dare to dream

I have a publisher

I wanted you to be among the first to know -- I now have a publisher for my book.

On July 26, 2011, this appeared in Publishers Lunch:  The Publishing Industry's Essential Daily Read:

Lifestyle
Harvard Business Review contributor and President of Clay Christensen's investment firm Rose Park Advisors, Whitney L. Johnson's DREAM. DARE. DO.: Remarkable Things Can Happen When You Dare To Dream, based on Johnson's Dare to Dream blog, a manual to inspire women to first value their dreams, then define them, and finally to execute them, whether the dream is to have a career or family, or both, to run a marathon or start taking ballet lessons, to Erika Heilman at Bibliomotion, for publication in May 2012, by Josh Getzler at Hannigan Salky Getzler. ([email protected])

I am over-the-moon thrilled -- thank you for helping me dare to dream.

P.S.  My publisher is suggesting that I start organizing dare-to-dream retreats.  I never have -- but it could be fun.  What do you think?

Rachel Denning: The Don Quixote Guide to Pursuing Your 'Mad' Dreams

Rachel Denning writes from the road as she travels with her husband and five children overland from Alaska to Argentina. She's passionate about family, education, travel, photography and dreaming big. You can follow their travels (watch an interview here) and be inspired to live your own dreams at DiscoverShareInspire.com.
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Don Quixote charged at windmills. He saw prostitutes as princesses. His family and friends were certain he had gone mad, and set out to cure him from it. But curing his madness only destroyed his dreams. And once his dreams died, so did he. How true is that? Doesn't our life lose meaning when we've lost our dream? We become one of the 'walking dead', living a life of 'quiet desperation.'

Source: istockphoto

This year, my husband and I and our five children set out on an Epic Expedition driving from Alaska to Argentina.  All too often we find ourselves being counseled by the 'walking dead' as we pursue our 'madness.' They complain to us of how much they hate their job, abhor their mounting bills, loathe the filth their children soak up at school, then in the same breath tell us; "Your children need a normal life. You need to get a job." "Buy a house in the suburbs and send your kids to public school to prepare them for their future."

Must we all follow the same formula?

Even if it works for you, does that mean I have to do it too? You only think my dancing is mad, because you do not hear my music. Don Quixote set an example. He listened to his heart, and danced to the tune it played, even though others thought him demented. Here are some ways we can be like Don Quixote and pursue our madness:

Refuse 'Reality'
Don Quixote read books until he filled his brain with idealistic views of how the world should be. The more he read, the more discontent he became, until he could no longer accept the chasm between reality as it was and as he believed it could become. I remember the first books I read when I realized that my life could be different from what it was. It was possible to be the 'master of my fate' and to make my dreams come true.

No longer did I have to accept what was as what would always be. I began dreaming big dreams and designing a lifestyle that I wanted to live, instead of acquiescing to the template dictated by others. So what if it was far outside the boundaries established by the status quo? This was my dance, and it is determined by my music.

Source:  istockphoto

Act 'As If'
Don Quixote didn't fake it. He really believed that he was fighting evil in the form of a windmill, and that Dulcinea was a fair maiden - even if no one else could see it. He acted 'as if'. He performed his deeds as though his dream was truth, and that he was a knight-errant out improving the world. My husband and I have dreamt lofty dreams. We've desired adventure and travel, significance and contribution, even with a large family.

We've rarely known how our dreams could come true. But we've believed with all our heart that they could. Moving ahead, we act 'as if' we cannot fail. And as Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can, you're right." Being willing to take those first steps in faith has led us to marvelous heights.

We've experienced incredible escapades; driving through Mexico and Central America; living in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and India; and now our overland adventure from Alaska to Argentina. The opportunity to spread literacy, visit orphanages, establish libraries, work with the leprosy affected and much more has been a great privilege. And the thrill of introducing our children to the world, sharing the discovery of people and places and establishing an expanded reality is one of our great joys.

In the end, Don Quixote was forced back to 'reality'. He lost his dream, and then lost meaning to life. But we don't have to be like that. We can remain indifferent to the naysayers, maintain our 'madness' and re-negotiate reality.

