The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines

“The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” - Paul Wellstone

I don't dream often, but when I do, my dreams are in living color. I dream about living in a world where the currency of change is not dollars and cents, it is thoughtful, well-articulated action. When I see the future, we are governed by people who are not cynics, but like you and I, are trying to do the best they can and demand that we all are involved in finding answers. When I look at children, I see what we can be if, like Paul Wellstone, we believe in the beauty of our dreams.

Today I choose to not read the news, but to talk about what we all can do to make the places we live better.

1) Appreciate what is already there, every place can be improved, but not by ignoring what people before us had vision to do for us.
2) Be involved. If you have kids, be invested in their lives, but be invested in the lives of all kids.
3) Be bold. Do not let your cynicism take your power away. We all can see what is apparent and be paralyzed, but if we choose one thing to change, we can defeat our own fears.
4) Be present. Often the world's events keep us from seeing what is directly in front of us. We can't always make big changes, but all of us can make small, significant change.
5) Be inspired. Read a book, go to a lecture, put on some music, talk to a stranger. Do something that allows you to grow as a person.
6) Be surprised. Change can come from people being shocked by conditions that they find around them, but they can be pleasantly surprised to know they can doing something to improve things.
7) Be frugal. Choose change carefully. The more you take on, the less likely you are to find success.
8) Be honest. Not everything worthwhile can be worthwhile to you. Support people who are doing things you value, but assert your right to choose when you get involved.
9) Be consistent. If you find yourself riding too many horses, you'll never reach a finish line. Stick with the things that bring you the most joy or the most pain.
10) Be yourself. Too many people are looking for someone to be like. The only one you can ever be is yourself, so get used to it--and you'll be surprised at the person you turn out to be.
11) Be your dreams. As Yoda said "Do or not do, there is no try."

What are your dreams? What do you believe? Are you in the game?