Some places we stay in and visit we have fantasies about after we leave, that we could maybe live there on a permanent basis, and make a go of it. Other areas we drive through can have the same affect on us. Then there are magazines that show log cabins, or modern condos, in which we can see putting our legs up on the ottoman and spending the rest of our lives watching the flat screen from a hilltop, or in a valley, or near a beach. Most of us are rarely completely happy no matter where we live…..so then the question begs…is it really the PLACE that makes us happy, or the “concept” of a place?

When we think of mountains we think of fresh air and pine trees….when we think of valleys we see farms and fishing in streams and small villages…when we think of beach we think of sunshine and sand in our toes, and the trunk always packed with the picnic basket and beach blanket. When we think of city we think of modern high rise and great restaurants and pubs on every corner. Most of these “dreams” usually don’t include getting up in the morning and going out to find work, meeting new people, learning new terrain, and leaving behind what is familiar.

They always say never marry someone until you have summered and wintered with them…..perhaps the same is true about moving, unless you absoloutely have to. Maybe visiting a summer tourist place in the winter is a good idea, and a winter place in the summer…..that way when the leaves are off the trees and there’s nobody at the beach, you can see how the place really operates….and if you’re on the mountain in the heat of summer when the bugs are out and about, you can see if you can really stand it, citronella candles notwithstanding. And the city? Well, you better like noise, which some people do, and need. Each of us has a comfort zone inside, and that is what we all hope to find….

The “concept” of a “dream land” is universal, I believe. We are lucky enough in America, despite the economic and weather changes, to still have fragments of the “American Dream” left….there are still unexplored areas both in our minds, and in our hearts. We have seen the impossible become possible…we know, in our very DNA, what it feels like to start something new. We live in “Dream Land,”….and when we can get our heads out of our you-know-what’s, we can see that we are better off than most of the rest of the world. Anyone who tells us otherwise, be suspicious of. Yes, we definitely aren’t perfect…governments are made up of imperfect people….but, we have something that many around the world would give up their homelands for….we have Freedom, and the chance to dream without, basically, anyone interfering.

So when you get depressed and think we live in a country that is one step away from complete meltdown, turn off your television and go do something creative….because that is where dreams are made of, and that is the stuff of US…..we ARE Americans, the Dreamers….in Dreamland.

Love,

Jennifer Avalon

© Jennifer Avalon

When the Titanic hit an iceberg, and people drowned, ultimately, the Captain was held responsible. When a train crashes headlong into another, through no fault of its own, the Conductor is held responsible. When a school has a rogue student or coach that other kids have mentioned to their superiors, and nothing is done, the Principal is held responsible. It is the one at the helm of any organization that is held responsible, when things go wrong. The Leader often gets paid more than others to stand at the top…be an overseer…and granted there are perks, and position…but there is also a responsibility to try to make sure all goes well under their stewardship. That is called Leadership.

 A true Leader wants things to go well…takes pride in what they set out to accomplish. They are not afraid to be present. They are not intimidated. They will sacrifice a vacation to tend to problems under their governance. They are passionate about their job. They can go off script to answer questions because they know the ins and outs of what they tower over. They have taken the time to learn everything they can about the ship, train, business, country, etc. that they run. It is their passion…it is their mission.

A true Leader doesn’t want shame to glare over their stewardship. They try to bring the best and the brightest together to get things done. They make folks in an organization feel that they are all working towards the same goal, even if they have differing opinions. A true Leader has the grace and finesse to make both sides feel they have won. The last thing a true Leader wants is to have warring factions under the same roof. Just like in a family, a true Leader is able to remind everyone that winning means there must be compromise.

In times of great turmoil, true Leadership is needed. Not Leaders who try to blame others for failures, nor Leaders who hide behind their past accolades. A true Leader realizes that today is more important than the past, and tomorrow is more important than today.

Carpe Diem,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2011 Jennifer Avalon