How Movies Can Inspire You to Stay True to Your Dream

By Maria Grace, Ph.D.

There is no accomplishment that has not been tested by life. Success is never a pain-free process. If you have a dream and want to see it come through, you must be ready to show faith in it, during the darkest, most difficult moments. How many of you reached a point when you said “Enough! I give up!” I bet, many. I am one among you. But, the truth is that, if you persevere, if you go past the “I give up” phase, if you affirm your faith in your dream, then the Invisible Examiner will see that you are serious about your purpose and will grant you success. Remember, the only way to pass the Examiner’s test is to show faith in action. Here’s how you do it:

Faith Is Like Love: You Must Prove It with Actions

When you love someone with all your heart, you accept that person as who he or she is, including their imperfections and shortcomings. You don’t say “I love you for this, but I hate you for that”, right? And, when the person you love needs your help you do give it, unconditionally. The same happens with faith. When you have faith in your dream, you do so despite the challenges your dream will bring in your path. It’s your dream and it depends only on your actions to fulfill it. So, when the path to fulfillment gets rough, you don’t give up. You show faith, much as you show love for someone when they are going through a hard time that makes that person difficult to deal with.

An example of unshakable faith is J. K. Rowling, the author of“ Harry Potter”. She wrote most of her first “Harry Potter” book in coffee shops, because they were heated and she could not afford to pay for heat in her apartment. A single mother without childcare, she carried her baby daughter in a stroller that she kept by her side while writing away Harry Potter’s story, moved by an inner need to continue on until her book was finished. When she submitted her book, it was at first rejected by a number of publishers. She never gave up. Showing faith in her dream through actions, she persevered. She knew all along that writing Harry Potter was her only option, even though she had no way of proving that it would ever become such a tremendous, tremendous success. Her faith in her dream was so strong that lit her path even when it seemed completely dark and hopeless to others. She passed all the tests of her Invisible Examiner with flying colors, until she proved that her faith was stronger than her challenges.

How to Pass the Test of Faith in Your Dream

You too can you show unshakable faith in your dream! Here are some tips to follow when the Examiner tests you and wants to see that you mean business:

1. Meditate. Use silence to connect with your inner core, your creative source, and draw strength and inspiration to pursue your dream.
   
   
2. Stay connected with your dream. Write it as a statement and read it again and again. Or create a collage or a drawing of your dream, and keep it in a visible place, so you can see it frequently. It’s amazing how much this simple activity can re-energize your faith.
   
   
3. Talk with your inner mentor, or reach out to your physical mentor. In Reel Fulfillment: A 12-Step Plan for Transforming Your Life through Movies, I walk you through the steps of doing this.
   
   
4. Talk to an ally. This can be a friend, a coach, your minister, someone you trust and who cares about you.
   
   
5. Keep checking your results. Keep a log of your progress, to remind yourself how far you have come since you began pursuing your dream.
   
   
6. Ask yourself: “Would I want to go back to where I was before I started pursuing my heart’s desire?” Answer honestly, running through your mind all the aspects of your former life. As long as your answer is, “No way!” you’re on the right track.
   
   
7. Watch a film with your favorite character who also inspires you. Afterwards, have an imaginary dialogue with him or her. In Reel Fulfillment I show you how to do that.
   
   
8. Do one thing that brings your closer to your dream when your faith is challenged. This is how you show your Invisible Examiner that you are not shunned by tests. For example, if you want to be a famous author but your manuscript just got rejected, write a short article and publish it in a local newspaper, or on the Internet. You will feel better and continue to look for a publisher who will accept your manuscript.

How Movies Can Help You Stay True to Your Dreams

As your faith in your dreams is challenged, tested and questioned, movies can be great allies to keep you on track. This is what you can do: from the following list, pick one or more movies and watch them alone or with friends.

• Field of Dreams
• October Sky
• Billy Elliot
• Working Girl
• Real Women Have Curves

Questions to answer:

1. What is the main character’s dream and what challenges he/she face?
   
   
2. Through what concrete actions does the main character show faith in his/her dream?
   
   
3. How does the universe help the main character after he/she passes the test of Faith?
   
   
4. How does the character inspire you to strengthen faith in your dream?
   
   
5. Now that you watched this movie, what will you do differently to stay true to your dream? •

© 2005 Maria Grace