24 CHOICES | 2021 WINTER ISSUE
BE THE DREAMER BY SOPHIA FALKE
T
o which school of thought do you belong? Do you believe your life is somehow preordained, determined by outer circumstances, and that nothing you say or do will change it? Or do you believe you have the power to create the life you would love – no matter what is going on around you, regardless of whether you were born into privilege or poverty, no matter what other people tell you to think, say or do?
The first school is Victim High. The paint in the narrow grey hallways is peeling, the roof leaks, and students shuffle from class to class with downcast heads and slumped shoulders. The second is Victory Academy. There are no walls, no roof – only endless possibilities. The students skip joyously from class to class with uplifted faces beaming with light. They are the dreamers. If you would like to join the dreamers at Victory Academy, there is a simple, foundational step to get there.
It is your dream – a big dream, a dream that touches your soul. Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu said, “Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success.” This isn’t goal setting. This is getting in touch with what makes your heart sing and answers the question, “What would you love?” To answer this question requires a Victory Academy mindset. If
