You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…
This quote from Dr Seuss hangs at the entrance of Suzy Paradise’s cafe. Seeing her dream crumble before her eyes, Suzy faces the tough decision of whether to hang on or to let go.
Carol Balawyder 
I don’t think dreams have an expiration date. We have to keep believing!
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As you did, Judy, with your great first novel :). It’s not only about dreams and believing but also about hard work and, of course talent. 🙂
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Oh I do love Dr. Seuss…..I must read this book…..sounds so very interesting. Have a beautiful weekend. Carol…x
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Thanks, Janet…Very sweet of you to stop by. 🙂
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I love reading your blog….enjoy your weekend…Janet:)x
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Thanks, Janet for your kind words. Have a wonderful weekend as well…:)
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I suppose some dreams do, like climbing Mount Everest or becoming a Navy Seal. Eventually we become past the age to do these things. But otherwise, I think much is possible if we put our minds to it. Success stories abound of people beyond a certain age doing amazing things.
The Dr. Seuss quote is wonderful.
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Yes, our dreams do change as we evolve. Oh, for some reason I have no trouble imagining you as someone who once wanted to climb Everest (go see the IMAX movie coming out!). But your writing career is a kind of Everest, isn’t it.
Among so many of his outstanding achievement Seuss won the Pulitzer Prize for his children’s books (filled with wisdom for any age). A fascinating person.
Thanks for commenting, Carrie. 🙂
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Haha, me climb Mount Everest? Not even if I was an Olympic athlete. 🙂
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I don’t think dreams have an expiration until you are dead, and then it’s over. But, not to be glum. I believe if you can dream it, you can achieve it, but they key point is to stop dreaming and make it happen! It doesn’t matter how old you are, how young you are, people make it happen every single day despite their circumstances!
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Oh, Angela, what a bright and positive attitude. I love it! 🙂 May you be able to make happen all your dreams. 🙂
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Oh, I think dreams are an important part of human growth and mental health, Carol. I think we have to be willing to change our dreams as we evolve. But to reach for something more than what we are? I think it’s part of what makes us human. Make sense?
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It makes a lot of sense, Margot. Your comment reminds me of the saying one often hears that you can do and be anything…which isn’t exactly true (and sometimes even damaging) I like what you said about changing our dreams as we evolve. That can be a hard thing to do. Sometimes also it’s not about changing the dream itself but how we’re going about it.
Thanks for your insightful comment, Margot. 🙂
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In an absolute sense, I believe they do. One is only given so much time, so much strength, so much ability. I also believe that there is some flexibility in this, however – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. It depends on the person and the nature of the dream. Persevering in the face of obstacles can lead to beautiful endings, but not all dreams are remotely realistic and sometimes letting go of one dream can free a person to pursue another. Sometimes one can re-shape a dream into something more achievable and find success that way. As in everything, it’s important to be open and forgiving of oneself.
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Such wise thoughts, Carol Louise. Yes, letting go of one dream can free us to pursue another. Not that it’s that easy to do. And re-shaping the dream is much more realistic than holding unto a dream you’ll never achieve.
Thank you for your comments. Very thought provoking and also encouraging. 🙂
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Maybe not an “expiration date”…but sometimes they have a “direction adjustment”. Dreams never die; the sometimes just change shape.
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Oh, I like this, Claudia. You and Carol Louise Wilde (see her comment) are on the exact same page.
Thanks for commenting and being here. 🙂
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That’s a fun quote, Carol, I like that it sits outside Suzy Paradise’s cafe. Dreams should never stop, but they do morph, just as the dreamer morphs. 🙂
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Thanks for being here! 🙂
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Love this book. I don’t think dreams have an expiration date- but sometimes what we want changes and there lies the expiration.
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So true…:)
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In my opinion, everything has a beginning, a middle and an end, when and when is what makes it exciting….nothing is forever, so hang on to the ride and enjoy….sometimes we know where we are at on the ride, but most the time its all a big crap shoot…..kat
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Love the quote Carol. Our dreams do change over the years, and the difficult lesson to remember is the timing of their arrival is not always our timing! 🙂
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Interesting point you make. 🙂
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Unfortunately, some dreams have an expiration date. From the time I was eleven years old I wanted to be a flutist in an orchestra. The dream was squashed when I was seventeen and became disabled taking the use of the right side.
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Yes, Glynis, some dreams do get squashed by life’s circumstances and fate. I hope that your dream of becoming a flutist has been replaced by other dreams. 🙂
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Love the Dr Seuss quote, what a great starting point for a story.
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Certainly dreams don’t expire. It’s only when we give up on them that they disappear. 🙂
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If we give up on our dreams, we have nothing. Your book sounds like a movie in the making. I will be checking it out. Thank you for following my blog.
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There’s so much wisdom in Dr. Seuss. Much like Winnie the Pooh. I love those quotes, too.
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Me too! 🙂 Thanks for being here, Jackie.Love your blog! 🙂
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We must do our best to realize our dreams but if at one point we realize that it has crumbled or changed circumstances have made it impossible for us to achieve it, we have to let go and think of a new path. God has his own ways of dealing with us. He may close one door to open a better one. Suzy cannot hang on to a dream that has crumbled; but if hang on here is referring to life then Suzy has to be strong and gather the pieces and start again. What may come of it may be greater than what might have come of the first.
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I think the “trick” is to stay on course, focused and not letting anyone or anything dissuade or limit our dreams. I’m learning that lesson, more and more each year.
I like the Dr. Seuss quote but then what’s not to love about Dr. S!!! 😉
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Great quote, Carol! Thanks for reminding me of the simple, honest wisdom that can be found in children’s literature. Are there expiration dates with dreams? I don’t think so, but like a number of readers have commented, I think dreams grow and change with the hosts of those dreams. And that’s what makes the journey from dream to reality so unpredictable.
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I guess the letting go of a dream is letting go of the old dream, the one that hasn’t yet shifted with time and experience and knowledge. Holding unto that dream exactly as it was when we first created it inhibits the evolved dream from fulling being seen.
Perhaps many dreams don’t become reality because we don’t allow them to be unpredictable. Thanks for being here, Ann.
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This has been a wonderful discussion here, Carol. You initiated a question which opened everyone up. I believe in possibilities and dreaming about what you wish for. Then choosing to work and strive for your dreams. Having my Dad accomplish a lot with an impoverished childhood and my Mom’s parents coming from Europe to find each other in New York really leads me to the conclusion we can do whatever we set our minds to, Carol.
My youngest brother gave each of my grown children that Dr. Seuss book upon high school graduation. Two of three children have children, who they read many of Dr. Seuss’ books to. 🙂
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Thanks for being part if this discussion, Robin.
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It was nice to see a lot of interest with a positive message, Carol.
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Dreams can go on forever, or maybe we change our minds and aim for something else…
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