Chapter One
"A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
Dream Conversion can make dreams come true in any area of your life.
Who can forget the opening line from the love theme in Cinderella -- "A dream is a wish your heart makes." Even though Cinderella was singing about the kind of dreams you have in your sleep, her description is also true about the dreams we long for as we walk through every stage of our lives. As a boy, I dreamed of becoming an airplane pilot, a cowboy, a fireman, a policeman, a soldier, and a sailor. In college, I dreamed of romance, marriage, and a successful career. Now, I dream of more time and intimacy with my family; more varied and greater achievements, both personal and professional; and greater intimacy with God. Chances are, you're not much different from me. Our dreams may be totally different, and yet, we are alike in that no matter what we have achieved, we still have dreams that have eluded us.
Dreams Still Come True...for an Elite Few
Dreams do come true for people like Steven Spielberg, Lee Iacocca, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jane Fonda, and many other "dream achievers" whom I have come to know during my forty-eight years on this planet. People who achieve their dreams tend to be in a tiny minority...perhaps one in a million or even one in ten million. On the other hand, the vast majority of American adults not only fail to achieve their dreams, they stop dreaming altogether. Why? Why do some people seem to achieve their dreams, no matter how incredible their dreams may be, while others almost never achieve theirs? Is it simply a matter of luck? Of course not! And guess what -- it's not a matter of IQ either. Neither is it a matter of education, money, or experience. So what is it?
Are You Ready for Some Great News?
So the critical question is, "How" do these dream achievers fulfill their dreams? The great news is it's not a mystery; it's an art that they have learned. Why is that great news? Because it means that you, too, regardless of your age, inexperience, IQ, education, or financial standing, can achieve your dreams. Incredible dreams...wonderful dreams! You can begin to have dreams grander than you have ever had, and see many of them come true. All you have to do is learn and use the same skills that are used by those who do achieve their dreams.
I call these skills the "Art of Dream Conversion." An art is simply a skill that enables someone to take a concept, vision, or dream and convert it into reality. Some artists are born with an innate gift that they develop; the art of Dream Conversion, however, is a set of learnable skills (strategies and techniques) that anyone can master. For a tiny minority, discovering and utilizing these skills came somewhat naturally and fairly early in life. But the vast majority of adults never even discover these skills, much less use them. Unless...unless they are taught by someone who has not only discovered them but, more important; has habitually used them and experienced their awesome power and results, I didn't begin to discover these skills until six years after I graduated from college. While those first six years were full of failure and discouragement, the years that followed the implementation of these Dream Conversion skills have been filled with phenomenal success beyond my wildest dreams.
An Important Distinction
Throughout this book I will be referring to the art of Dream Conversion or Dream Conversion and the Dream Conversion Process. When I speak of Dream Conversion or the art of Dream Conversion, I am referring to all of the strategies and techniques contained in this book. When I speak of the Dream Conversion Process, I am talking about a single strategy or technique that takes a wish or dream, defines it in writing, and creates a specific plan that gives a precise and detailed road map to achieve that wish or dream. This Dream Conversion Process is explained in detail in Chapter 10.
The Big If...and Two Promises
When people first hear my story and the impossible dreams I've seen fulfilled, they often say, "That's you...but I'm me." They think "You don't know my background" or "You don't know my circumstances" or "Nothing like that ever works for me." If I looked you in the eye right now and told you, "Your most incredible dreams can come true," what would be your first thought? Stop reading and give me your first response right now. And please give it out loud.
Was your response "Great, I can't wait to start seeing my wonderful dreams come true"? Or did you answer with a little more skepticism? Do any of the following responses capture the essence of your response?
"I don't believe you!"
"Give me a break!"
"What dreams?"
"I can't even make ends meet...much less achieve my dreams."
"You don't know my husband."
"You don't know my wife."
"You don't know how lonely I am."
"You don't know my situation."
"I'm too old."
"It's too late."
"I'm too tired."
"I don't have time to dream."
"I can't keep up."
Whether you answered with any of these, or gave any other answer, I'm going to make you two promises.
Promise #1: If you read this book, and let these skills and techniques simply remain on these pages and never incorporate them into your life...whatever you achieve in your life will only be a tiny fraction of what you could have achieved.
Promise #2: If you read this book, learn the few skills that I'm going to show you, and begin to practice them in your daily routine...I promise you will begin to dream bigger dreams and achieve more of those dreams than you would ever have imagined possible.
So, the choice is yours...leave these skills on the pages of this book and continue to achieve only a tiny fraction of the dreams you're capable of achieving, or lift the skills from the pages of this book and bring them into your life, and begin to achieve dreams you haven't yet dared to dream.
Copyright © 1998 by Steven K. Scott