Following a dream in the 21st Century

As everyone around us is busy exhibiting his or her professional success, we become more and more susceptible to replicating the professional decisions of others. Infatuation with traveling, global competition, parental pressures, and availability of numerous novel choices to the untrained mind may be some of the other distractions in selecting work according to our own aptitude.

Even if one has a well-defined area of interest, some skills may have turned obsolete in this age due to unavoidable influences such as automation and outsourcing. Formal training and diligence in work do not always pay off. In an environment more suited to the adaptable, the loyal can and do face many disappointments. When contribution is measured only by numbers, one may easily get persuaded to earn more at the cost of peace. But what if you have a dream that does not align with a obtaining a big bank account? What if your aspirations for being an artist or a teacher pull you towards a slower pace of life and a lower success rate? Should you still follow your dreams?

Many of us never experience a non-materialistic dream unless we couple lower levels of greed with an ability to explore what we want in life (besides money). In the way we define it, a “dream in life” is a strong inner aspiration not bound by personal profit, and merely having one is in itself a spiritual achievement. Because it is more selfless, it has to be relatively righteous. And because it is righteous, it will see support from God, who loves supporting us in righteous behaviors. With such a backing, what can go wrong in following a dream?

We have been created with inner mechanisms (our personal gifts) through which we are compelled to act in accordance with our instincts. If we have identified a void in our life arising from a mismatch of our career with our evolving instincts, only exertion in the activity of our interest can fill this void. Just like it is difficult to own a dream, it is difficult to let go of it if we possess one. However, while our deeper interests, once they are unveiled, eventually succeed in attracting us, we can temporarily turn obstinate and try to oppose the bigger plan that has instructions for our own evolution.

Even if our deeper interests are discovered late in life, more often than not our responsibilities do not allow us to follow our dreams in early life. Our affinity to profit is very strong but we can begin by spending a few moments away from our lucrative job working towards our dream. If these moments give us more peace, we will voluntarily start offering more time to these new activities. And as we taste even higher levels of happiness, we may be encouraged to reassess our professional preferences and everyday schedule for something more eternal.

Because dreams in life are guided by our true nature, following them triggers a simultaneous search for peace, which is a permanent attribute of our inner nature. If we do not feel delighted in following our dreams, we probably have not connected to a dream.

“Contribution to the world” is a vague concept in the context of spirituality. While exertion in certain areas of expertise, say technology and economics, may be labeled “more significant” by the onlooker depending upon one’s bias, their results, including all products and most discoveries, are equally perishable in time. Alternatively, after nurturing some happiness within by following our dreams, we can opt to transfer the energy of optimism from our heart to others. This propagation to others can be a more real accomplishment.

This post is my adaptation from an excerpt written by Mukul S. Goel.

Photo credits: Apt3 Photography © 2010.

Good People: Sanctuary Faith Trails

Native people have always seen the horse as a symbol of spirituality, and as a tie to a time when their culture was intact. The Hispanic community has the Vaquero tradition that is part of their history and culture. The Caucasian community is steeped in the cowboy and ranching history. Each of the ethnic groups that live in Madras, Oregon have a pre-programmed hot button deep within them to gather around this animal and while doing so increase their tolerance for each other.

Horses, by their very nature, are social herd and prey animals. Observing and working with horses teaches people about trust and community. The unique ability of the horse to teach about ones place in the world creates the place where barriers of gender, ethnicity, and age are more easily set aside and a community can grow. Individuals find fellowship with others.

Sanctuary Faith Trails identifies and implements ways to build community and support for individuals so they can achieve their potential and give back. Their mission is based around the use of horses, ranch experiences, stewardship of the land and relationship building to affect positive change in the lives of children, teens and families.

Work programs, student advocacy and family support

They use their stable operations at Kah-Nee-Ta High Desert Resort to give people a place to work where they love what they do. We serve many youth and adults in this program. They advocate for students, track performance, set both academic and behavioral goals, and help with acquiring the basic necessities, skill sets and time to experience success. The average student who sets a contract improves their GPA by 1.8. Through coordination of their facilities, horses, instruction, transportation and food they give families a positive place to gather. When people meet in these settings they know that it will be a safe, good-hearted group. They meet around people’s passions and develop a community for support as well as celebration.

Intervention and development

The staff at Sanctuary Faith Trails helps people fill the gaps and get the aide they need to succeed. They help with everything from emergency transportation, food deliveries, basic need packages, distribution of clothing, referrals for and transportation to counseling and medical assistance, advice, prayer requests, mediation and counsel. Everything they do strives to build cells of community that web into support networks. Building relationships to support people in making good choices and honoring the Creator in their lives is a key facet of their mission.

Animals, the land and human potential

Through gatherings at SFT, people acquire skills to care for both the land and the animals that live and work on it. These skills make a strong impact on their abilities to make changes in themselves. By becoming closer to the land the people they serve open their hearts and minds to new possibilities.

For more information about Sanctuary Faith Trails visit HERE.

Images copyright Sanctuary Faith Trails, 2009.