Whenever you buy or sell real estate, you may be like millions of other people out there, in thinking that you don?t need a real estate agent. Most people who buy or sell homes, commonly reckon that a real estate agent is a waste of money. Those who choose to buy a new home, reckon that real estate agents only add to the cost of purchasing the home.

What most people aren?t aware of, is the fact that real estate agents are normally paid by the seller, not by the buyer. As a buyer, you?ll get to work with a professional real estate agent without really having to pay for it yourself. The policies can vary greatly from state to state and company to company, which is why you should always check any paperwork or contracts that are provided to you to make sure this is the case. When you are interviewing agents, make certain to question about any type of fees as well.

A lot of real estate agents out there may work with both buyers and sellers, although most specialize in working with either the buyer or the seller. If you are buying a home, make sure that the agent you choose has prior experience of working with buyers and transactions that involve no money down. This way, you can count on your agent to be there when you need him the most – especially if you don?t have a down payment.

If you are interviewing a real estate agent and he or she isn?t familiar with down payment help programs, you shouldn?t hire their services. Agents who aren?t familiar with these types of programs commonly aren?t on the level, or they may lack the experience necessary to help you buy the home of your dreams.

You can also make a list of real estate agents that you can interview based on referrals from friends, lenders, and even family. Lender referrals are normally a fantastic choice as most lenders have worked with their recommendations in the past and both are already familiar with each other. Choosing a lenders referral can also prevent you from encountering any obstacles or surprises.

When you interview a real estate agent, make sure that you have the agent clarify his fees. This way, you?ll know exactly how much he will be getting from the buy. You should also find out how much experience he has in the field, and how long he has been working with real estate. You can also question about sample contracts as well. If you are buying a home, you should make sure that the agent works with buyers. If you happen to be selling your home, then you?ll want to make sure that the agent works with sellers. Agents that are dedicated to one or the other are the best to choose, as they will have more experience than agents who work with both buyers and sellers.

Find a real estate agent is an simple task – providing you know what to look for. If you take things one step at a time and carefully make a choice, chances are that you?ll end up with an agent who has the experience you want. You should always be careful when you choose, and never rush the process. Real estate agents are simple to find, although finding one who fits your needs and has your budget in mind is a small tougher to locate. When you make that final choice, you should always choose an agent who has your best interest in mind – and isn?t just after the money.

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While many people have very point dreams of enjoying the bountiful profits that can be made from flipping houses very few people place too terribly much thought into the process or any formulas that might be pertinent to accomplishment when it comes to flipping houses as a real estate investment venture or for the sake of building a nice comfortable lifestyle or retirement. You will hear a lot about the things not to do when it comes to flipping houses but very few people take the time to mention the things you absolutely must do in order to successfully flip a house and thus start your ride on the road to real estate investment riches.

1) Do place everything to pen and paper and plot it out carefully before you start. If you are going to enter into this to make money you need to treat it like a business. This means you need to have a plot of action and make every effort to work towards carrying out that plot.
2) Do establish a budget for the entire scheme. You need to have a plot for how much money you are willing to invest in the property itself, how much for renovations, and how much money you need to make in order to be a worthy investment for your time and labor. A house flip is a lot of work in order to pull it off successfully. You want to have a excellent thought of how much homes in the neighborhood are worth, the value of your property as is and the estimated value of the property once improvements are made. In addition you should also have a pretty firm grasp of the costs involved in making the repairs in order to make a realistic budget for the entire scheme.
3) Do have an inspection. This is the single most vital detail that can save you a fantastic deal of time, money, and sadness when everything is said and done. Be prepared to walk away if the inspection determines that there is more work needing to be done than simple cosmetic repairs. You want to make changes that people can see because those are commonly the changes that drive up the cost of the house. You want to avoid needing to make changes and improvements that aren’t visible but are very necessary. If you need to invest a lot of money and labor into the house you need to seriously consider the realistic profit potential the property offers. If it isn’t significant then you need to walk away before the property becomes a real estate investment money pit.
4) Do know the neighborhood and plot your flip according to the needs of the area rather than your personal tastes and needs in a home. This is another thing that many first time flippers forget. This is not a personal scheme it is a business scheme and you need to treat it as such. Keep costs down and feelings out.
5) Do remember that you are in the market to make money not waste money when it comes to establishing an asking price for the property. You’ve poured blood, sweat, and probably more than a few tears into your flip but you cannot set the value of the property by the effort you’ve placed into it. Have realistic expectations of how much you stand to earn from your efforts and how much you are willing to go down on the price in order to walk away with some profit in your pocket.

