Don Roulo is the CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer) of Life Quest. He is a life, career and business coach as well as a Certified 48 Days Workshop Facilitator. He travels nationally and internationally to conduct business and career training as well as marriage and family workshops.

By DON ROULO

Over the last couple of months I have been thinking quite a bit about my friends, who I consider family, in the Ukraine. They are struggling for freedom. They are struggling for their hopes and dreams of a better life – socially and economically. It is with these thoughts in the back of my mind I write this week’s article and what we can take away from fighting for our hopes and dreams.

One of my favorite movies is Braveheart. Mel Gibson portrays William Wallace, the Scottish freedom fighter around the time of the 1300’s. I fully realize that as in all movies there is dramatic license.  There is a scene that is quite stirring and definitely has a lesson for anyone fighting for freedom – freedom to pursue your dreams.

William Wallace is on a horse riding back and forth in front of his rag tag army.  They stand before the world’s most powerful army of the day, the English. The Scots are contemplating retreat and questioning why they should fight. William Wallace even asks them if they will stand and fight. Someone from the ranks says if they fight they may die, but if they run they will live. Here is William Wallace’s reply:

“Fight and you may die. Run and you’ll live, at least a while. And, dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance — just one chance — to come back here and tell our enemies, that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”

If we look at this quote in context of us pursuing our dreams it rings very true.  When we fight for our dreams we may face defeat from time to time. We may get beat up now and then. It will not always be easy. If we run from our God given dreams to pursue the easy way instead, we will certainly live out our life.

However, there comes a day when we get older when we will look back at the life we have lived.  We will have to ask ourselves, “would we trade all the days from the day we decided to run from our dreams to the day we die to go back and do it all over again?” I think this happens every day to multitudes of people. People look back and say, “If I could only go back …”

In the Ukraine right now it is literally a life and death issue for many. I certainly don’t want to be over dramatic and say that if we don’t pursue our life’s dreams we will die. However, am I really too far off to say we don’t die physically, but we are in affect dead on the inside? There are literally millions of people who have decided to run and not fight for their dreams. They are breathing and walking, but they are dead on the inside and you can see it in their eyes and hear it in their voice. It is evident by depression, substance abuse, divorce etc.

Maybe you are standing before the strongest army you have every encountered. It may be the army of voices from family or friends which try to keep you from pursing your dreams. It may be the army of past defeats your have encountered. It may be the army of self-doubt. No matter what army you face today the same question remains.

Would you trade all the days from the day you decided to not follow your dream until now to face that army again and say, “I may get beat up and knocked down, but you will never take my freedom – freedom to pursue my dreams?”

About the Author

Don Roulo is a life, career and business coach as well as a Certified 48 Days Workshop Facilitator. He travels nationally and internationally to conduct business and career training as well as marriage and family workshops.

As a business consultant, he has written business plans and worked to market products or services as well as organizing financial statements for investors. Because of his success in the sales and business arena, Don has been blessed with the opportunity to train, motivate and inspire others. His passion is to motivate and equip people to find their passion and achieve their goals and God given destiny.