This is not an elephant.

This is not an elephant Painting!!!!!

The lady in this painting made a comment on my blog post the first day I put up a drawing of an elephant. I know she was being tongue in cheek because as you can see there is not even the hint of an elephant there other than possibly that she shares the kind eyes. 

We all seem to have within us the ability to put ourselves down.  I remember asking a group of students to write down five things they did not like about themselves. The exercise took very little time at all, because we find it simple to say what we do not like about ourselves. 

When the same group was asked to write a list of five things about themselves that they liked or felt proud about. This task took more than twice the length of time and some failed to finish it. 

Why is it that we find it difficult? I suspect because in our passed we have crossed the path of a dream stealer.  

Let me share a tale, as is my want. 

This is a true tale of a man who owns a horse farm. One day a group of friends had gathered for a charity event at his house. He told this true story.

He told of how when he was a young man his father was a travelling horse trainer, moving from farm to farm staying until he had accomplished his task of breaking in new horses. he would then move on to another farm. All of this moving meant that the son moved from school to school with constant  interruptions to his education.

One day while in senior school he was asked by a teacher to write a paper about what he wanted to do when he left school. 

That night he wrote a seven page paper describing in detail his dream. He even included a plan of the house he would live in. His dream was to own a horse farm and teach people to enjoy riding horses. He had every detail of how the farm would look, where the stables would be giving the exact sizes of everything. The floor plan of the stables, the floor plan of 4,000 square foot house and where it would sit in the 200 acre dream farm. 

He had put his whole heart into the project and on the specified day handed it in along with all the other students. He felt pleased that he had been able to do a job he felt proud of. 

Two days later the papers were handed out to the class. On his marked on the front was a large red F with a note saying, "See me after class."

The boy went to the teacher and asked why he had been awarded an F. 

The teacher told him, "this is an unrealistic dream for a boy like you. You have no money. Your education has been badly interrupted. Owning such a ranch as this is out of your reach. You would have to purchase the land. pay to have the building erected. Then you would have to purchase the stock. You could never accomplish this. If you write this project again more realistically I will consider my grading."

The boy went home with a heavy heart. He spoke to his father about it. He said, "Look son you have to make up your own mind on this. However I think it is an important decision for you."

After sitting for a few days the boy went back to the teacher and resubmitted the identical paper, rewritten but making no changes at all. 

As he handed it in to the teacher he said, "You can keep the F , I will keep my dream."

That day at the charity event he turned to the assembled group and said. 

"I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000 square foot house in the middle of my 200 acre farm. I still have that paper framed and hanging in my study. The best part of the story has yet to be told. Two summers ago we had a visit from a school group. When they were leaving a grey haired teacher hung back. He said to me," All the years I have been a teacher I have been a dream stealer, I was when I was in fact your teacher who gave you an F. I now realise a stole a lots of dream from  kids just like you. I feel sorry for it now but glad that you had the gumption to not give up yours and show me the folly of my ways. I hope I became a dream maker after your paper." 

Do not let anybody steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. No dream is too big or too small when we hold on to it and work hard to make it a reality. 

I know because I had a similar experience at school that almost killed all my dreams. MY son also and he has and is lives his dream each day. 

We should always try to make dreams come true for ourselves and others no matter what. 

Have a marvellous dream filled day. beware not to trip over the obstacles thrown in your path.