You should also take a moment to imitate upon the fact that many first time flippers really lose money on their first flip. If you turn a profit at all, even a small profit you have learned many valuable lessons that you can carry with you into future flips and make more money. More importantly the lessons you learn from your first flip are lessons that money really cannot buy so it is worth a lower profit or even taking a affront hit if your experience makes you even more money in the future as you take up again along your real estate investment path.

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“I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my thoughts; they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind.” – Emily Bronte, English novelist and poet

Dreams have the tremendous power to transform our lives in so many ways. Taking the time to explore and know our dreams can help us improve relationships, solve hard problems, diagnose illnesses, inspire creativity, fresh thoughts and new inventions, and teach leadership and right conduct. Sometimes, even a single dream can help shape our life purpose.

On February 3, 2005, I had what world renowned psychologist Dr. Carl Jung called a ‘BIG DREAM’. It was a powerfully vivid, life-defining dream which crystallized my purpose and calling in life. It’s a sacred dream which I still refer to often and which has led me on a Dream Quest to explore and know the magic of dreams.

To help me on this quest, I just took an intensive sixteen-hour Dreamwork Workshop at the home of Dr. Marina Quattrocchi who completed her doctoral thesis on dreams based on her over seven year’s of dreamwork practice with high-school students.

I’d like to share with you some key learning points on dreamwork that I took away from this course as well as some fresh insights I’ve picked-up along the way based on my own independent dream research:

We spend up to 7 years of our lives dreaming

We all average about five to seven dreams a night (even if we don’t remember them) and will spend approximately five to seven full years of our lifetime dreaming.

Dreams are the language of the soul

Dreams are the language of the soul. They are spirit informing mind with the purpose of bringing wholeness and healing in our lives. Dreams serve two main functions: 1). To help us work through our issues or karma, and 2). To help us discharge our destiny, purpose, or dharma. Most dreams will fall under these two broad pillars.

Everyone can know their dreams

We all have the potential to self-unravel or at least know our dreams to help enrich our lives.

Dreams come in many shapes and sizes

Precognitive or predictive dreams help us prepare for a future event that comes to pass. Clairvoyant or clear seeing dreams can often help us better perceive what’s happening in the present. And retro-cognitive dreams can help uncover something hidden in the past. Past, present, and future are one fluid continuum that dreams draw from.

There are visitation dreams where angels, mentors, and loved ones visit us to provide guidance. Lucid dreams occur when we become aware that we are dreaming – allowing us some conscious influence on the outcome of the dream. Telepathic dreams involve mind-to-mind communication with other people.

We often will dream experiential testing dreams (especially during a transition) where our soul is trying out different scenarios to help us make better choices or help prepare us for an arduous undertaking.

For example, a high school student transitioning over to college might have recurring dreams about participating in various on campus activities to better prepare him for the actual event. Or a just laid off person who’s thinking of jumping into a business full-time might have a dream where she’s in succession her business but is wearing disheveled clothing, feeling exhausted, and swimming in a sea of paperwork. This dream could be warning the dreamer to transition over part-time or choose another business deal.

Dreams can have many layers of meaning

More complex dreams with several scenes will often involve multiple layers of meaning. Some dreams will require a long period of incubation involving several months or years because they are working on complex problems.

Some of these complex dreams might not make any sense at the moment of interpretation but will make sense after an appropriate gestation period has elapsed. It is well worth the effort to journal your dreams in as much detail as you can and make a conscious effort to explore all aspects and meanings of your dreams. Some dreams, like a excellent book, will bring new flashes of insight and meaning with each conception.

Dream Recall Tips

* Start with the belief that you can and will remember your dreams.

* Place a pad, pencil and pen by your bedside. (Pencil tips can break while pens can run out of ink).

