Unfortunately, too many individuals allow themselves to linger for too long in their dream world. Such individuals are under the delusion that they are walking in this world while awake, but, really, they are sleepwalking through life! We all are given only one life to live, but many of us are wasting our days, our lives, by chasing after dreams, and attempting one scheme after another. We delude ourselves, believing that this time a particular scheme of the moment will work out differently than the last! Cherished dreams are just that, dreams. Plans are just schemes, if the individual has not made an honest self assessment. Dreams and fantasies have an ethereal quality to them. Dreams lead to success only when they have been removed from the ethereal realm into the world of the concrete. The sleepwalking dreamer has only dreamt of success and will continue chasing after it, unless he or she tries the next level of the exercise: The dreamer must awake and begin the exercise of the backbone! This involves self-knowledge: “Know thyself and to thine own self be true and thence one can’t be false to any man.” This is sage advice at this stage of the exercise!

The enemy of the backbone is one’s own ego! Each of us holds a false perception of our self. Most human beings would rather see themselves in much grandeur light than would our close friends, acquaintances and family. Some of us have formed a sense of self that has more to do with a tragic childhood and early life experiences than with whom we really are and what innate potential we possess and, possibly, still can cultivate. Exercise of one’s backbone may involve an honest self assessment or a reassessment. Also necessary, are a well developed character (moral fibre), a personal sense of ethics, and courage to actually see the true self, the, I, that is actually there, inside. Honestly looking within at the true self: strengths and weakness; abilities and envy of others’ abilities, and acceptance of the I discovered within and from this centre of self knowledge and self acceptance making a plan as to how you will turn your vision of success into reality. Part of coming to know the true I is through gaining insight into the forces that are motivating us toward desiring this particular brand of success.

Exercising the backbone means practicing discipline: The discipline of harsh honesty; the discipline of “going it alone”, if need be, the discipline of staying committed even when life has handed us a stacked deck and we have the losing cards! Discipline may mean having the maturity of knowing when to let go and try a more attainable goal! Mostly, exercising one’s backbone means practicing the discipline of show up and roll your sleeves up, daily! There is work to be done. The dreamer must become the doer. A clear and precise objective needs to be drawn up. Next a concrete plan for how each stage of the objective will be achieved. Stated goals and a firm deadline for their attainment are necessary. Part of constructing any plan is the knowledge that we will fail, we will come upon obstacles, a factor that must be included when making the times for achieving any aspect of the objective.

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