How BIG is your dream?

I came from a poor family. I didn’t know much about life except that I had to study hard and do well in school as taught to me by my parents. It was ingrained in me that the only way to get a better quality of life is through good education.

Due to poor family background also, my mother didn’t have the chance to further her studies beyond primary school. Nonetheless, she realized the importance of good education that she spent lots of effort deciding which school was best for me.

And so I just followed what was arranged for me. I seized the opportunity to do well in good schools. As I grew up, the idea of doing well in schools will fetch me a good job in the future was deeply entrenched in my mind. I also came to realize that working for an airline pays well too.


(Don’t believe me? Click on the following links:

http://www.cathaypacific.com/careers/en/choices/0,,128402,00.html

http://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/index.asp?cid=EKGCREF_INT_NA_EKCOM_LINK_MENU_EN1

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/company_info/careers/tech_crew.jsp )


Becoming a pilot was my dream then. I didn’t think much. All I wanted to do was to prepare myself to be a pilot. I studied science and aviation related modules in schools so that I could stand a better chance of being hired. (I realized later that I didn’t need a university degree to be a pilot.) I am now where I wanted to be since young.

Was my childhood dream a BIG dream? It was, considering the fact that I took 17 years of education plus 3 years of flying training to realize the dream. So where do I go from here? I can very well be contented with what I have and live happily ever after. Or I can find another dream and work hard again to achieve that dream. And I have concluded the latter gives me more satisfaction and meaning to life.

Through talking to people and reading, I have come across a lot of people with much bigger dreams than mine. I have met a German boss who owns and flies his own private jet to attend meetings. He is also able to fly a helicopter carrying friends up to a mountain resort for lunch, prepared for them by his private chef. I have been flying 'other people’s aircrafts'. Will I be able to fly one of my own one day?

I have also come across retirees who are in their late forties whose dreams are to build a second business to leave a legacy. There is also a lady whom I met whose dream is to build an income source for an orphanage. Just two days ago, a featured article in the newspapers highlighting the boom in private banking sector catering to ultra-high networth individuals’ philanthropic needs. Can I be one of these ultra-high networth individuals?

After much soul searching, I have raised the bar higher just like taking part in high jump in the Olympics. I have decided that I should aim to retire early, as early as the age of 45. (Retire doesn't mean stop working. Confused? Read my next post.) I am not going reveal to you how much time I have to work on achieving that goal. Because by doing that you would have guessed my age – something that I like to keep secret at this moment. ;-)

How big is your dream, my dear friends? Or you do not see the need to dream? Whatever you decide, we are here today because of what we did in the past. And our future is decided by what we do today. Leave your comments or email me at speckypilot@hotmail.com

In the next post, I will tell you what is the plan put in place to achieve my newfound dream. So watch out for it. ;-)