* Try a light pen so you can write your dreams in the dark without having to switch on a lamp.

* You may wish to have a tape-recorder to speak your dream upon waking.

* Conception a excellent book on dreams 20 minutes before going to bed can help stimulate dream recall.

* Repeat a dream recall affirmation often such as: “I am easily remembering and recording my dreams.”

* Write down your dream as soon as you awake. 80 percent of a dream can be lost in as small as 10 minutes.

* Visualize yourself immediately writing down your dream on waking.

* Be as still as possible. Shifting positions in bed is known to reduce dream recall.

* Tell a partner or trusted friend in advance that you will share your dream with them tomorrow.

* Meditating and praying for guidance will place you in the alpha dream state and help increase recall.

* Get a excellent night’s sleep. Dreams get progressively longer peaking in the 6th, 7th, and 8th hours of sleep.

* You will establish the habit of remembering your dreams by journaling them for the next 30 days.

Dream Interpretation Tips

* Start with a sincere intent to learn from your dreams to better yourself and live purposefully.

* What emotional feeling are you left with? Feelings are more accurate and truthful than words in dreams.

* You are made up of 80 percent water. The state of water in your dreams often reflects your emotional state.

* Write a simple tale line. Summarize your dream in one sentence and express the main theme.

* Question: “Why did my soul have this experience? What do I need to know? What issues need working?”

* Be aware of the events occurring in your life at the time of your dream; especially the day before.

* Remember that dream symbols often have dual opposite meanings. Excellent dream dictionaries will have both.

* There are three main types of symbols: archetypal symbols, cultural symbols, and personal symbols.

* Review all your dreams at least once a year. You will notice common themes and motifs to help guide you.

* Act on your dreams: call or visit someone, pick up a book, watch a movie, wear clothing from your dreams.

* Dream application leads to dream interpretation. By applying your dreams the full meaning reveals itself.

In my book, “Psychology of the Hero Soul,” I mention 7 keys to accessing the nameless for enriching and positively transforming one’s life. Dreamwork is one of those keys. If this topic fascinates you, then I highly recommend Dr. Marina Quattrocchi’s Dreamwork course. For information about her workshops and dream therapy sessions, call 416-246-0123.

I sincerely believe Dr. Quattrochi is doing an brilliant job of helping people harness their dreams. In this sleep-deprived, dream-deprived world, helping people to honor their dreams will bring healing and wholeness to the planet.

In her book, “Dreamwork Uncovered,” Dr. Quattrochi mentions the fascinating culture of the ancient Senoi tribe who lived in the mystic mountains of Malaysia. This mysterious tribe was so advanced that at one period of their existence “there had been no accounts of violent crime for over two hundred years.”

Fascinatingly, dreams played a central role in their culture and every morning family members would share their dreams with each other and consult the village council.

We now live in a world where the village Shaman that brought healing and hope to people is all but killed off. Under the veil of knowledge and technological progress, the world weeps silently. It is time to bring back the lost art of dreaming…

Everyone who decides to flip a house has dreams of being the one to bring home the huge one. You know that really huge accomplishment tale about how you made more money in three months of working on a house than you and your wife combined made last year. The sad truth is that very few flippers ever have a flip that excellent and those that do often do not manage to do so on their very first flip. If you don’t have those dreams it’s glad to see that you have your feet firmly planted in the sometimes harsh soils of reality.

Flipping houses is one form of real estate investing that has received a lot of media attention in the last few years and is currently the fund of many fascinating television shows that play on do it yourself channels on television. If you haven’t managed to watch any of these shows you may be in a much better position to tackle your first flip than many who see these shows and get a fake sense of confidence when it comes to bringing in a substantial profit by flipping houses. While the profits exist and are much better than most people would envision, the average first timer doesn’t fare on the higher end of the profit scales all too often.

In fact, most first time flippers make rather slim profits when the tremendous amount of work that goes into flipping a property is considered. One thing you will want to do when flipping your own property is take care not to get too greedy in the asking price. If you can make ten thousand or more on your flip after all expenses are paid (including taxes, realtors, and any fees) then you are doing exceptionally well and should be congratulated. It is those who choose to go for fifty thousand rather than being content with ten that find themselves alienating a excellent part of the populace that may have been interested in purchasing the property from the very beginning.

