Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Aspirations

Please react to the following questions in a fluent, concise, and thought-provoking response. More than anything, I want these to be honest and from the heart. Think about it and let it come out. Make sure you write with solid conventions and answer each question: A few summers ago, I was at the Crytal Cathedral in Anaheim, California. A quote that always resonates in my head, hung on a giant cement wall asking, "What dreams would you dream if you knew you could not fail?" Now, realizing that life is a lesson in failures and mistakes and they teach us about adversity, perseverance, growth, what have you-imagine, that the sky is the limit! The fact is we NEED to dream, for today tomorrow and everything in between. What would you achieve if you knew you could not fail? What are your dreams, hopes, aspirations for life? What do you long for? How can those dreams be attained? What do you REALLY want that money can't buy? What happens if you don't achieve them?

27 comments:

  1. The fact that failure is always a possibility makes me more hesitant to chase my dreams, however if a dream is important enough to me, I am willing to take the risk. I have always separated my dreams from my goals, because I feel that they fall under different categories. For example, some of my goals include becoming a magazine editor and traveling the world, but my dream is to find happiness and to live a healthy life. Being happy and healthy are incredibly important to me, but you cannot buy either of them with money. If I could, I would trade many of the material items I have for life-long health and happiness because they are much more satisfying than any car or pair of shoes will ever be. If I do not achieve my dreams, it is very disappointing, but I also have to accept that it is part of life. When things do not work out the way we planned, we have to move on and take a new path (although this is easier said than done.) I believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and that if our dreams do not come true, they were not meant to happen.

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  3. I have never really thought about the question, what would you achieve if you knew you could not fail? Like Rachel said above, failure does make me feel the need to dream less and live more in reality seeing as though failure is part of the would in which we live. Trial and error. Although I think that I would want to achieve being happy and living my life to the fullest and not having to worry about money, bills, jobs, and my future basically if I knew I could not fail. However, I tend not to think about this too often because I am caught in reality and I almost think that trial and error is a part of what makes life fun, and if you fail at something it gives you a chance to work harder and try again. I think that would be one aspiration of my life, is to always work my hardest to reach my destination, and know that I worked for something I want and not took the easy way. I hope that I do get to live an enjoyable life in the future and have things that I want like a family, husband, a great job that I love, a nice house that "fits" me and to be happy with what I have and am given. I hope to travel the world someday, which is also a dream and get to do that no matter how much it might cost or what it might take. I hope to get a job I love which would be classified as a sports medicine profession, and I hope to go to a great college in my top 8 and I hope to somewhat follow one of my favorite sayings... "follow your dreams" even though it may be hard in our world today. I think that dreams can be attained if you want them to be attained. Anything really is possibly if you are willing to give and achieve what you want. I also don't think that money can buy everything, and the things that I want and will want most that money can't buy are some of what I stated above, and that is love, happiness, a family, and just to live life, not for anything so much materialist but for me, so that would be to be healthy and content and just enjoying everyday I am given. If I don't achieve my dreams and aspirations, yes it will be disappointing and sad, but in order to move forward, I have to accept that I didn't achieve them and that maybe it wasn't meant for me to do in my lifetime, maybe there is something else out there for me. I know that I do believe in the motto, "everything happens for a reason," like Rachel also said above I agree too.

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  4. Even though I know I can fail now I still try everything and dream for the stars. If I couldn't fail I don't think I would be as motivated. I love challenges and proving people, even myself, wrong. If you say I'm going to fail or I can't do something, I'll find a way to prove you wrong and I won't stop until I do.
    My dreams, hopes and aspirations of life are to be my own person. I want to make a difference in someone's life, I want them to remember me and be like, "Wow, that girl changed my life. She changed me and how I see life." Also, I want to be my own independent woman when I am older. I don't want to have to rely on someone, I want to make my life and be who I want to be. Granted I still want a family, of course, but I want to get on my own two feet first.
    I long for a childhood. I feel like I had to grow up a lot faster than most kids, especially the ones I was surrounded by. I never really got a childhood or understood what it really was, I still don't today. My innocence was taken from me and I guess I just want it back.
    I really want my dad back. That's all I have ever wanted and that's all I will ever truly want.
    If I don't achieve my goals I would be really disappointed in myself.

