What Do You Think So Far?

My goal when I talk to someone about their Dream-Not-Come-True is to give them at least two ways they can bring their dream back to life right this very minute. To show them two Orange Roads that can be traveled immediately, from my perspective, is to give them hope that their dream coming true is not only still possible, but even probable!

In Dave's case it was easy to come up with more than two options and I think of more every day. I must confess, this one was a little easier for me because I love Dave and I've been working on helping him make his dream come true for many years.

What do you think so far? I'm loving this journey and I can't wait to learn and share about all the other Dreams-Not-Come-True this year. Share yours with me and your thoughts on the others! Come on, let's all get excited and think about what a great place this world will be when we are all living our dreams. It is possible, it truly is!

Gettysburg Recap

Whether or not Dave intends to travel some of the Orange Roads or simply wait it out (his worst case scenario), he will live out his life as Park Ranger in Gettysburg National Park. It's a funny thing with married couples, I feel strongly that Dave won't have to wait a full ten years, and he is sure he will -- typical, huh? I'll be sure to keep you up to date as this changes.

Did this month make it more clear that there are many ways for you to bring your dreams back to life? I hope so. If not, stay with me and next month we'll go on another Intentional Winning In Life journey. The new subject will be revealed next Wednesday.

Share the IWIL blog with your family and friends. We have lots of fun to come and even if it's not real "fun," it's surely inspiring!

Gettysburg Orange Road #4

Dave at a reenactment in 1991 - Napa, CA

Join or start a local reenactors group. I post this as an Orange Road even though I know it's obvious and happens to be exactly where Dave started.

Dave started the Northern California District of the Civil War Association when he was just 17 years old. It was through reenacting that he lived his Gettysburg dreams even traveling back to just outside the park for reenactments (just one more thing I learned do this topic, you can't reenact in a National Park. You can nearby, but not in.).

I suspect if you have a dream similar to Dave's, there are many groups you can join whether they are Civil War Round Tables, classes, groups, or associations who reenact all around your state.

Gettysburg: Orange Road #3

Collect Gettysburg games and toys and sell/trade them on e-bay. This idea is just plain fun!

This could be a really fun hobby and more than having fun, you will be connecting with other Gettysburg enthusiasts. You will be learning about conventions, events, anniversaries, clubs, and associations you may not have known existed. I find that there is an exclusive community for every subject imaginable! Start buying and selling Gettysburg memorabilia and you will soon be a part of a group of people who love this National Park as much as you do!

The trick for the Gettysburg lover/collector will be to be able to part with the treasures they buy!

Let The Unknown Be

In planning for the worst you are stating what you can see as the last ditch, "this is the only way I'm getting where I want to go" plan. For Dave, he can't see that he can get into this park any other way than to accept a seasonal position. And in doing that, he is not even guaranteed a regular part-time position.

There is a faith factor in Intentional Winning In Life. You have to trust in the beauty of your dreams and even if you can't see it, know your dream is coming true. Call it faith, intention, or the Law of Attraction - no matter what you call it, when you focus on something it grows.

If Dave does some of the little things related to his Gettysburg dream, who knows what will happen, what opportunities will present themselves? Who will come into his life and show him other Orange Roads? These are unknowns that instead of being scary, can be exciting! Get excited about what's to come while planning for the worst - Dave can enjoy this time with his son, dig into all the little ways he can live his dream, enjoy planning his tenth wedding anniversary in New England, finish school, and on and on. There's so much more to this life, right now than what he can ever plan for his future.

Gettysburg: Orange Road #2

This was the idea that really gave life to IWIL. Dave had just returned from his deployment from Iraq and he was feeling a lot of frustration while adjusting to being home. He shared with me that he had given up on this dream because he was sure I wouldn't relocate to Pennsylvania. From my heart I asked him why it had to be all or nothing. Here is what I popped off the top of my head when he asked what other way could he be a park ranger in Gettysburg without moving to Pennsylvania:

"We could plan ahead and buy a Bed & Breakfast near Gettysburg. We could personally run it 3 months out of the year - the autumn months would be my pick! Each guest would get a personal tour by Historian "You" when they visit our B&B. You could wear a uniform (even period park ranger uniforms would be fun - remember the museum?) and share little-known-facts that they won't get on a regular park tour."

I realize this would not be easy and certainly not the least expensive Orange Road, but it is a possibility! The point of IWIL is to realize that there are ways you have never conceived of that you can achieve your dreams. Those ideas that seem totally bizarre are not impossible, they are just out of your proverbial box.

The Doubleday Inn is a gorgeous Bed and Breakfast on the battlefield. While I assumed there were places that did tours and things to enhance your stay in Gettysburg, Innkeepers Christine and Todd Thomas appear to have this dialed! Visit their website and if you plan to visit Gettysburg, stop in and tell them Kathy sent you!

Gettysburg - Plan For The Worst

Making dreams come true when you are in the depths of life; good paying job with benefits, mortgage, bills, and so many more things, is not going to be easy. I've never said making dreams come true is easy, I said it's possible.

Dave, you have a good job that provides for your family. You know that it's not beneficial for you to quit a full time job to move across the country to take a seasonal job. My thoughts are that you plan for the worst - plan to stay in your current position until which time you can retire with your full benefit and then relocate to Gettysburg, PA to work part-time. Sounds a bit like telling a ten year old that they will be eighteen in the blink of an eye, doesn't it? The reality is that you are ten years away from full retirement, but if you are enjoying the journey through those years and implementing some of the little ways to live your dream now, how bad can that be?

Stay firm and hold onto your dream. It's not a matter of if you will be a ranger in Gettysburg, it's a matter of when. And for the record, I'm with you all the way and we will see this dream through - big bucks or not!