In order to make your flip a accomplishment you need to be negotiable on the price when all is said and done. This is where many people loose potential buyers and find themselves sitting on the market month after month until they find themselves in a situation where they must sell or risk loosing the house and in this situation they are often in a position that they really loose money rather than profiting.

Accomplishment tales, when it comes to flipping houses are widely available though many of them are just as widely exaggerated. Be cautious in your optimism when it comes to flipping houses but plot for profits and you will find that you are much more likely to get them than if you enter into the house flipping and real estate investing process without a proper plot at your disposal.

Turn your house flip into a accomplishment tale by spending as much time in the plotting process as you spend in the entire labor process that is involved and necessary when it comes to flipping houses. If you do this and budget carefully while sticking to your budget religiously you will find that you are in a much better position to have the accomplishment you are in suspense to have.

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There are many fantastic questions to question when it comes to real estate investing and one of the many that you should consider if you are thinking of flipping houses for your real estate investment is: why? Why flip houses? It certainly seems as though it’s a fantastic deal of work and it is. It isn’t an simple task to take upon your own shoulders and yet many people around the world buy houses each and every day for the purpose of flipping those houses. Why? Profit is the long and the small answer but it goes much deeper than that for many who are interested in flipping houses even if profit is the ultimate goal.

Some people really delight in working with their hands. Purchasing a property in need of light cosmetic repairs and retouches is a fantastic way to get your hands dirty without risking too much money, time or effort. Properties needing more serious work may require a pair of hands that have some degree of experience rather than hands that are best suited for balancing books. That being said if you want to do the work yourself and delight in the prospect you may find that you can save a fantastic deal of money if you use your own labor rather than paying for the labor of others when it comes to flipping a house.

Other people go into this line of work because the thought of giving a family their dream home is so appealing. When you go in and flip a house you are putting your sweat into making someone else’s dream. You are taking something that may have been plain, hideous, or drab and turning it into a gorgeous home in which they can build their dreams. While it may seem a small romantic, it is in a way. This is part of the beauty of flipping houses though; there really is no incorrect reason to do it.

Some people choose this line of work because deep down inside they need the pain that goes into turning a lump of coal into a diamond. I reckon the literal term for these people (and really this could apply to anyone who chose to flip houses for a living) is masochist. The shoe fits for most people who flip houses. If they didn’t know going into it the first time they certainly know before they go into it a second time.

Then there are those that are simply driven by profit. There really isn’t anything at all incorrect with that. Most of us would never get into this business if there weren’t some hope of a pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow. This is hard work and there are days that the promise of a pay off is the only thing that gets you out of bed and hitting the ground in succession yet again.

Just remember that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what your goal in flipping houses is. What matters is that you show up day after day and do the work necessary to pull off your house flip. This is what makes the difference between those playing at flipping houses and those who are doomed to be one hit wonders in this brutal business. Of course, there are still those few who flip houses just for the sake of seeing the finished product when everything is said and done.

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Aside from the evident fiscal rewards that go along with real estate investing and flipping houses there are a few more abstract benefits that can be gained when you embark on a house flipping adventure if you are looking for a small more incentive to get going in the direction of your dreams of real estate riches through flipping houses.

Most things in life have more than one pro or con to them and the same can be said when it comes to flipping houses. Whether you are doing this for a living or this is a one-time deal you will find that there are all kinds of small lessons you learn along the way. Knowledge is rarely a terrible thing and the lessons you learn while flipping houses are lessons that can be useful in many aspects of your life.

