Have you ever had times in your life that forced you to ask yourself some deep questions? Those moments appear out of our control and are the catalyst for decision and change when we have to make choices. The Second Step of the Faremouth Method is “Ask Better Questions,” and I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. This week, a song came on the radio that seemed to really speak to me and catapult me into deep thought about my own life and dreams. It is the song by Garth Brooks called “The River.” This is a song about chasing your dreams and never giving up on what you believe in. The lyrics remind us that life is shorter than we think. If we just stand on the sidelines of the shore, watching the river go by, then life will be gone before we have a chance to live it. We can’t be a bystander in our life.
Garth Brooks uses the metaphor of a person’s life, being a vessel moving along a river. We are like a ship that moves through life upstream in search of our dreams. It is a constant battle to keep the vessel in the water because the shoreline is constantly changing. We should not put off until tomorrow what we should do today. We have to take advantage of the opportunities that come along, which support our dreams as they may not always be there.
Garth says, “a dream is like a river.” Our dreams change like water moving along its path, switching streams, depending upon what life throws at you. As life changes, the river can be calm, then fierce, and then calm again. As the course of the river changes, so does the route we choose to take. Each person has a dream. When the river gets rough, and life is difficult, maybe like we are now experiencing with Covid, a lot of people push their dreams aside and forget about them. Their attention gets diverted by survival instincts while they ignore the passion within.
Brooks says, in his song, that he will sail his vessel until the river runs dry. This might mean that he will always chase his dreams until his life is over. If you don’t follow your heart’s desire, you will never have a chance to experience the life you really want to live. It’s been said you should be at one with your dreams like a bird in nature, flying above the water. “Ropin’ the Wind. Liberty, 1991.”
The song has a great meaning and a lovely melody to it. It’s not always easy to pursue your dreams because much can stand in the way. The only thing you can do is just push forward until the river runs dry.
Let’s take a look at how we can apply the beautiful lyrics of this song, “The River,” to the New Work World.
1. “You know a dream is like a river, Ever changin’ as it flows”
We’ve all had many changes this year with Covid-19. Reflect on some of the changes in your work world and how you have had to adjust and flow with them. The only constant in life is change. What have those changes made you realize about your job, your work habits, and your future goals? Sometimes big changes force us to re-evaluate important aspects of ourselves that might inevitably force us to make changes and allow us to have a more fulfilling life. What are your dreams going forward? How can you try to make them happen? Have you had to adjust or modify how you’re going to manifest your dreams?
2. “Trying to learn from what’s behind you, and never knowing what’s in store, makes each day a constant battle just to stay between the shores….”
What have you learned from your previous work/education/life experiences that might have helped you cope with the big changes we have all undergone in 2020? What have you done to keep yourself stable during these uncertain times? Have you tried more mindfulness practices? Have you spent more time outdoors in nature? Have you investigated some classes, watched more movies? What have been your coping mechanisms and what new or different ones might you try to stay between your personal shores?
3. “I’ll never reach my destination if I never try, so I will sail my vessel ‘til the river runs dry”
What can you do now to reach your destination? What can you try today that might bring you a better tomorrow? Can you expand your current job function in the current company you are with to have higher management recognize and consider you for a promotion track? Can you investigate other product lines your current company might get into that might make them more in line with technology changes? Is there a product that could be sourced from current or new suppliers that you could investigate to give your company a more up-to-date brand and purpose to allow them to become more profitable in the future? Are there other industries that may utilize your skill set that would have more interesting experiences and opportunities going forward?
4. “So don’t you sit upon the shoreline and say you’re satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tide…..”
Even if you are one of the lucky ones who have stayed employed, what can you do now to get ready for more opportunities in the future? If you have gotten cut or are on furlough, what can you do in your employment world to dance the tide of the future? Do you need to update your resume, talk to a career consultant, or become more active on LinkedIn? The future work world will be a “new dance” of sorts. It’s always prudent to become proactive and get ready for the future before you really have to. Talking to professionals in the field always helps. Learning new information about your industry or ones that interest you by doing your own research is always a smart idea to consider.
The last verse of the song is “And I know I’ll take some falls…..but I can make it through them all …..Yes, I will sail my vessel ‘Til the river runs dry, ‘Til the river runs dry.”
We’ve all taken our own personal and professional falls in 2020. I think if we all adopt the mindset in the song, “The River,” where Garth says that he will always chase his dreams until his life is over, we will discover a life that is fuller, more meaningful with expansive growth and rewarding experiences! Dreams remain dreams unless we do something about them. We have to search for ways where we can create and actualize them in our lives rather than just ponder about them in the future. If we don’t act, they will remain dormant. By action, we can create anything we want and magnetize it into our reach. We need to start the process NOW!!
