Remember To Dream, Vol. 13
"What we do during our working hours determines what we have; what we do in our leisure hours determines what we are." - George Eastman
Profiles In Dreaming
Every week, I profile someone that has fulfilled their dream against the odds and highlight three lessons from their journey.
The Great Yellow Father
Before there was Steve Jobs, there was George Eastman. Before the iPod, there was the Kodak Camera. Eastman revolutionized the way humanity took photographs, making them accessible to all. He pioneered a series of innovations that made everything we take for granted today possible. His legacy lives on in the Kodak Company and the generous philanthropic contributions he made throughout his life.
Ponder This
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
- John F Kennedy, from a speech he delivered on September 12, 1962, titled “Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort.”
Practice This
Create a personal mission statement and update it every year.
Your mission statement acts as your North Star, guiding every major decision you make over the course of a year. It’s dynamic, changing to reflect your personal evolution and shifting circumstances.
Start by answering the question: What is my highest priority for the year ahead? My main objective, that if achieved, will bring me closer to living the life of my dreams.
Spend 30-60 minutes listing your goals for the year ahead. Organize them in order of priority until you identify the one that means the most to you. It is also the one that, if achieved, implies the accomplishment of many of the other goals on your list.
Repeat this exercise at the start of every year. It will give you clarity and help focus your energy on the things that matter most to you.
Play This
Every week, I share some of the music I listen to when I write. Studies have shown that playing a song or short playlist on repeat helps put you into a state of flow, which is optimal for creativity. The choice of music is up to you. I choose music that reflects the energy I want to infuse in my work. Most of the time, this means dreamy, melodic deep house. But sometimes, when I’m writing about something raw, I go with old school hip hop.
Here’s a link to a master playlist of all the songs I’ve shared so far.
I’d love to hear your feedback or connect with you. Email me at omar@omarfarha.com.