by Joseph Fabian

As I made my way going to Manila, I rode the LRT. I stepped in. I looked around for an empty seat near the window. A piece of paper caught my attention. It reads “Expecto Patronum”. I put my headphones on, played a loud song and took a deep breath.

I felt something surreal. Tension started to grow in my nerve. Everything faded to black. I felt the breezy wind blowing in my face. I suddenly saw myself standing in the gleaming lights of the Eiffel Tower. And as I looked back, I saw the great Pyramid of Egypt.

I dream about great things – dreams about myself traveling to different places and doing different things.

I am Joseph the Dreamer. I am the music maker and the composer of my future.

I am a journalist and a script writer.

I am a new breed of futuristic media.

I am a project manager, a motivator and a leader.

I am a programmer and an educator, the mover and shaker of the 21st century.

Well, that’s my dream. I dream a lot of things for myself, for my family and to others as well.

Let me borrow the magical spell “Expecto Patronum” from the movie, Harry Potter. According to the movie, we all have our own Patronos. It is a powerful spell that produces white vapor, created by happy thoughts. This Patronos is the innermost positive feeling of a person whether it is joy, hope or silence.

In Latin, the word “patrono” pertains to an owner, a boss. Let me share with you my patronos. Yes, I create happy thoughts for myself. I am the owner of my future, I am the boss of me.

When I was a child, I was taught by my mother to dream big and to follow my dreams and aspirations. In the past, I dreamed of having simple things, of having my own sets of toys, of riding a bus and going out to different places. Those simple dreams led me into dreaming much bigger, brighter and bolder dreams.

I never stop dreaming greater things. I just want to live and dream like a young-minded person who always opts to dream high because I know that dreaming can be our impetus to success. It can be our driving force and motivation towards achieving great and greater things. Those dreams moulded me. And who, what or where I am right now is because of my dreams.

Dreams are anything that our hearts and minds desire. Dreams can be big, small, and broad or narrow, depending on how a person perceives his or her own future. Maybe most of us are dreaming for a better life in the future or for an ideal relationship. Some wants to have their dream house and others want to build their own family. Well, there’s no harm in dreaming.

Some people say that my dreams are too far-fetched or impossible to achieve. But I know myself better than others do. I am the boss of me, remember? I know that I got the magic in me. Hence, no one can stop me from dreaming.

We all have magic and that magic comes in the deepest portions of our life. It is our faith. When we dream, we should think of something that would be great for ourselves and favorable to other people. We must never limit or even put boundaries to our dreams. We mustn’t think that our dreams are unachievable. After dreaming, let’s cling on to our faith. It is our own magic and we shall use it. Faith changes everything. So what should you do?

First, cast a spell to shape your future and always stick to what you believe in. Let all those Patronos inside you be your guide and inspiration. Chase your dreams, do everything to achieve them and don’t stop believing. Hold on to those dreams. Believe in yourself and in the power of your dreams. Always think that there would be a perfect time for those dreams to come true. Even when you fail, never ever stop dreaming.

Second, never ever give up. As what Paulo Coelho said in his book, The Alchemist, “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” And as what we have learned from Einstein, failure is an important part of success. Remember that every cloud has a silver lining. Look around and you’ll see that the most successful people are those who dream, fail and dream again. Even if you fail, never give up.

Lastly, be ignited by the power of your dreams. Remember, you are the dreamer of your own dreams. Your vision creates your own world. So summon your own Patronos. Dream and do something. Dream and make it happen.