The DIVA Story (Dreams, Imaginations, Visions & Aspirations) No boundaries, no limits, no ifs and no buts. . .

By: Nancy H. Abiera

 

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish thing. For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

“I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be. . . I found the greatest love of all inside of me. The greatest love of all is easy to achieve. Learning to love yourself. It is the greatest love of all.” Written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed/Recorded by George Benson/Popularized by Whitney Houston.

“Dreams are finished the moment of the day we decide to yield to our Maker in obedience what was given to us in the night.” Nancy Abiera

I came to the United States in September 1984, over 31 years ago. Just like many immigrants who came to America, I packed a bagful of dreams hoping to make them a reality.

I believe dreams are God-given to me. It is when I am asleep that kept me from arguing with God using my reasons, logic, excuses and rationalization at the conscious level. The collection of dreams I had since young were stored in my deepest and innermost creative imaginations within me as God had originally intended at creation. This was a great opportune time to reflect and resurrect these dreams.

Going back many years ago to Memory Lane of my childhood, I was a ten-year-old child when I realized and experienced the injustice of poverty. I saw it in our neighborhood. Many people were suffering because of being poor. Some married young, some middle while some in their older years. Nevertheless, I saw a common picture–poverty. Many children were born in spite of the poor condition, our family included. At a very tender age, I made a conclusion in my thoughts that PMS (Poverty & Marriage Suck). I did not even realize that I made a promise to myself not to be poor and not to get married. Fear of poverty and marriage got planted in my fertile mind. I believed in a lie connecting marriage with hardships in life. I never knew that a ten-year-old can suffer from the effects of PMS. Ha ha ha.

I remember how I felt deprived, cheated and treated unfairly because I was indigent. I recall saying,

“I hate being poor. When I grow up, I will be ‘Rich, Undeniably Successful and Happy’.” I label this acronym “RUSH”. I want it so fast; I rushed to make it happen. My obsession to “RUSH” drove me to be a “Success-Driven Addict”. I never would have thought anything wrong with this. Everybody dreams to be rich, successful and happy. Yet, most people including myself see success as measured by wealth and happiness, thinking that one cannot be without the other. But I guess, there is a big difference between “self-worth” and “net-worth”.

Nevertheless, my simple definition of being rich, successful and happy is someone who attained an economic status from poverty to prosperity: where you have everything you desired materially; having all your goals in life accomplished professionally and having a fulfilled emotional state of being relationally.

Thus, the desire to be rich, undeniably successful and happy was born inspiring me to dream my ideal life. These were birthed out of the curious and ambitious mind of a young girl in the very poverty stricken Manila in the Philippines. Though poor, I had high standards and was prideful in a crowded third-world country. I promised myself to take a different route to avoid such misfortune. I psyche myself to break the inherited poverty in my family line.

One day, I had my adventurous experience of climbing up a guava tree right next to our house then up to the rooftop. With no interruptions from anybody, I dreamt big. I gazed into the sky and saw the unlimited things for my future.

I dreamt. . . I imagined. . . I saw visions. . . I made aspirations . . .I talked. . . I sang. . . I danced. . .I prayed. . .

This started my DIVA story. The Imaginary School was also established. I articulated the exciting plans to myself, to the world and to God who I believe was up in the sky. And, lo and behold, I captured detailed moving pictures in my mind. I practically saw my dreams unfold clearly. It was like a film so beautifully, successfully and perfectly recorded as if I was watching a movie. I saw myself RUSH (Rich, Undeniably Successful and Happy), single and unmarried. I even concluded that by age forty, all is finished well and done so I can rest in peace with God.

That was the dream I saw vividly no limits, no boundaries, no ifs, no buts . . .

I perceived myself unstoppable, strong, confident, happy, powerful, wealthy, invincible and fearless. I imagined myself “RUSH”. These became my life goals. I was like a “Superwoman” on the rooftop of a simple ordinary row house in Manila. I had so much fun doing it. I would rehearse again and again those dreams and thoughts up in the rooftop, my penthouse. It is like building it one step at a time and completing it in my fertile imaginations.

Lets stop here for a moment. What about you? What is your dream? What catches your imaginations? What do you see in your visions? What are your aspirations in life? If you have never dreamt, you can start now. If you had dreams in the past yet they were put on the back shelves of your mind, it is time to resurrect them. If you are a dreamer and most of your dreams have come to past, I challenge you to continue to dream more.

Lastly, I would like to share a song I re-wrote and taught my grandchildren JJ, Joshua and MilaRose to sing with actions to the tune of “When You Wish Upon A Star”.

“When you pray to Jesus Christ. It makes no difference who you are. When you pray to Jesus Christ. Your dreams come true.”

Declare this to yourself:

“I am greatly blessed with exciting dreams unfolding. . .

I am double-favored with goodness and greatness. . .

I am deeply loved by God.”

I love you readers with the love of the Lord yet God loves you the most.

Smile and be a blessing. . .

The Rev. Nancy H. Abiera