Dance to the rhythm of your own music, knowing that those who think you're crazy simply can't hear the beat.

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Is there a dream you need to find, so that you can get your life back?

Do you people in your life that think you're 'mad'?

Are you at a point where you can no longer accept the chasm between the reality of who you are and who you could become?

In what small way, are you tilting at a windmill, acting 'as if'?

Dr. Ellen F. Weber: Brain-powering your Dream

Dr. Ellen Weber, Ph.D. is a global leader, internationally published in brainpowered learning and leading, and is president of the MITA International Leadership Center in Rochester, NY.  She designed and teaches the MBA course, Lead Innovation with the Brain in Mind, at the Bittner School of Busines, and is Chief Academic Officer for a PBS Bainpowered Learning Series.  Ellen writes, consults, and speaks widely on innovative leading approaches with the brain in mind, including invited columns for Forbes.  You can read her blog here, or follow her on Twitter at @ellenfweber. 

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When I was barely a teen, I had the shocking experience of landing out on the streets – completely on my own at 14. When my mother died of cancer I needed desperately a lofty dream to follow – simply for mental survival, in a sea of challenges. Ridiculous as it seems, I asked myself first, How can I stay on the honor roll so I can win a scholarship to college?  

Along the way, I was surprised by a lack awareness that many hold about a dream's power.  Even as I struggled to make it through endless difficulties as a teen without family, I often wondered what prompts some people to hitch their wagons to a star.  Equally riveting was the question, why did others, with more obvious promise than a skinny kid out on the street – fail to spot, chase or engage a compelling dream?

As the head of the MITA International Brain Center in Rochester, NY, I've studied extensively and made a career out of examining brainpowered learning and leading.  Here are some of my discoveries:

1)  Dreaming is something we can learn to do

Some people believe that dreams are reserved for that lucky few, born with Martin Luther King’s Dream Speech etched into their genes. Not so.  Neuroscience teaches us that as we dare to do, we rewire our brain, whether cultivating intrapersonal intelligence, which involves learning to live morally or spiritually, or learning to play tennis.

Here's how it works:  We have billions of cell bodies, which fuel the life of each cell and contain our unique DNA. Neurons, which are nerve cells, project extensions called dendrite brain cells – which connect and reconnect daily, based on what you do. Axons, in contrast, like electrical wires, relay information to the dendrites of other cells at speeds of 2 to 200 mph.  

Axons don’t quite touch nearby dendrites. They are separated by microscopic space called a synapse. When an electrical signal reaches the end of an axon.  Neurons communicate with each other in synapses, and that connection creates chemicals called neurotransmitters. The release of these neurotransmitters opens our brains to optimize learning.

This is what's important to know:  Neurons rewire in REM sleep, based on what you did that day.

Neurons rewire nightly as you sleep.  Act calm under pressure, for instance, and you build new neuron pathways to calmly solve the next calamity that comes along.  Either the change strengthens and increases the number of connections or change weakens and decreases the number of connections between the neurons.

2)    Be aware of cortisol; learn to access serotonin

When anger, fear, or frustration fuel disappointments or disagreements, dreams get stomped out by dangerous cortisol chemicals that flood the brain. Cortisol is a potent chemical that surges when you slip into stress, and is now recognized as a drug that can literally shrink human brains. Researchers have known for some time, for instance,  that cortisol shuts down learning, creates anxiety attacks and can cause depression.

Strange as it may seem, the key is to do the opposite of whatever creates cortisol. To do the opposite of a cortisol response, is to rewire the brain for more serotonin guided behaviours.  Luckily, the human brain also comes fine tuned for serotonin success, through doing healthier actions, such as: take a walk, be with upbeat people, give away things, teach from your strengths.  When you do so, your brain will rewire dendrite brain cells for serotonin well-being and growth plasticity in areas that had once created cortisol imbalances. 

When you learn to rewire your moods, for example, or let frustrations go, genies will seem to appear to help you achieve your novel desires, as if you rubbed their magic jars. Dr. Norman Doidge describes it best, in his bestseller, The Brain that Changes Itself.