1) Budgeting. There are few things that can give you a crash course in budgeting quicker than flipping a house. In order to successfully flip the house you are working on you will need to learn to budget quickly or you will wind up literally hemorrhaging money. Learning to set a budget and stick with it are both necessary skills for any flipping houses but when they carry over into other real life applications you will find that this is a very useful skill that has you looking at everyday buys with new eyes.
2) Muscle Definition. Who knew that flipping houses would be such an brilliant workout? This is especially right for those who traditionally hold jobs that aren’t necessarily dependent upon physical labor and those that do much of the work themselves (which is highly recommended when you can in order to save expensive and profit eating labor costs). From heavy lifting to hammering and several other physical jobs in between you should learn that your efforts are rewarded in more ways than simply watching your scheme come collectively.
3) Attention to Detail. This is a huge benefit that comes from flipping houses and you will get better at this with every subsequent flip. The money, when flipping houses is often made in the small details that others will overlook such as new electric faceplates, proper staging, and a excellent eye for color throughout the property. These things make potential buyers see a home that is loved and cared for rather than just another house on their list of places to see. If you take this attention to detail into your 9 to 5 job after flipping houses or into your tax preparation, event plotting, and home organizing you will find that the lessons you’ve learned while flipping houses are well worth the time, effort, and labor that went into learning them.
4) Positive Thinking. You will hear many times in life that positive thinking is a powerful tool. There are very few places that this holds right more than when it comes to flipping houses. You certainly want to season your positive thinking with a nice hefty dose of reality but you should be aware that thinking positively has many benefits to you when flipping houses and in very nearly every other aspect of your life. You do not want to spend the time you could be improving your flip searching for problems or excuses.
5) Just Do It. The ancient Nike commercials had a point and if flipping houses doesn’t teach you anything else it should teach you this lesson. Procrastination wastes money. Every day that you carry the house you carry the expenses of the house (electric, finance, interest, etc.) get in there, get it done, and go on to the next scheme. Putting off the distasteful tasks won’t make them go away so you may as well go ahead and get them over with.

Flipping houses isn’t rocket knowledge but it does take a unique combination of luck, skills, and stubbornness to turn a profit in this particular business. Learning the lessons above will help you not only succeed when it comes to flipping houses but in other aspects of your life as well.

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When shopping for a home, there are quite a few things that can snatch your attention. When you look at a home, it?s very simple to fall immediately in like with it. New homes are clean, decorated perfectly, and many are what you pictured in your dreams. If you don?t shop the smart way though, you?ll end up like many other home owners and find faults shortly after you go in.

When you look at your potentially new home, you?ll want to check and see if you can fit your furniture in the way you want. A lot of homes these days are configured so that the furniture will only fit in one position. Often times, this leaves a television or other device in a weird location, sometimes making your furniture nearly impossible to fit through the doors. This is surely something to bear in mind, as you certainly don?t want to have to buy entirely new furniture.

You?ll also want to be sure that you get the right home for yourself and your family. Even though you may be a young couple now, you may want to get a house with enough room in case you choose to have kids later on down the road. If you don?t get a huge enough house and end up having to go, you?ll find that moving with kids is a hard task indeed. If you have babies when you go, you?ll find moving to be even more hard.

Once your children start to leave home, you may want to look into getting a smaller house. The choice is entirely up to you, and what will work the best for your needs. Anytime you buy a house though, you?ll want to reckon about the size of your new home and consider the future needs of your family as well. This way, you?ll have everything covered for years to come and won?t have to look into getting a new home.

You may also want to look at any extras as well. Things like a pool and a hot tub may be a fantastic thing to have, although you should look into the money that regular maintenance will cost you as well. There are a lot of things that may be fantastic to have along with your home, although you should always look at long term costs before you buy.

Location is also something you?ll need to consider as well. Some prefer to live out in the country, while others prefer the city life. Some prefer to be close to stores and such, while others prefer to be miles and miles away. The location of a home is very vital, and in most cases will have a huge impact on the price. Living in the city will cost quite a bit of money, although a home out in the country can cost just as much if there is a lot of land included with the property.

Whenever you choose to buy a house, there is a lot of things that you?ll need to consider. Buying a home is no simple feat, with a lot of things you?ll need to choose on. If you give yourself enough time and plot out your budget and the type of home you want, you?ll have plenty of time to make that very vital choice. You never want to rush the process, as you could end up with a home that is less than perfect. If you take your time and look at several different houses, you?ll end up in your dream home before you know it.

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While aspects of you encourage, “Go for your dreams,” simultaneously other parts threaten, “Don’t you dare.” A cast of
characters lives inside of you and at different times you may receive conflicting or contradictory messages. If you are want
to be pleased, successful, and fulfilled, consider putting your “dreamer” in the director’s chair.