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  5. Well one thing I know I would do if I knew I couldn't fail is be on Broadway. I would go through all the schooling and just take it all to the top. I wouldn't have to worry about the money for college, the bills, the car and house payments. But those are all a part of life. Even if it's a small one. My one dream in life is to live the best life that I possibly can. I want to go to college. I want to get married. I want to have kids and be a professional photographer. I want to look back on my life when I'm old and want to just do it all over again no matter how rough times got. Money can't buy the happiness in life, the memories, the relationships. I agree with Rachel, if you don't achieve your goals then you clearly weren't meant to. Everything happens for a reason. But everyone is meant to do something, you just have to find it. Though, I am the kind of person who wont really take no for an answer and if reaching my goals takes my whole life, so be it. Photography is something I love. Something I enjoy and something that calms me and lifts me up when I'm down. How could I not achieve that goal? I also feel as though failing is a part of what makes you who you are. If you don't fail and learn from your mistakes then you assume you can't make mistakes. Then one comes along and trips you up. What do you do now? I was watching 127 hours on Saturday and one friend made a comment about how not telling someone where you are going and when you'll be back and just making a simple mistake makes you kind of stupid. Another friend replied with "well, not telling anyone where he went was a mistake and he learned from it." It's not stupidity, it's life. She's absolutely right.

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  6. If I could achieve my goals without fail I would probably start my own business or ski resort because those are two dreams that I have always had. My dreams and hopes for life are to just be happy with what I have and not always want more, maybe being successful enough to provide for myself to have the kind of life that I dreamed of as a kid that would be pretty cool but if not then so be it. I think my dreams could be attained by giving 110% at everything because to be honest right now I'm not. I'm not giving the effort to set myself up for success. I am merely setting myself up to disappointment because I have always thought these dreams were attainable but with the effort I'm giving right now I don't think they will be. If I don't achieve my goals for life then I guess it's to bad, so sad and I will find something that makes me happy and surround myself with people that make me happy because I know that the one goal I have for life that will always be attainable is being happy. What I really want is to be happy and know that my life is good enough for me and be satisfied so I don't have that immense feeling of want.

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  7. Now this may sound cleched but if I have always wanted to be a firefighter. I have been wanting to be in a line of work where I am doing something to help people. I can't see myself having a desk job because I hate being locked down. Even with the point that we could pick anything and not fail I still wouldn't want to be a very successful business man with all the money in the world. I don't have a use for all the money and that isn't how I want to live. I want to work hard to make a living while doing something I dream about and would love to do.

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  8. Failure, something we all don’t want to do or be called, but if I could not fail whenever I tried I would be confident, I would be out there (making crazy ideas I mean). I dream that I went to college and I live in Africa on a Hyena Reservation making every animal better trying to make a better world. My hopes extend from sea to sea they are endless, I hope my mom gets better and she'll be able to let me go, I hope that people who don’t have a ton of money are recognized for some of their accomplishments. I long for what people tell me are not possible. Any dreams not just my dreams can be attained with a mindset that you’re going to get it, confidence, tenacity. Money can’t buy me back the memories I can’t remember when I'm older and that’s what I want to be able to remember for forever. I make new goals, what the point in crying and withering away in something that is already a failure?

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  9. I always think a lot about what I want to be and have when I grow up in life. I know that there is a lot but I can't think of what exactly it is. I know I want to acheive greatness. I have a goal that I want to do one thing better than anyone else in the world. I don't care if it is something minescule, I just want to be number one at it. Garrett said something that struck me in our socratic that we had in small groups. He said that his dad had lots of stories and that he wanted to have a lot of stories too. I think I want that too. I don't want to live the average life in a plain suburb as an everyday house wife. I want to go on adventures and tour the world and have experiences. I want to have interesting stories that I can tell my children and friends, and look back on and smile one day when I am old. I love the quote "What dreams would you dream if you knew you could not fail?" It speaks to me. I feel like I hold back so much because I'm afraid of failure. If we all lived like we knew we would concure this life, we would be truely living.

