[DFT] Fw: [ChivalryToday] Dust Off Your Dreams

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The Courage to Dust Off Your Dreams
By Scott Farrell
©2003 Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

Usually, I avoid recounting my own experiences at "Chivalry Today" - I
prefer to let readers and visitors share their stories of people who,
in some way, exemplify chivalry in the modern world. Today, however,
I'd like to beg your indulgence in order to share the benefit of some
recent personal insights.

This story begins almost a year ago, after I gave a seminar to a local
Cub Scout troop. Following the session, one of the "troop moms" came up
and thanked me for my talk. She said she had enjoyed both the
information and my own style of presentation, and she asked if I had
ever been on stage or in movies.

I was surprised by her insightfulness, because I have acted on stage.
In fact, I had a starring role - in the holiday production of "The
Nutcracker" during my seventh grade year of junior high.

I explained this to her and we both laughed. Then, she told me that she
had a master's degree in theater arts from UCLA as well as some
professional experience coaching actors and performers, concluding
with, "I noticed you have a nice presence in front of an audience. You
should look into getting on stage. You'd be good at it."

What she said touched a chord, because in truth, acting is something
that I've often thought I'd do "someday." Her recommendation made me
realize just how long I had been procrastinating on this life goal. If
you put something off between seventh grade and age 38, well, it's in
danger of getting put off forever.

I have often been inspired by the quote: "When you look back on your
life, you'll find you regret the things you didn't do far more than the
things you did." I contemplated all this for a few weeks, then I
resolved not to let this become a "could have been." I decided to take
steps to fulfill my long-postponed desire of acting on stage, if I
could.

In the days that followed I called a local theater and learned about
their adult education program. I enrolled in an "Introduction to
Acting" class - a six-week course that provided both an overview of
performance techniques and an examination of acting as a profession.

Of course, taking a class is one thing, but "hitting the pavement" is
another entirely. When the class was done, I knew the time had come for
me to either reach for my dream or acknowledge that I was abandoning
it. With no small amount of trepidation, I reviewed several audition
announcements and finally found one that I was interested in: a theater
in La Jolla needed three actors for the ensemble comedy, "The Complete
Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)."

I called the casting director, made an appointment, brushed up my
monologues and set off for the audition ...

Now before I tell you how this story turns out, I want to stress that
I'm not looking for compliments or applause. This was just my own
personal "quest" to come to grips with something that's been in the
back of my mind for nearly 30 years - I didn't intend it to affect
anyone else.

But taking your life for a 90-degree turn isn't something that goes
unnoticed at an age when most people are comfortably settled into
career and family routines. I was surprised by the number of friends
and colleagues who approached me and said they admired what I was
doing; many confessed that they, too, had some neglected dream put into
long-term storage in the cellars of their hearts - finishing a degree,
learning to fly a plane, making a personal pilgrimage, starting their
own business. Hearing about my acting endeavor, they said, gave them
new energy to dust off their own dreams and reach for their lifetime
goals.

I never set out to inspire anyone, but I was honored to know that these
people had chosen to improve their own lives because of something I had
done.

Now, back to the audition ... I'm thrilled to say I got the part. Our
show has been drawing sellout crowds for several weeks, and I was
pleased to learn that our rendition of this wonderful play has been so
popular that its run was extended for four more weeks at another local
theater.

Everyone has goals, ambitions and desires - things we envision looking
back on someday with joy and pride. It's easy to let those dreams
languish as we pursue the day-to-day necessities of life, yet it's
never too late to dust off your dreams and renew that optimistic sense
of enthusiasm that can make miracles happen in your life.

I can tell you from personal experience that evaluating yourself,
reestablishing your priorities, stretching your boundaries and risking
failure isn't easy or comfortable, but the results can be very
rewarding. And you may find that your own efforts have inadvertently
inspired others as well - you may become someone's "knight in shining
armor," and perhaps that's the best reward of all.

What is it that you're hoping for? What do you need to reach your
lifetime goals? What's holding you back? Following your dreams with
confidence, integrity and honor can be one of the best ways to realize
(and share) the value of Chivalry Today.

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"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" is playing 11/8
to 11/30 at the 6th @ Penn Theater in San Diego, California. To find
out more go to www.SixthAtPenn.com .

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WHAT'S NEW at Chivalry Today?
- "Sports & Chivalry" examines how boys and girls can incorporate the
knightly virtues in their competitive endeavors by following the
"Athlete's Code of Chivalry";
- "Chivalry in Myth" presents Joseph Campbell's dynamic interpretation
of Arthurian legends, and dispels traditional misunderstandings about
women and chivalry;
- There are many new thoughts and quotes in "Chivalry in Other Words."
Find all these great new features in the left-hand navigation bar at
www.ChivalryToday.com

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Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with
students, neighbors and co-workers as a way of furthering the
understanding of the Code of Chivalry in the modern world. Scott
Farrell's seminars on chivalry and the knightly virtues are available
to businesses, schools and civic organizations throughout the Southern
California area; more information can be found on our website. Please
include all copyright statements and attributions when sharing Chivalry
Today articles. Copyright 2003 Scott Farrell and Shining Armor
Enterprises. Visit our website at www.ChivalryToday.com .