

 Using money he saved from his job as a taxidermist, he arrived in New York City in 1906 after graduating from Beloit College. When Andrews applied for a job at the museum the director told him there were no openings. Andrews persisted saying, "You have to have somebody to scrub floors, don't you?" The director admitted that he did. Andrews took the job explaining that he wasn't interested in scrubbing just any floors "but museum floors were different." A humble beginning for a man destined to become one of the museum's most famous explorers and later the director of the museum himself. During the next few years, he worked as the museum's janitor and studied simultaneously, earning a Master of Arts degree in mammalogy from Columbia University.

While mopping floors and doing special projects in the taxidermy department for $40 a month Roy soon dreamed up a dream so big that it would seem near impossible.

 His dream was to go on an expedition to Mongolia a desert located in Asia that so many had written off as a waste land. But Roy’s dream would require him to raise $250,000, an amount equivalent to $210 million today.

  Roy along with the museum raised the money and soon set out on the expedition.
Now Roy was a man of great en depth planing but more than once, Andrews’ narrowly escaped death.
Temperatures would soar in the desert as high as 145°F, alternating with frigid nights, howling blizzards and smothering sandstorms. Andrew's party once killed 47 venomous snakes in a single night when the vipers took refuge from the cold in their tents.
  Despite the hardships and endurance the team faced the exploration did prove to be a success and very profitable as they discovered many new dinosaur bones and fossils which had never been found, but their biggest find was dinosaur eggs.

If you’re thinking this sound a little familiar and that Andrews story sounds a bit like the action hero movie we all know and love you would be right!

Douglas Preston of the American Museum of Natural History wrote:

“Andrews is allegedly the real person that the movie character of Indiana Jones was patterned after.”

Andrews had written several books detailing the events that took place and those were soon found reenacted in the popular series of “Indian Jones”.

Andrew's legacies continue to live on as scientists still study and rediscover fossils he found in the Gobi.
He would later go on to say of all his accomplishments,  " I was born to be an explorer...There was never any decision to make. I couldn't do anything else and be happy."

Andrews parting words as he finally went into retirement ,I found to be very  inspiring  both to the dreamer of discoveries and dreamers in general.

“Today there remain but a few small areas on the world's map unmarked by explorers' trails. Human courage and endurance have conquered the Poles; the secrets of the tropical jungles have been revealed. The highest mountains of the earth have heard the voice of man. But this does not mean that the youth of the future has no new worlds to vanquish. It means only that the explorer must change his methods.”

In other words my friends we were all born to do something great.

A dream is born in each of us, some from the time we are born, and others later in life when they are born out of the need. But no matter what the dream, it is important that the person it is entrusted with is the one that brings it fourth. Because each dream is a voice that was brought forth to change the life of someone who would receive it in only the way you would deliver it.

Never try to be someone else. Every hero starts off as an ordinary person but it is when we dare to go beyond the norm, ordinary becomes extraordinary!

 You have within you all that you need to make your dreams come true.

So say it with me today as you continue to embark on your own Quest.

“I can and I will be all that I dream to be."