You know a dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows.And a dreamer's just a vessel that must follow where it goes.Trying to learn from what's behind you and never knowing what's in storemakes each day a constant battle just to stay between the shores.And I will sail my vessel 'til the river runs dry.Like a bird upon the wind, these waters are my sky.I'll never reach my destination if I never try,So I will sail my vessel 'til the river runs dry.Too many times we stand aside and let the water slip away.To what we put off 'til tomorrow has now become today.So don't you sit upon the shore and say you're satisfied.Choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tides.
-Garth Brooks, song "The River" co-written with Victoria Shaw
Garth Brooks in "The River" is expressing the need to not stand on the side but to make the most of all the things we encounter in life. We fail to see things in life because we have a mental eyesight that over time as come to a point of not being able to see opportunities. We have been taught to accept things as they are instead of looking for alternatives or solutions.
Recently, when speaking with another person trying to strain to see something I commented that now I had a tough time seeing small print such as the newspaper without my glasses. That person said that she had come to believe that after 40 everyone's eyesight goes down hill! My glasses allow me to see the computer monitor, the newspapers and my students papers in an entirely different way! We would do well to mentally think of putting glasses on so that we can see our surroundings differently and can see the opportunities! Before we can provide opportunities we must be able to see them! Do you see opportunities ! If not think of what you could do to change your mental eyesight to be able to see a world of opportunities before us in how we can help our youth of today!
Remember..."There are those who look at things the way that they are, and ask why...I dream of things that never were and ask why not. Robert Francis Kennedy, 1968 Presidential Campaign
What do you think? Remember this blog does not work without you! Do you believe people see opportunities? What could we do to help the opportunities to be apparent to the leaders of our youth and to the youth them self?