Source: istockphoto

3)    Tips to get you started

Stretch - don’t shrink your brain. While stress been proven to shrink your brain, research shows that you get further ahead when you hook new possibilities onto something you already do well. The frontal region switches the state of the brain between “learn” and “remember” modes in a brief period of time (ScienceDaily 2009).

Jot down details you envision, or ask for insights from a trusted friend, while avoiding cynics. Pelle Ahlerup, U of Gothenburg showed that when there are high levels of trust lead to great growth and productivity. As you take this first step, you fire your brain’s electrical circuitry, a new neuron pathway strengthens. In other words, you may not be born with ability to dream big, but because plasticity reshapes your brain for growth, you can develop new connections daily, or original pathways that lead you toward a dream.

Learn to let your brain wander in search of dreams. According to Robert Lee Holtz, Wall Street Journal Science Columnist, researchers found that sudden insights or Eureka moments show unique neural activity in EEG sensors. Interesting, aha moments of sudden insights are the culmination of an intense and complex series of brain states that require more neural resources that methodological reasoning. It seems the brain is most actively engaged when our mind is wandering and we’ve actually lost track of our thoughts.

In my case, when I reached for tools from neuroscience to lead new neuron pathways forward, I embarked on a journey far grander than I could have aspired to.  Simply stated, the best assurance that you’ll transform dreams into realities is by daring to dream and then doing it.

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As you think about dreaming with the brain in mind, is there something you might do differently?

Certainly, Dr. Weber's work post is helpful as I think about The Optimist Challenge:  every day that we approach life as an optimist (or a person who dreams), that night we rewire our brain just a little bit.

On the topic of the brain and music, you may also enjoy my post: Career, motherhood and 9/11.

Holly John: My Window Into the World of Haiti

Holly John is the Communications Manager for a Boston-based pharmaceutical company, and holds a B.A. from the University of Arizona.  She enjoys good friends, family gatherings, her two cats, Snow and Chloe. 

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As a young girl and even into adulthood, I was sure I had it figured out.  I would get an education, have a career, then marry a wonderful man and have two beautiful children, a boy and a girl.  However, when I started to approach my 40^th birthday and hadn't married, I realized my life had caught me off guard. I have the career I wanted, and in many ways a happy and fulfilling life, but on occasion, I’m keenly aware of the emptiness my heart feels because I am alone. 

About nine months ago, I was again caught off guard when I had the opportunity to welcome a 13 year-old Haitian boy, Giovanni Pierre-Louis into my home and “mother” him while he receives burn care treatment from Shriners Hospital.  Two years ago, Giovanni and a few friends were playing soccer in Haiti when they were exposed to a live electrical cable.  Giovanni, risking his own safety tried to save a friend’s life when he was badly burned and injured, losing a good portion of the top of his skull.  Giovanni miraculously survived this horrific accident. Local doctors were not able to do much for him, but fortunately an American doctor who was in Haiti helping victims from the 2010 earthquake, decided to bring Giovanni back to the United States where he could receive lifesaving medical care.

Since having Giovanni in my home, I have learned valuable life lessons about faith, service and gratitude.  Many of these lessons I learned from him.  Giovanni never complains about the painful procedures and surgeries, even when it hurts so bad he doesn’t think he can “stand up.”  Instead, he gives a sincere “thank you” to those caring for him, including prayers of gratitude to God, thanking Him for the surgery.  

Hearing Giovanni’s prayers often make me wonder, “am I aware of my blessings and do I have a grateful heart?”  I have also felt Giovanni’s love and appreciation for the care I give him.  Initially, when I would clean his wound each night, I would struggle with a feeling of queasiness.  Although I never expressed this to Giovanni, he sensed it because he would sing his favorite spiritual songs in French to help distract me. We learned to serve each other during his bandage changes.

Having Giovanni and his family in my home has also opened my eyes to the difficulties that those living in Haiti face each day.  Giovanni’s hometown, Leogane was badly damaged by the earthquake, leaving most of the residents still living in tents a year later. Clean water and electricity are considered luxuries.