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  10. If I could not fail,I would become an actor, on Broadway and possibly Hollywood. But I feel that if I couldn't fail, acting is an extremely tough field that is fit mostly for dreamers,but I would be successful so why not. I could also get involved in some very productive and creative things that would benefit society. My dreams and aspirations now are first, to get into college, then my big dream is to have a wife and a child/children. I want to be somebody they can look up to and can rely on to come to their baseball games, their plays, their debates, their whatever. I saw a dad and his little boy at a Rockies game once, and they were having such a good time, the boy was happy and the dad was there for the boy. I want that, that's one of my dreams. I also dream about being famous and being known. That is something that's a little far fetched but it can happen. It would be great to be known and loved. But that's what I really long for, to be loved; loved by anyone who is around me. These dreams can happen by going to college and then being social, meeting people and being myself and hopefully making good impressions, and make people want to be around me. Also I just have to pour my heart into everything I do. Like I said, money can't buy the happiness that comes from a family. Money can't buy my son, or my daughter, or my wife. If that doesn't happen (I've learned this from baseball) I would have to make some adjustments and take what I can and maybe set some new goals, maybe more professional ones. If it does happen, however, it would be ideal for me.

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  11. My dream is to be a marine biologist. If i knew i could not fail thats what i would be. But even knowing that i might fail isnt stoping me from trying. Animals have always facinated me especially in the ocean. Money is not a big deal for me. If i was doing my dream job and i was happy doing it i would rather do that and no money than something i hate and have all the money in the world. But more than that i want to be a missionary. I want to get out in the world to see people suffering and help them. There is no money in that and its very dangerous in some areas but i think its worth to know your doing something in someones life. One of my biggest fears is leaving this world and not making a difference in at least one persons life. This would help me accomplish that.

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  12. Failure to me is just a part of life and I'm not afraid of failing. If I don't succeed I am disappointed but I don't wallow in my failure. I reflect on what I did and try to learn from my mistakes. Personally, I feel that letting an opportunity go by or having regrets is scarier than failing. If I knew I couldn't fail at something that would not motivate me. Thomas Jefferson said "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude." I believe this to be completely true. In life if I have a goal and the right attitude nothing can or will stop me not even the fact that I could fail. I want to enjoy life and make the most out of each day. I want to travel and immerse myself in other cultures. I want to be a strong, independent woman and I don't really want to get married or have kids. I want to wake up each day and be able to do something I love and am passionate about and money won't matter if I am able to do that.

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  13. If I knew I couldn’t fail I would start a business with my brother that involves selling and trading in the stock market. Knowing that I could fail always is in the back of my mind but if that was taken away I would try to do that with my brother in a minute. My hopes for life are not to look back and say what if. What if that night I did this instead of that? That’s what I don’t want to happen. Sometimes you can’t always make the right calls but if those are reduced and I can try to have a good time, then that’s what I’m going for. Some dreams might be wanting a family and live in a place that I enjoy. I just want to experience anything that is thrown at me. I want to travel to the world and explore different cultures and how they go about life. What if you run into someone that has a different mindset and could help you in life? That person could open doors for you that you didn’t know exist. These can be obtained by trying to set your mind to it. If you really have a plan, than those dreams may become reality. Unless those dreams are ridiculous and could never be obtained. I really want a lot of things like a nice car or the new iPhone. Will I ever get them, probably not since those aren’t my main concerns. If I don’t achieve something I will be bummed about it but it shouldn’t slow you down. If I don’t get a nice car I’m not going to be a downer all my life that would ruin the fun in life. You only have so much time to live. If you fail who cares there will always be a next time. Nothing should hold you back.

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  14. Failing is normal and it is how we learn lessons and how we make mistakes and then learn what to do different next time. I would go for many things in everyday life if I knew I couldn't fail, I would be more outgoing talking in front of large crowds, and I would start my own business to make a living. I feel like maybe we are too afraid of failure sometimes and we let that define our decisions because we afraid of embarrassment and not succeeding. My dreams, hopes, and aspirations for life are mostly to be happy and live the life I want to. Ideally this includes settling down and getting married with a good job to support a family. Also I want to travel the world more and see more places because I feel like I don't have a very good sense of the world currently so I want to travel a lot. Things that I want that money can't buy is happiness which money definitely can't buy. Money can make you less stressed out financially, and it can be a nice luxury but it isn't the sole thing that would make me happy.

