W02 Entrepreneurial Journal

 

• Why do you think Randy Pausch was able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams?
• Do you feel that dreaming is important? Why or why not?
• Discuss at least one of your childhood dreams. Explain why you believe you can or cannot achieve this dream.

Randy Pausch seems to have a positive attitude and was the type of person who goes for what he wants. He had parents who let him do what he wanted, like painting on the walls. He was upbeat and positive even though he had a terminal illness. Having people around him as a child who were supportive probably impacted him positively.

I think dreaming is important because it can keep you moving forward despite all the obstacles and disappointments. Dreaming can give you reprieve from the fatigue and gloom that reality causes. It can help you escape your current situation by giving you a mental vacation. It helps you to stay positive and helps you set a goal you can someday achieve.

One of my childhood dreams was to end homelessness. I still believe it's possible and I am often brainstorming ways it could be done. 

Staying optimistic and "dreaming" would likely help me to achieve the dream, but the current state of the economy where I live does not lend well to dreams. I think more people will become homeless until it reaches a tipping point where it is not fixable, and the economy will go down even further. 

I have since turned my dreams around to try to care about my own family and am now focusing on keeping us all from being homeless. I usually stay pretty positive, but lately I am struggling with absorbing all the new information from the class. I am attempting to process it all and come up with a substantial journal entry about it.

If I am ever going to be like Randy Pausch I will need to have supportive people around me. I will need to be positive, almost to the point of delusional, and be optimistic. I think he had a "just do it" attitude as well, so having motivation AND volition will be important.

I will need to find ways to stay optimistic. I will need to nurture relationships with people and seek out the ones who will be supportive. I will need to set aside time each day to dream.

I am looking forward to learning step-by-step strategies. I am frustrated by abstract concepts that require so much self reflection.