Unbeknownst to me, I was recently nominated for my service to Giovanni and his family.  While I don't care much for the honor, what I do care about is that Home Depot and MLS (Major League Soccer) have launched a campaign, Community MVP, that will reward the national winner with a grand prize of $10,000 to be provided to their charity of choice.  The winner will be chose via a Facebook voting contest.  My charity of choice - LDS CHARITIES/ HAITI RELIEF. 

To vote on Facebook, log onto www.facebook.com/MLS and visit the MLS W.O.R.K.S. tab.  (you must ”like” MLS before they can get to the MLS W.O.R.K.S. tab to vote)

The voting begins on July 8^th and will end Friday, July 22^nd at 5pm ET. There are no limitations, so you can vote as many times as you would like.

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Will you click through to Facebook right now -- and support Holly in her dream?

Will you then share this post with two other people that you know will also vote?  Whether your children or friends?

Take stock in your dreams

At the top of my bucket list is to invest in other people's dreams, particularly female entrepreneurs, by providing encouragement and expertise, as well as financial backing.  After attending a full day workshop sponsored by the Pipeline Fund Fellowship (PFF), I've expanded that vision. 

The Pipeline Fund Fellowship empowers women to become savvy angel investors through a combination of education, mentoring and the actual investing of $50,000 (each fellow invests $5,000 of her money), while focusing on what's called the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits.  PFF was created by 27-year-old visionary Natalia Oberti Noguera, who is determined to not only fund social investors, but to teach women to invest. 

There has been a great deal of talk about the increasing power of a woman’s purse, and yet it's estimated 13% of the angel investments made in 2010 were by women (according to the Kauffman Foundation it was 8% in 2006).  Many women I know are quite adept at bootstrapping, and donating time and money to causes they care about. Oberti Noguera is determined to take this a step further, to expand the pool of women who are not only adroit at managing scarce resources, but who know how to build wealth through investing, and want to extend their influence in a meaningful way.

Source:  NY Times/Erica Torres

Paraphrasing John Maynard Keynes, “we must have the courage to take limited means, and invest in and encourage others.”  It's one thing to have someone invest in you (whether your education or a start-up), to take stock in your dreams. 

What if you, in turn, invest in others?

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Thoughts?

In the context of the Psyche myth, why is learning to invest important?

Just to get you thinking and writing, when you leave a comment, you'll be eligible to receive the new book Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl.

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More on the Pipeline Fund:

Business Week:  A Bootcamp for Angel Investors
Teaching Women to Think Like Angels
NY Times:  Angel Investors Learning to Assess Business Plans

More on women investors:

Forbes:  Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl?
Globe and Mail:  Where are all the female investors?
Bloomberg: Female Outperformers

Optimism Rising

As promised, I'm providing an Optimist Challenge update.

Much better this go round:  I completed the challenge six days out of seven during the last two weeks. Some days I also recorded the effects of thinking optimistically.  This allowed me to see just how big my baby steps had been, as well as to provide closure.

What a difference, I declare.  Not only did I have a good two weeks notwithstanding real setbacks, I discovered that I adhere to the somewhat erroneous belief that optimism is anticipating that something fabulous is about to happen. A truer definition would be: an optimist perceives that something marvelous is happening now.  The grass isn't greener on the other side.  It's green right under your feet.

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, the author of Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History, said: 

If you don't enjoy the small pieces of whatever it is that your job is, you're probably not going to enjoy the end product when you get there. The best predictor of happiness in the future is enjoying what you are doing right now.

So, here's my follow-up assignment (I'll report back in early August) -- I hope it will be yours as well:  

Over the next four weeks, I'll include in my personal journal a wrap-up that also includes a list of what about my day was genuinely satisfying.  I suspect this will not only lead me to a rosier view of my life, I will also hone in on a dream or two.

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For a refresher on inspiration and protocol for the challenge, see Tony Schwartz' post How I Became An Optimist.

You may also enjoy Christine Vick's post Simply Living.

If you are thinking about procrastinating becoming an optimist, take a look at Heidi Grant Halvorson's recent piece.

Finally, consider this quote from Virginia Hinckley Pearce, "You are who you are, you might as well enjoy it."

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Thoughts?