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  15. If I could achieve any goal and know that I wasn’t going to fail I would definitely pick becoming a psychologist. Like what Jackb said knowing I can fail always sticks with me but I try not to think about it if I really want to achieve something great. When people ask me why I want to be a psychologist and if it is because of the money I always tell them it is something I can truly connect to because I have been in therapy and I know my therapist made a great impact on me and I would love to make a good impact on others like mine did for me. It is not for the money even though the money would be nice to have and make me feel comfortable supporting a family but there is more to life and what you dream for then always thinking about money. I also have a dream for a happy and healthy life which money can’t buy because we are the ones who create a stable lifestyle and a healthy environment. The only way I can achieve all of my dreams is giving it my all and studying hard in school so I don’t have to settle for a job because I am not good enough to become a psychologist. In the end it is up to us to not fail and always try our hardest.

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  16. The fear of failure is something that runs my life. To be honest I'm not sure what I would do if I knew I couldn't fail. One little thing that I dream is that I can one day travel and live around the whole world. I want to live a life of adventure. I want to climb mountains and explore jungles. As much as I love Littlefun Colorado I want to get out of here. I feel like I have been trapped here my whole life. I haven't thought much about what I want to study in college or do for a living but I only hope it allows me to live this life of adventure. I hope I live this life of adventure and at the end of all of it I have no regrets. The thing that I really want that money cant buy is a lifetime of awesome memories with family and friends. I don't know much more details then this because I'm just trying to live life in the moment and not worry to much about my future. I have a feeling that it will just take care of itself in the end and I'm just waiting to see what happens. I'm not trying to force my dreams I'm still just waiting for them to come to me.

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  17. Failure is always in the back of everyone’s mind. No matter what you think about going for, there’s always a thought that pops in your head that asks, can I really do this? I think that failure is needed in life in order to teach you so you can learn from your mistakes, but also instill a driving force in you so that you are more likely to succeed. On the other hand, I think that people today are TOO scared of failure which causes them to not even try to work on something they want to achieve. I agree with Rachel when she says that she categorizes dreams and goals differently. In my opinion they are different. Goals are things that you would like to achieve that are actually realistic. Dreams are just that…dreams. You think about them only in the state of mind that they most likely won’t happen. They are things that could only happen if a genie granted you three wishes. If I knew I could not fail, I would try to become a singer/musician. That is what I would call my dream. But as for my hopes and aspirations in life, I hope that I will be successful in whatever I do as a career, I hope to surround myself with people that are good for me and I hope to always be someone that people can count on . What I long for is to live a happy life, which to me means that I am confident in my own shoes. Confidence in myself is something that I don’t have very often, but when I do feel confident it makes lots of situations around me better. If you don’t have confidence in yourself then you’ll be more likely to make the wrong decisions. Like the quote “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”. To attain these dreams and aspirations I think that I need to make a plan of how to reach those goals and take little steps to get there. Money can’t buy happiness and that’s what makes some things so special. You can’t buy someone’s love, you can’t buy loyalty and you can’t buy success. They are things that you have to find and earn. The things I want that money can’t buy are a lot of things that I already possess. I have friends that are there for me no matter what, a family that guides me and helps me grow as a person, people who love me for who I am and the drive that I need to get me where I want to go in life. If I don’t achieve some of the goals I have set, then i believe it wasn’t meant to be, and in that case….there’s always something else out there.

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  18. If I could achieve anything with a fear of failing I would want to become either a professional musician or a professional athlete. Because those are two things that are so unrealistic it’s hard to really have a strong desire to peruse them. But in a realistic world, I would love to become a business owner after I complete my service in the Air Force. All I can really ever realistically dream of becoming is as successful as my father. The realistic dreams that I have can ONLY be obtained by hard work and determination. If I ever think for a second that things are going to come me easily, I wont ever accomplish those aspirations. One of the only things that I want that money cant buy is a happy family. That is something that no matter how hard you try or how much money you have, you cannot buy. That is something that I aspire to have more than anything in the world. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I couldn’t achieve that. I would have to make it on my own which is so much harder than having people around me that love me for who I am.

