AOA 116 | I Have A Dream

This is a solo round of the Art of Adventure podcast!  Two year ago, I wrote my own "I have a dream" manifesto for Martin Luther King day.  It has been one of my most popular pieces, so I want to share it with you now in audio format. Below is the full text of the manifesto I have a dream. A dream that we will not be afraid - not afraid to show our good qualities, to be weird, unique, and different.  Not afraid speak out against injustice. Not afraid to make the tough decisions in our life.  Not afraid to begin the journey, because then we will succeed.  
I have a dream. That one day, we will have a education system in which all children will love to learn, and that we will all be lifelong learners and curious explorers. That we will all be passionate about what we do and do what we are passionate about. That we will all be able to fulfill the purpose that the universe has placed us here to do. That even under the pressure the outside world places upon us we may find our true selves. 
I have a dream that we will find courage and love and gratitude and honor and truth and morality and we will get the goosebumps. That we are wide awake and approach the world with a sense of newness, and wonder. I have a dream that we can be honest with ourselves about who we are and how we want to feel. I have a dream that we are able to put our minds to use and let loose a cascade of ideas and that we will learn and grow together and solve our problems.
I have a dream. That we will notice the strength in our muscles, the air in our lungs, the food in our belly, and be grateful.  That we will experience the world with all our senses. That even as we age, we stay physically sound and appreciate the gift of a working body.
I have a dream that we will always give others the benefit of the doubt, knowing that their actions are based in love, even if we don't understand how or why.  That we will have patience and try to understand things from other's point of view. That we will listen to our parents and children and grandparents. I have a dream that we remember and maintain the beauty of past traditions - families, storytelling, growing plants, observing the changes in the land, and sitting around a campfire, to name a few.
I have a dream. A dream that we will feel our connection to the whole world and see that we are part of something amazing.  That the beauty of the earth will continue to awe us and to nurture us as our one and only home. The we will feel love for every rock and every river, every tree and every animal, every mountain and valley, every piece of this planet. I have a dream that we will see the beauty of all things, and we will be grateful each and every day for a life full of wonder and miracles.
I have a dream that every person has enough support from the rest of us that they are able to achieve greatness and not be stifled under a lack of opportunity. That we will all have enough love and energy overflowing within ourselves that we will then be able to give unlimited love to each other. I have a dream that you are loved and that you know it. I dream of resilience and improvement, that even when you feel fear or anger or hurt, that you know it will pass, and you can conquer hardship. That even in the face of hard times we will not lose heart.
I have a dream. That we all will have the audacity to dream big. That we will be free from monotony. I have a dream that we all never let off the accelerator and we will keep plowing ahead in the attempt to find truth and meaning and get closer and closer to the nature of the universe.
I have a dream that we wake up with energy each day knowing that we are fighting the good fight.  


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