What are the voices inside of you saying? As you turn the volume up on the voice of your dreamer and down on the voice of your doubter, you can practice acumen allowing for greater clarity. To help you in examination these voices, let’s set up a simple scenario. Depiction something you want, something that
matters to you. Choose a personal or professional dream and consider how these various parts of you might respond.

Dreamer – The dreamer inside says, “What if…” and is open to a creative process without over-analyzing it. This is the
part of you that imagines, believes in possibilities, has hope, and seeks kindred spirits. Dreamers talk about their thoughts with
intention, clarity, and passion. Fantastic dreamers get others excited about their vision. And most importantly, successful dreamers take action to make their dreams a reality.

Doubter – This voice is often heard saying such things as, “I don’t reckon this is a excellent thought.” The doubter provides
concern touting, “But what if…” and imagines the worst. If you crank the volume up it can even become annihilating with accusations shouting things like, “Are you out of your mind?”
William Shakespeare said, “Our doubts are traitors.” Carlos Castaneda said, “In order to experience the magic of life, you must banish the doubt.” My favorite quote on this subject is in The Prophet where Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Doubt is a feeling too lonely to know that Faith is its twin brother.”

Realist – “Be realistic…” Modulate the doubter down a notch or two and it becomes the essential voice of the realist.
This part wants to know, “What’s the plot?” including where is the time and money coming from. But, in the early phase of dreaming, you may not know. The challenge is not to allow the realist to immediately turn into a doubter who might judge or obliterate your thought. Honor this voice by (to the best of your
ability) giving it the information it needs. If you ignore or reject it, it will cleverly agitate or distract you. Being realistic offers prudence and makes you do your homework but if
you are overly realistic or go to strategy too soon, you will most likely compromise the dream and kill your passion.

Visionary – This voice says, “Anything is possible so let’s dream huge!” These are the leaders and people we look up to
and admire. They have learned the process of realizing their dreams and embody what it means to be a huge dreamer. Setbacks or
failures do not stop them. Simply place, a visionary has a vision and invites others to join them. They are found in all walks of
life and we are often so inspired when they are in the presence of a right visionary that we sign up just to be near them or part of what they’re doing.

A visionary is not defined by the size of the dream since dreams are precious and come in all sizes, shapes and areas of life. If
you were living your dream life, how would it be different? What do you see yourself doing? How many lives would you touch? What would you change? Who would you help if you were truly living as a visionary?

Avoid Sabotaging Your Dream

When these different voices merge they can become muddled and result in confusion and poor decisions. For example, you might
poison your dream by projecting doubt into it. Then with each step you take toward what you want, you also go toward your
doubt. Doubt and dread, which most of us may have at some time or another (especially when embarking on a new or huge dream) do not
belong in your dream. These feelings are simply part of your reality. This is a subtle and essential point.

Here’s a simple technique for avoiding this sabotaging pattern. On a piece of paper draw a line across the midpoint. On the top half write out your dream with as much detail as possible. On the bottom write out your reality in relationship to your dream, where you are now. Reality ordinarily includes excellent news and (so
called) terrible, as well as any dread or doubt you may have. Just state the facts and your feelings about them.

Now, which one are you more committed to; your dream or your reality? We tend to choose “reality” when we don’t have a
clearly defined dream or when we saturate our dream with doubt. If your dream is loaded with your worst imagined nightmares, reality will always seem safer and saner. But doubt placed
appropriately as part of your reality, allows two things to happen. First, no longer blown out of ratio, it’s an obstacle that basically requires a strategy to manage it. But
more importantly, with doubt where it rightfully belongs, you are free to go forward.

It’s like a play. All the characters have wisdom and insight, but you can’t clearly know them when they’re speaking at
once. Take time to tune in, to listen, and on a regular basis, have the courage to give your dreamer its directorial debut or
even the leading role.

While aspects of you encourage, “Go for your dreams,” simultaneously other parts threaten, “Don’t you dare.” A cast of
characters lives inside of you and at different times you may receive conflicting or contradictory messages. If you are want
to be pleased, successful, and fulfilled, consider putting your “dreamer” in the director’s chair.