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  19. If I knew that without a doubt that I could succeed, I would write a book. The only thing that stops me every time is the thought that it will not be perfect, that people will read it and toss it aside. I realize these are foolish fears, because there is no possible way to pleases everyone, but still I experience them. As for my more realistic goals in life, I plan to be an agent for the FBI. A large goal, but far more easily attained than my dream. I suppose this is how all people go about life. They are a mad car driven by a drunken Fear. They swerve in and out of reality, into dismal patches of darkness and despair. Yet, they seem to always rush into a patch of glorious sunlight in time to save their sanity. No amount of money can buy my goals, (well, I suppose it could, but I will never have that much). I only wish to help my fellow man by protecting those who cannot protect themselves. I plan to obtain my goals, and nothing will stop me. I don’t care how many hours I put in, or how many sleepless night I spend, I will reach my goals.

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  20. The list of things I would achieve if I knew I could not fail is endless. Only because I feel like my friends and I always just sit around and think of stupid but funny things that we could do for fun and if we actually went out and did all of those things I'm sure it would be fun. But as far as dreams and things, I would actually enjoy that a lot. I feel like what holds people back from following through with their dreams and ambitions is the fear of failing or the fear of consequence. But if there was not such thing then I would follow through and chase all of my dreams. I have dreams that come and go. I have predictable dreams like graduating a respectable 4 year college or winning the state championship. But a dream/ambition/hope that will never go is to be happy in the future. I hope to just be happy, no matter what I'm doing as long as I'm happy in life I will have fulfilled my dream. Happiness is all that I long for and it's also what money can't buy. I don't quite know what it is going to take to accomplish it because I haven't lived nearly half my life yet but i know that if I don't accomplish it, well I probably wont be happy.

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  21. Failure has been a part of mankind seemingly since the beginning of society, therefore it is just human nature to fear it. If I could achieve anything with a guaranteed failure rate of zero percent, I would be a musician (underground or mainstream, not too picky.) I tend to wander into free music composition programs in my free time, and I have recently taken it up as a small hobby of mine. Unfortunately I am in a dilemma on what I wish to pursue later in life, but I have narrowed it down to three things: Computer Sciences, Cartoon Animation, and Television Program Editing. All of them are personal interests of mine and I seek opportunities frequently for them on my free time. I seek a place in life where I can do what I love, and also do them for a living at the same time, and the amusing thing is that all can be obtained if one were to put in the effort. I do not wish for anything too big, besides being up to date with luxuries, which can easily be fulfilled as long as one is employed. If I were not to achieve them, I would put it behind me. While money is nice along with the materials that it can present to you are fantastic as well, in the end they are not the primary source of making me happy.

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  22. If I knew I could not fail I would go right to Whole Foods, apply, and get the job. That is my first option in this moment because I am in a procrastination phase looking for a job, I would love to get all of their special employee discounts, and my parents want me to find a job. I think I would try a lot of random things whether it is pro golfer, astronaut, president, or belly dancer (jk on the last one) just to see what I like best. I now realize I do limit myself with the idea of failure so it would be for my own good to just try as if I could not fail. My aspiration in life is to take what I have learned through the good and the bad in my life and use it to better the world. I don’t know in what ways I will do this but I want to do it in a way that is right. I long for my brain to get out of the way and for me to live from the heart and take chances. Devotion, faith, love, and practice will bring me this. I want to be able to truly be myself during the good and bad times. I want to be able to be content, happy, and joyful with the life I live now (and in the future, the life I have lived). Money can’t buy that. If I don’t achieve them I will try again or be content saying, “At least I tried.”

