Dreamweaver Mold Your Future
Spreading one’s wings, having dreams, and embracing compassion are three crucial elements to consider when looking to create a successful and beautiful future. Our dreams chart the distance of our life’s path and our compassion determines the breadth of the journey. Grandmaster JinBodhi shares his thoughts on weaving dreams and molding one’s future.
Everyone goes through three vulnerable phases in the course of a lifetime. Adolescence is one such phase. As young people enter their teens, they start to experience physical changes, but their thoughts and experiences have yet to mature. They wish to make their own decisions, but immaturity often leads to making mistakes. Having strong guidance from adults is essential to the wellbeing of adolescents. Wise counsel from caring adults can help prevent the young from making unnecessary costly errors that may cause lifelong regrets.
Your Future in Your Hands
When you are a student, you should focus and concentrate on your studies. Professional success is boosted by the accumulation of different types of expertise, so children should read widely. Other than reading books on academic subjects, one should visit the library often and explore books of various genres. Frequent physical activity is also important. Draw up a schedule and plan time for work, learning, creativity, exercise, and socializing. This is called self-management.
In today’s world, competitions are based mainly on intellect and knowledge, no longer physical strength. Your innate intelligence cannot be altered, but knowledge can be accumulated. Set a lofty aspiration for yourself from a young age, and focus all your energy toward the achievement of this aspiration. Remember: Your future is in your hands. So how do you start creating this future? It begins with the little things you do every day. For example, diligently complete your daily school assignments. Though academic achievement is certainly not the only path to success in life, it can ease your way.
Dare to Envision
In a highly competitive and knowledge-driven society, young people need to ponder deeply on what they wish to accomplish in this life and envision their future. How far are they from their dreams? What kind of skills do they need to become the person they dream of being?
The first step to success is to have a worthy dream or aspiration. How do you decide on your dream? Firstly, your dream has to be feasible and within your means. For example, is it reasonable for a cow to dream of becoming a fierce tiger? If your dream is not really your dream at all but has come about because of pressure from your parents, you may not have sufficient motivation to realize it. No matter the source of your aspiration, be it from the encouragement or influence of your friends, family or teachers, you
It is only when your dream becomes a need to be fulfilled that you will develop infinite strength, energy, wisdom, and self-discipline to ensure that every task is done to your utmost satisfaction.
need to internalize it and make it yours. Only then will you develop the required motivation.
Striving for something causes personal growth. If you do not have any dreams, your development will be hindered. When young people have dreams, they will develop the motivation to learn and work hard toward achieving them. They will become more
self-disciplined and take the initiative to complete their homework, wake up early, do their own laundry, perform household chores, and help others.
Weaving Dreams, Taking Action
Once you have a dream, you need to take action. Do not let it simply be empty talk. Start taking action and results will show in time. Even if you meet many obstacles and difficulties along the way, you must persist. Success is achieved because of perseverance, as you live each day according to your plans and goals. Many people in this world attain success because they persist in pursuing their dreams, and push forward despite numerous setbacks.
Many people lack the required discipline and responsibility due to laziness and ignorance. They waste precious time every day. Manage your thoughts, speech and actions well. Think positive thoughts, speak kind words, do good deeds. If you talk about dreams but take no action, you are simply a braggart. A successful dreamweaver must keep his ambition close to his heart, and silently strive to achieve it.
To be a leader, you need to have credibility. If you always make empty promises, no one will trust you and you will never become a leader. This coincides with a Buddhist teaching which says a successful practitioner only needs to fulfil three principles in their life: faith, aspiration, and action. Faith is trust, confidence, and a belief; aspiration is a strong wish to achieve a goal; action is taking charge and doing things. Every step forward is a step closer to your dream.
It is only when your dream becomes a need to be fulfilled that you will develop infinite strength, energy, wisdom, and self-discipline to ensure that every task is done to your utmost satisfaction. These words may seem foreign to a child, but it does not matter. One day, when the need in them arises, these words will be like seeds of wisdom — upon meeting springtime, seeds sprout forth and burst into beautiful flowers. These words will prove useful to them at the most critical time.
Others Above Self
As a Chinese saying goes, “A gentleman will only do what is right, and will not do what is wrong.” Other than having dreams, one must have faith to live with good morals and ethics, and practice self-control. With faith, one will feel contented and have a sense of gratitude toward the people around them. Not only will you achieve happiness, you will also have a clear vision of what should be done right.
Wisdom arises from compassion. Without compassion, you are merely smart, but not a wise person. Whether your dream is to be a musician, an actor, a politician, or a scientist, if your sincere wish is to bring happiness and love to the world and not simply to make monetary gains, you will lead a much more exciting life.
Compassion brings about the power to create and the ability to shoulder great responsibilities, and gives positive energy. With compassion, you will learn to be tolerant, empathetic, grateful, respectful, humble, courteous, and loving toward others. A compassionate person’s sole concern is to help others, regardless of his or her own interests. A compassionate person would rather suffer than harm others. A compassionate person wishes for all sentient beings to be fed, not just himself.
A compassionate heart and willingness to help others from an early age will help one to develop a great sense of social responsibility, and exceptional capabilities and mental prowess. You will have an expansive heart that accepts people lovingly. Those who have great compassion and a sense of responsibility will have a brilliant future, because compassion brings infinite charm and lights up your life.
Whether your dream is to be a musician, an actor, a politician, or a scientist, if your sincere wish is to bringhappiness and love to the world and not simply to make monetary gains, you will lead a much more exciting life.