What are the voices inside of you saying? As you turn the volume up on the voice of your dreamer and down on the voice of your doubter, you can practice acumen allowing for greater clarity. To help you in examination these voices, let’s set up a simple scenario. Depiction something you want, something that
matters to you. Choose a personal or professional dream and consider how these various parts of you might respond.

Dreamer – The dreamer inside says, “What if…” and is open to a creative process without over-analyzing it. This is the
part of you that imagines, believes in possibilities, has hope, and seeks kindred spirits. Dreamers talk about their thoughts with
intention, clarity, and passion. Fantastic dreamers get others excited about their vision. And most importantly, successful dreamers take action to make their dreams a reality.

Doubter – This voice is often heard saying such things as, “I don’t reckon this is a excellent thought.” The doubter provides
concern touting, “But what if…” and imagines the worst. If you crank the volume up it can even become annihilating with accusations shouting things like, “Are you out of your mind?”
William Shakespeare said, “Our doubts are traitors.” Carlos Castaneda said, “In order to experience the magic of life, you must banish the doubt.” My favorite quote on this subject is in The Prophet where Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Doubt is a feeling too lonely to know that Faith is its twin brother.”

Realist – “Be realistic…” Modulate the doubter down a notch or two and it becomes the essential voice of the realist.
This part wants to know, “What’s the plot?” including where is the time and money coming from. But, in the early phase of dreaming, you may not know. The challenge is not to allow the realist to immediately turn into a doubter who might judge or obliterate your thought. Honor this voice by (to the best of your
ability) giving it the information it needs. If you ignore or reject it, it will cleverly agitate or distract you. Being realistic offers prudence and makes you do your homework but if
you are overly realistic or go to strategy too soon, you will most likely compromise the dream and kill your passion.

Visionary – This voice says, “Anything is possible so let’s dream huge!” These are the leaders and people we look up to
and admire. They have learned the process of realizing their dreams and embody what it means to be a huge dreamer. Setbacks or
failures do not stop them. Simply place, a visionary has a vision and invites others to join them. They are found in all walks of
life and we are often so inspired when they are in the presence of a right visionary that we sign up just to be near them or part of what they’re doing.

A visionary is not defined by the size of the dream since dreams are precious and come in all sizes, shapes and areas of life. If
you were living your dream life, how would it be different? What do you see yourself doing? How many lives would you touch? What would you change? Who would you help if you were truly living as a visionary?

Avoid Sabotaging Your Dream

When these different voices merge they can become muddled and result in confusion and poor decisions. For example, you might
poison your dream by projecting doubt into it. Then with each step you take toward what you want, you also go toward your
doubt. Doubt and dread, which most of us may have at some time or another (especially when embarking on a new or huge dream) do not
belong in your dream. These feelings are simply part of your reality. This is a subtle and essential point.

Here’s a simple technique for avoiding this sabotaging pattern. On a piece of paper draw a line across the midpoint. On the top half write out your dream with as much detail as possible. On the bottom write out your reality in relationship to your dream, where you are now. Reality ordinarily includes excellent news and (so
called) terrible, as well as any dread or doubt you may have. Just state the facts and your feelings about them.

Now, which one are you more committed to; your dream or your reality? We tend to choose “reality” when we don’t have a
clearly defined dream or when we saturate our dream with doubt. If your dream is loaded with your worst imagined nightmares, reality will always seem safer and saner. But doubt placed
appropriately as part of your reality, allows two things to happen. First, no longer blown out of ratio, it’s an obstacle that basically requires a strategy to manage it. But
more importantly, with doubt where it rightfully belongs, you are free to go forward.

It’s like a play. All the characters have wisdom and insight, but you can’t clearly know them when they’re speaking at
once. Take time to tune in, to listen, and on a regular basis, have the courage to give your dreamer its directorial debut or
even the leading role.

I rarely ever dream in color, and I was just wondering what causes us to dream in black and white. A lot of my friends say they dream in color, and I feel like me and my other friend are the only ones who dream in black and white. What causes our dreams to be in a certain color?