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  23. What I would do with my life if I knew I could not fail: I would to start an organization that helps kids deal with losing a parent. When I lost my dad I went to a place called Judi’s House that was started by the former Broncos quarterback Brian Griese. Brian started the program because he lost his Mom when he was 12. It has helped me so much deal with my grief and shape me to be the person I am today. But because I am afraid to fail and I know that to start an organization takes a lot of work, it may never happen. So if that does not happen I would like to help people, make an impact in their lives. I have also thought a lot about being a youth group minister. My Youth Group leader has the coolest job. She gets to hang out with teens and talk to them about God. I would also like to go to India both to travel and to help people. I think it would be cool to help dig a well for a village that didn’t have water. I also want to have a big family, and a big house, I would like to stay in Colorado. And, I’m not going to lie; I want a black Escalade, extra long. I don’t want to let my future family down so I’m going to college and I know I need to go to college to get a good job and achieve my dreams. I want to know I have lived my life to its fullest and to surround my life with people I love.

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  24. What would you achieve if you knew you could not fail? Well that is a very hard question to answer. I guess I would do a lot of things, everything that I ever wanted to do in life that was restricted or wasn’t allowed or I couldn’t access. It is difficult to answer in that there is so much that I would love doing. I don’t know if I can name them all. Let’s see, best dancer, street racer, olympic gymnast, famous author, martial arts master, world soccer player, contortionist, and those are just some of the dreams I would love to accomplish but don’t have the time of day to do or train for all of it. My dreams for life as of now is being all that I can be, living life out to the fullest, taking life how it comes, and challenging myself to extremes. Also important are trying new things, making lots of friends, and being successful in a career of my choosing. I long for excitement and challenging situations that push my mind and body in directions I have not explored. I also long for adventure, world travel and romance. I would attain these dreams of mine buy saving up my money and not let an opportunity slip from my grasp. What I really want that money can’t buy is happiness, love, romance, and keeping my loving family. If I don’t achieve them I would make the best of what I do achieve and from there create a new list of dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

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  26. What would you achieve if you knew you could not fail? If I knew that I could not fail when doing anything, in terms of getting anything out of it, I would achieve everything but the knowledge of life naturally. I like knowing that I can fail because it pushes me harder to exceed myself from failure in a way that it makes me who I am as a person. Failures are like the hammer and chisel that hopefully sculpt me into the person I want to be. My hopes and dreams are limitless, but if I had to shoot something out there right now it would be to travel around the world hopefully somewhere in Africa or Europe to get a different perspective on life. I would love to live in Ireland because this is going to sound weird but I like the gray clouds, the green marsh, the endless hills and that type of stuff. A good way to see these dreams through is just to realize that they are possible and to go at them head first. Lance told me a quote from I have no idea who but it went something like, "In order to achieve your dreams, you have to wake up". This quote stuck with me because it’s true, you have to put yourself out there instead of just keeping things in your head wishing you would have attempted for success in achieving your goals. I feel like I am beating a dead horse but I long for a really good family in the future that depends on me and I depend right back on them kind of like an Indian tepee if you can imagine that each stick must lean against the other for it to work. I definitely know that my family is nothing that can be bought or have a value on, but it is something that means the whole world to me. If I never achieved my family, I would probably would not make it very long because that I feel like is going to be the thing that drives me most in the future for me. "In order to get something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done" is a quote from Ms. Miles, that I will never forget in my entire life because it is the answer in my opinion of how to succeed at anything you want in this world. It is the answer of having your own opinion, always question everything no matter what, being independent and striving to achieve greatness no matter what the failures effects may be.

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  27. Living in a world without failure is such a far out concept I don't even know how to really comprehend it. I mean I play a sport centered around failure. In baseball if you have a .333 average you are doing really well, which means you fail 7 out of 10 times. So a life without failure. What would I dream for? Well I fell like I would pursue my own ambitions in the business world to strike it rich. And with my new found wealth I would do something to help benefit the starving people of the world. Something I long for, umm as selfish as it seems I really want to make a name for myself by being a successful businessman. My dream like any can be achieved through hard work and perseverance. Something that money can't buy, and Fitzgerald would disagree, but somebody to love. Someone to share my life experiences with, whether rags or riches someone to be there with me. If I can't achieve my dream I will have to find something else to pursue, one door closes another door opens, right?

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