We always say you can do anything if you believe in your dreams. Unfortunately, this saying is treated like a banal piece of disposable advice. For example, children are often told they can become the President of the United States someday. However, it isn’t long until children realize they would probably need to be enrolled in a wealthy boarding school somewhere at the expense of extremely successful and connected to parents in order to achieve that lofty dream. The same is true for folks wishing to become astronauts. The dream of becoming an actor or actress is especially brutal. People quickly realize few people ever become successful actors and actresses. Even worse, the dirty little reality is that many famous celebrities are related to already famous and connected folks. This makes it even worse.
The hope for dreams grows even bleaker if you factor in perceived disabilities. Even if your dream is modest, like opening a successful restaurant, the odds are stacked against you. Most restaurants close within their first year. If you have a perceived handicap, such as Down syndrome, that dream and other dreams might seem almost impossible to obtain.
Thankfully, we have proof it’s not true! At least, we have living proof such dreams can actuality be realized thanks to a man named Tim. Tim lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also has Down syndrome. Additionally, he had a dream of owning his own restaurant someday. While some might have said such a dream was out of reach, Tim proved them all wrong. His restaurant thrived, and after five long years, his restaurant continued to find success. His restaurant became a popular gathering place for the local population. Families enjoyed the food. Couples found the service terrific. Perhaps most importantly, everyone found inspiration in Tim. Notwithstanding the obstacles in his life, he achieved his dream.
This might be considered the happy ending of Tim’s life story. Indeed, Tim was able to achieve what few people could. However, it wasn’t the end. It was only the beginning. Like any true dreamer, Tim believed there was more he could accomplish. What was the next item on his list? He wanted to fall in love. He wanted to find a wonderful woman, and he wanted to remain by her side for the rest of his life. Finding love for anyone can be an adventurous challenge. For Time, it was no problem at all.
After operating his restaurant for five years, he told his customers and employees it was time to close up shop. At first, they were saddened and bewildered. Was the restaurant not making enough money? Was the daily strain of operating a busy restaurant becoming too much of a burden for Tim? Nothing could be further from the truth! Tim quickly announced he was closing his restaurant in Albuquerque in order to open a new restaurant in Denver, Colorado. Why did he select Denver? It was because his fiance, Tifani, lived there. They would be married, and he would start a second dream with her by his side.
Isn’t this incredible? Tim set out to accomplish his dream of opening a restaurant. With this dream, he thrived. He then pressed on to the next dream, and he knows much happiness and success will await him there too. In five or ten years, Tim will be sure to have another dream, and we will be anxious to know about that one too!
We can learn so much from Tim. First, we can learn that following your dreams is not just a banal piece of advice. It also encourages us to dream on!