When the path to my dreams seemed uncertain and scary, I would always push my dreams aside to pursue a more traditional route. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I could remember. To be fair, I also wanted to be a heart surgeon, DEA agent, a police officer and private detective…but writing is the dream that resurfaced in my life just about every year. I wrote short stories after my daughter was born about failed relationships, motherhood, and love but was too afraid to share my words with anyone. Writing didn't seem like a practical work to me especially since I made good money at my corporate job.

I stopped dismissing my dreams when my older brother was killed in a car accident. Losing him devastated me. I walked around in a fog for almost a year uncertain as to how I was supposed to get through life without him. You see my brother was a loving, optimistic dreamer chaser; this is one of the many things I admire most about him. He pursued all his dreams and passions with confidence.  He wanted to dance in music videos…he did it. He wanted to get into the music industry…he did it. He started a record label with friends; wrote and produce his own music.

His death woke me up to the fragileness of life as well as its infinite possibilities.  If he could die at a young age, so could I. And if I died having never pursued my dreams for me that would be more devastating than death itself. 

So I decided to start a blog as a creative outlet for my writing. While this may not seem like a robust dream to most, its perfect to me. I wanted a place to showcase my work, express my opinions and live my dream of being a writer. 

I’ve only encountered one person in my life who didn’t believe I could achieve my dreams…sadly, that person was me. But thanks to this blog, I finally believe in myself and my abilities. I’m proud to say that this blog is the start to living my dream!

The most challenging thing for dreamers and dream chasers is getting out of their own way. It’s okay if others don’t believe in your dream, but it’s never okay that you don’t believe in yourself. Many of the world's most successful people are dreamers but what separates the from the rest of us is the ability to push through the doubt and the fears while remaining determined to succeed. These individuals found a dream that they believed in so much that the risk of failure was a merely an afterthought. That’s exactly how my brother was. He was so passionate about his dreams and goals that the thought of failing never seemed to matter to him. He saw that as the only way to live his life. He   was a dreamer until the day he died. 

My name is Kwame and I am a dreamer. My dream is to be a writer. I will pursue my dream relentlessly because this is legacy my brother left me. If you have a dream, I beg you to chase it, pursue it, conquer it! Follow your dreams…I DID! 

So, to all the dreamers out there, tell me how do you DO your dreams?  

Thank you to Debrina Wright for allowing me to participate in this highly reflective experience. Debrina is hosting an amazing Dreamers to Doers retreat which is focused on creating a sisterhood of dreamers and doers. Want to learn more about this amazing program,  click here.