“THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAM”
Jane Dovidio-Gagliardo

When I think of all my dreams and all the time I thought I wasted to achieve
them, I now realize I got side-tracked for a reason… and that the time was
never wasted. What I have come to realize is maybe, just maybe my dreams
were not the path I should have been on. It’s a funny thing how we think we
know what our dreams are; but, in reality, they become just that, dreams.
But, then reality sets in… and boom, our dreams disappear and life happens.
Despite it all, I wouldn’t change anything about my life. I have learned, loved,
and let go of all the toxins in my life. In the process, I have gained clarity as to
who or what I need to do to keep those toxins out of my life. Maybe this is the
dream reality made clear and for this I am thankful.
Wouldn’t you agree that our dreams, our goals, and our reality changes as we
age? Believe me when I tell you the “Golden Years” are soon upon us. And
we find ourselves looking back and thinking “Holy crap I accomplished a lot.”
Just raising our children and the fact that they are alive and healthy a big
accomplishment. Lol. Even at my vintage young age of 68 I still have dreams.
I Dream of a world that is at peace. I dream that my children and
grandchildren are always healthy and happy. I dream I will leave a good and
positive mark in this world when it’s time for me to leave. I dreamed I can
continue to love and be loved passionately. Now this is one dream that has
come true. I dreamed that my children would grow to be healthy, successful,
and respectful adults. And once again, another dream that has come true. I
dreamed I would have a circle of friends that become family. Another dream
come true. I both dreamed and prayed that I wouldn’t leave this world with
too many people who hate me or dislike me. This is a dream, I’ll have to wait
and see. I hope that’s not going to happen for a while, if at all.
The road to achieve my dreams has been rough and super hard at times.
When I thought I could maybe just maybe take a shortcut to get there I
learned that there are no shortcuts. The road to my dreams has come with
many challenges. But at the end… the sweetness of dreams realized has been
beyond what I ever imagined. So you see, the road to achieving our dreams is
hard and, at times, rough as hell. But the smell of success is sweeter than a
lump of sugar. And even juicier than a ripe strawberry… as the juices run

down your mouth and the smell hits your nose and connects with the taste.
Glorious, indeed!
So no… there are “No Short Cuts To Achieve Your Dreams.” But no matter
how rough the road might be, I encourage you to never give up. We each
must learn to climb above the obstacles and jump over every hurdle we
encounter. And know that the sweet smell of success is hypnotic and the taste
more pleasing than anything you can imagine. Know and believe that you
deserve it all. Just keep going until all your dreams come true!
I leave you with this quote “You Are Never Too Old to Set Another Goal or
Dream Another Dream.” (C. S. Lewis) Stay Safe. Stay Strong. Stay Fearless.
