As a medical doctor who has worked in the ER for over 20 years and examined over 70,000 patients, I have witnessed first hand the toll that work stress takes on people’s lives. Stress has been shown to precipitate or worsen many if not all diseases. I studied methods of reducing work stress and that helped many of my patients. However, something was missing.

The opposite of ‘disease’ is not lack of disease. It is full vibrant health with an abundance of energy and vitality. Similarly, the opposite of ‘work stress’ is not lack of work stress. It is doing what you love at work, which I refer to as living your Dream Career. So I went out to find these people.

I was eager to find a multitude of people living their dreams but I was shocked and disappointed to discover that the majority of people are dissatisfied with their work. It is the silent epidemic. After weeks of searching, I was thrilled to learn that one of my friends loved what he was doing. He was and still is a drummer who teaches and facilitates drum circles. I grabbed a tape recorder and ran over to him and interviewed him for hours drinking in all that he had to offer. I wanted to learn everything about people who were living their dreams at work.

He referred me to someone else he knew in a different field who loved what she did. In this way, 3-and-a-half years and 200 interviews later, I had spoken with a large cross-section of people from a vast array of work sectors - from farmers to financial analysts, from scientists to musicians. It was quite a ride.

I learned their secrets from which I developed a system where I help my clients uncover and live their own dreams. I featured forty of these fascinating people in my book, Live Your Dreams: Doctor’s Orders.

In the course of my research I was surprised by the number of popular myths that were debunked by the people I interviewed. Here is a list of the top 10 myths I discovered about living your dreams:

From #10 …to #1:

10. Being dissatisfied with my career is not hurting me.
9. Dream Careers are a fantasy.
8. I don’t have the time to change what I do
7. I’m not good enough and don’t have the confidence to live my dreams.
6. I can’t make money doing what I love
5. I will first find job security. Afterwards I will do what I want.
4. If only I was rich I would be happy
3. I can’t leave my stable job - What else will I do?
2. I don’t have enough money

And the number one myth about living your dreams is:

1. My dreams died long ago. I don’t have any dreams.

In my research I found several examples of people who disproved each and every one of these myths.

If you have been told any one of these statements, rest assured that there are people out there who are disproving it right now.

Never anyone allow anyone to step on your dream. In the words of the respected Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and essayist,

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

Live Your Dreams!

Samuel Gerstein, M.D.,
Psychotherapist, Emergency Physician, Author
and CDO (Chief Dreaming Officer), Dreams For Real Inc.
“Helping people who are serious about following their dreams”
Phone: 416-221-5089 or toll free 1-877-221-5089
www.dreamsforreal.com

Author's Bio: 

Dr. Samuel Gerstein is a psychotherapist, speaker, workshop facilitator, emergency physician and an author. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Gerstein has treated thousands of people suffering from the physical effects of work stress. Wanting to do more than just minimize the effects of work stress, Dr. Gerstein undertook his own independent 4-year research study of more than 200 people who are living their Dreams at work. He published his insights in his just released book: Live Your Dreams: Doctor’s Orders.

This motivated him to transition into his own Dream Career, where he assists people in overcoming limiting beliefs and in discovering and doing what they really want to do with their lives. His psychotherapy practice is thriving with a growing waiting list and he has delivered speeches and facilitated workshops in Canada and the U.S.