Monday, July 20, 2009

Making Your Dreams Come True

[Excerpted from the Hero Soul ezine on Personal Growth]

Critic Melody Breyer-Grell, of the Cabaret Exchange - New York, wrote the following on Canadian Tenor, Ken Lavigne’s Carnegie Hall debut:

“His voice seemed to be liquid gold, a pure lyric sound that had surprising undertones in his unforced lower range.”

Performing at Carnegie Hall was a lifelong dream for classical singer Ken Lavigne. And while it seemed like an impossible dream to play at the Big Apple concert venue that hosted such legendary greats as Pavarotti, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennet, Ken Lavigne believed in his dream.

He didn’t wait for the phone to ring or for his ship to sail in. Instead, he spent several months raising money for his cause performing at various concerts and fundraisers, in the midst of a severe economic downturn, with many of his friends and family telling him he was absolutely nuts.

At 35, Lavigne, using his own money and funds raised, invested $200,000 to rent the hall himself, hire the New York Pops to accompany him, and do his own advertising! He inspired teams of friends to get the word out about his upcoming concert date.

Lavigne may have been crazy, but on January 22, 2009 he sang his heart out at Carnegie Hall and got to fulfill his lifelong dream, feeling the exhilaration of performing to a live audience of over 1,000 people. His performance was well-received by critics and producers began calling him. Had he waited to be invited, the party may have passed him by.

It’s sad to see so many people waste away their lives in quiet desperation waiting for that elusive knock on the door, waiting for something to happen – instead of making it happen. If you have fallen into this rut, and are waiting for conditions to be ‘just right’ before you embark on your dreams, I want to encourage you to put these petty fears aside and dive into actively making your dreams come true. Start now!

And for those of you who already are actively taking steps to reach your dreams, I would like to urge you to “BAM! Kick it up a notch!” as celebrity chef, Emeril would say. Ask yourself, “HOW can I be bolder and more courageous in my approach? How can I turn up the heat and ‘kick it up a notch’?”

Put more HEART into your actions. Show that you care, and people and circumstances will conspire together to help make your dreams come true.


To your success,

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Freelance Writer, Consultant, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, Toronto Sun)

"Everyone has a HERO locked up in the deep recesses of their mind…when you discover it, your self-image will skyrocket you to previously unimagined rewards. As your eyes travel from one page to the next, you will suddenly become aware of the masterful job Sharif has done in guiding you to this special place. I love it, so will you."
-Bob Proctor, philosopher, star of The Secret movie

Improve Your Human Relations Skills


Whether you are a business owner, employee, artist, student, or parent, one of the greatest assets you can have for enjoying a happy and successful life is mastery of good people skills.

I’m a Dale Carnegie nut! Having recently re-read his classic bestseller,
How to Win Friends and Influence People I’m convinced that Carnegie is one of the top five human relations experts in the world.

If there’s one curriculum that’s sorely lacking in high schools and colleges, it’s a course on human relationship-building. If you want to be a great people person and a great communicator, I highly recommend making a lifetime study of his classic book and would also like to suggest taking The Dale Carnegie Leadership Mastery Course.

(Click on the link for more info: http://tinyurl.com/qyg3np).