We all need someone to believe in us – in our goodness, in our skill set, in our redeemable characteristics, and in our dreams.
This is vividly portrayed in the movie/musical Man of LaMancha, based on Cervantes’s classic work Don Quixote.
Don Alonzo, the protagonist, is all about pursuing a life of chivalry. His quest is to become a knight-errant long after that age of history has passed. He saw giants in windmills and adventures where rabbit trails meandered down the lane.
He "rescued" a common prostitute named Aldonza, whom he saw as a beautiful lady. To him, she became the beautiful Dulcinea and his every move from then on was to please her and conquer giants and defeat armies, all for her sake. Don Alonzo looked beyond the rags and tattered, twisted life of Aldonza to see what she might become – a beautiful, graceful lady and one worthy of his conquests and affections.
Aldonza resented him at first. She resented what she interpreted as his mocking of her way of life. Her state in life has brought nothing but abuse, misuse and degradation and that was as far as she was able to see.
But our hero won the day. He triumphed in conquering her heart and devotion. As the old man lay on his deathbed, Aldonza thanked him for seeing in her what she could not see in herself.
Isn’t that so like life? Sometimes we need to look through the eyes of others to see ourselves best. We need to hear from their lips what is redeemable and good in our own lives.
I’m reminded of a sixth grade teacher, Mary, who assigned her class a writing assignment one day. The assignment was to write a short, positive comment about each of his/her fellow classmates and turn them in to her.
After compiling each student’s list, the teacher passed them out in class. You could hear a pin drop as the students sat quietly, reading what their fellow classmates had written about them. It was a remarkable moment.
Years later, one of the boys, John D., was killed during a hard-fought battle in Viet Nam. His sixth-grade teacher attended the memorial service, along with many fellow students in John’s class.
After the service, John’s father approached Mary and thanked her for coming to the service. He paused, and continued. “We found this in his wallet along with his other belongings.”
He began unfolding a sheet of paper, yellowed, tattered and torn. It was the paper containing all of the comments from his sixth grade classmates written ten years before.
The father said, “He carried this with him everywhere. I’m told he would often pull it out and read it before almost every major conflict in which he was involved during his time in Viet Nam.”
By now, other students had gathered around and one by one they each began telling that they too had their copy of these comments and how meaningful they were to them. Some even had their copy neatly tucked inside their wallets or pocket books.
You see the power of an appropriately placed word? Has someone seen something in you bigger and greater than you ever dreamed you could be? Those kinds of people become my heroes. What foresight! What insight!
Oh, that I can become a person who helps you see beyond yourself to what you are so very capable of becoming. You are a becomer, you know? If you have dreams, you are definitely someone who can do, might do, and most likely will accomplish greater exploits than you can possibly imagine.
Hold on to your dreams. To lose a dream is a great loss. Norman Cousins once said, “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live.”
I love what John Maxwell says in his book 25 Ways to Win with People about helping others who are in pursuit of dreams. Listen to John’s words.
“Encouraging others in their pursuits of a dream is to give them a wonderful gift.
1. Ask them to share their dream with you.
2. Affirm the person as well as the dream.
3. Ask about the challenges they must overcome to reach their dream.
4. Offer your assistance.
5. Revisit their dream with them on a consistent basis.
6. Determine daily to be a dream booster, not a dream buster.
People will live up to their dreams when they have a chance to fulfill them.”
May we all become a dream encourager.
Let me encourage you in your pursuits.
Go!
Become!
Stretch your wings!
Be a becomer!!!
I believe in your dreams!
I believe in you!
This is vividly portrayed in the movie/musical Man of LaMancha, based on Cervantes’s classic work Don Quixote.
Don Alonzo, the protagonist, is all about pursuing a life of chivalry. His quest is to become a knight-errant long after that age of history has passed. He saw giants in windmills and adventures where rabbit trails meandered down the lane.
He "rescued" a common prostitute named Aldonza, whom he saw as a beautiful lady. To him, she became the beautiful Dulcinea and his every move from then on was to please her and conquer giants and defeat armies, all for her sake. Don Alonzo looked beyond the rags and tattered, twisted life of Aldonza to see what she might become – a beautiful, graceful lady and one worthy of his conquests and affections.
Aldonza resented him at first. She resented what she interpreted as his mocking of her way of life. Her state in life has brought nothing but abuse, misuse and degradation and that was as far as she was able to see.
But our hero won the day. He triumphed in conquering her heart and devotion. As the old man lay on his deathbed, Aldonza thanked him for seeing in her what she could not see in herself.
Isn’t that so like life? Sometimes we need to look through the eyes of others to see ourselves best. We need to hear from their lips what is redeemable and good in our own lives.
I’m reminded of a sixth grade teacher, Mary, who assigned her class a writing assignment one day. The assignment was to write a short, positive comment about each of his/her fellow classmates and turn them in to her.
After compiling each student’s list, the teacher passed them out in class. You could hear a pin drop as the students sat quietly, reading what their fellow classmates had written about them. It was a remarkable moment.
Years later, one of the boys, John D., was killed during a hard-fought battle in Viet Nam. His sixth-grade teacher attended the memorial service, along with many fellow students in John’s class.
After the service, John’s father approached Mary and thanked her for coming to the service. He paused, and continued. “We found this in his wallet along with his other belongings.”
He began unfolding a sheet of paper, yellowed, tattered and torn. It was the paper containing all of the comments from his sixth grade classmates written ten years before.
The father said, “He carried this with him everywhere. I’m told he would often pull it out and read it before almost every major conflict in which he was involved during his time in Viet Nam.”
By now, other students had gathered around and one by one they each began telling that they too had their copy of these comments and how meaningful they were to them. Some even had their copy neatly tucked inside their wallets or pocket books.
You see the power of an appropriately placed word? Has someone seen something in you bigger and greater than you ever dreamed you could be? Those kinds of people become my heroes. What foresight! What insight!
Oh, that I can become a person who helps you see beyond yourself to what you are so very capable of becoming. You are a becomer, you know? If you have dreams, you are definitely someone who can do, might do, and most likely will accomplish greater exploits than you can possibly imagine.
Hold on to your dreams. To lose a dream is a great loss. Norman Cousins once said, “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live.”
I love what John Maxwell says in his book 25 Ways to Win with People about helping others who are in pursuit of dreams. Listen to John’s words.
“Encouraging others in their pursuits of a dream is to give them a wonderful gift.
1. Ask them to share their dream with you.
2. Affirm the person as well as the dream.
3. Ask about the challenges they must overcome to reach their dream.
4. Offer your assistance.
5. Revisit their dream with them on a consistent basis.
6. Determine daily to be a dream booster, not a dream buster.
People will live up to their dreams when they have a chance to fulfill them.”
May we all become a dream encourager.
Let me encourage you in your pursuits.
Go!
Become!
Stretch your wings!
Be a becomer!!!
I believe in your dreams!
I believe in you!
No comments:
Post a Comment