Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True [Paperback]

Sharon Cook (Author), Graciela Sholander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2003

Here's help for everyone who has dutifully listed their New Year's resolutions each January 1 and tried to reach back to revive their dreams. Problem is, few people know how to bring back their dreams and even fewer know what it takes to achieve their dreams once they've remembered them.

"Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True" offers a clear path to reviving your long-lost dreams -- be they career ambitions or altruistic goals -- by embodying the 10 qualities typical of successful dream acheivers: confidence, courage, commitment, creativity, purpose, passion, persistence, resilience, risk, and responsibility.

The authors present inspiring, real-life stories of successful dreamers to show how dream achievers embody each of these ten characteristics to make their dreams come true. They report on both the famous (including Lance Armstrong, Barbara Walters, Maya Angelou, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Gloria Estafan, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Harrison Ford, Tiger Woods) and the unknown (including "VeggieTales" creator Phil Vischer, astronaut Eileen Collins, Barbara Vogel whose fifth grade pupils have freed thousands of slave in The Sudan, one-legged championship skier Cale Kinney, Susan Titcomb and David MacKay who created the personal chef industry out of nothing) to show that you, too, can revive your dreams and actually achieve them.

Not only will you learn how embodying each of these 10 elements of "Dream CPR" can help you resuscitate your dreams, these real-life stories will inspire you to incorporate these 10 characteristics into your every effort to actually achieve your dreams. The authors left no stone unturned as they interviewed and researched hundreds of people before settling on the 37 dream achievers profiled in "Dream It Do It." Their experiences will make your spirits soar and inspire even the most discouraged readers to put their lives back together and achieve their most heartfelt dreams.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

I'm about a much of a "Doubting Thomas" as they come. But something about Graciela and Sharon's proposal for "Dream It Do It" really intrigued me. And when I read the authors' manuscript, I was positively inspired. There's none of the typical balderdash here. Sharon Cook and Graciela Sholander really did spend four years researching and interviewing literally hundreds of famous and unknown dream achievers to find out what makes them tick and to learn how and why they achieved their dreams when so many of us have not. Many of them had to overcome often insurmountable obstacles to make it: repeated rejection by the gatekeepers of their chosen fields, severe physical and mental abuse, discrimination, loneliness, discouragement from all around them, "disabilities" and amputation, rape, teenage pregnancy, debilitating disease, moving to a foreign land, and more.

But Sharon and Graciela saw some commonalties in these dream achievers, what they call the ten elements of "Dream CPR." I've got to admit I had a healthy dose of skepticism when I started reading their manuscript. But by the time I was halfway through it, I was convinced they had come up with a clear and cohesive approach to reviving our dreams. So inspired was I that I've started working toward achieving one of my most heartfelt career goals which may take me away from publishing for a while.

If they could inspire an incurable skeptic like me, I figured they must have something very real here. So I decided to take a chance and publish "Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True" even though I'd published only career books for 14 years. And by the time you finish reading "Dream It Do It," I'm sure you'll agree that this risk (one of the elements of "Dream CPR") was well worth while.
-- Daniel Lauber, publisher

From the Inside Flap

"'Dream It Do It' offers the reader a clear recipe for success through "Dream CPR." But what truly makes this book a veritable goldmine is the incredible collection of true– success stories." — Brent Eskew, Founder and President, FindYourSpot.com

"These portrayals of great people testify to America' resilience. Sharon Cook and Graciela Sholander have performed a public service of the highest order by showing us exactly how others have successfully summoned up the courage to unearth and pursue their long–dreams. There's a motivational story here for everyone.

"As a recovering alcoholic, I once lost all sight of my dream of a career in public service. I am not sure how I found my way again. But after reading Dream It Do It, my mind has been refreshed. The map to success is drawn so eloquently by Cook and Sholander. Inspiration and perspiration are personified in their profiles of people who have made the journey." — Jim Ramstad, U.S. Congressman, 3rd district, Minnesota

"One part inspiration, one part example, and one part practical advice, "Dream It Do It" provides questions to trigger your mind and heart into revealing your own dreams. The authors' "Dream CPR" is a reminder of the essential attributes every dreamer must master for a dream to become reality.

"Graciela and Sharon have captured the moments of inspiration that spurred lifetimes of dedicated effort and profoundly satisfying outcomes.

"This book will inspire and equip you, as well as the young people you care about, not only to dream big, but to dream effectively." — Gail Manza, Executive Director, The National Mentoring Partnership

"There is no single magic formula for fulfilling our dreams, but exploring the real lessons outlined in "ream It Do It"will enhance the chances that everyone can achieve their deepest Aspirations." — LeAnn Thieman, Co–author, "Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul"

"This book is a must for anyone who thinks they cannot achieve their dreams. Dream It Do It offers the ABCs of a journey to success." — Lois Lane, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Planning Communications (November 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884587305
• ISBN-13: 978-1884587306
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,773,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Success is an inside job!, March 23, 2004

By 

Laura Cruger Fox (Richmond, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True (Paperback)

This is a great book because some of our favorite famous people are spotlighted and their lives are examined from before they were famous. It's helpful to me because once again I can see that we are all the same in our humanity, and anyone who puts in the effort, diligence and spiritual "something" to accomplish their dreams will do it! It lets us see we can do it, too, in whatever way feels good to us!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Advancing in the direction of your dreams..., February 23, 2004

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True (Paperback)

"We've found that dream achievers master at least one of the essential elements we've identified. Most dream achievers master several." ~Sharon Cook and Graciela Sholander

Sharon Cook and Graciela Sholander have created a recipe for success. By mixing the 10 main ingredients of success into your life, you will see your dreams jump off the pages of your journal and come to life. Not only are you encouraged to start a journal, the authors offer questions that will inspire answers that will then lead you to your dreams.

Cook and Sholander have been studying the lives of successful dreamers for years and through their research they identified ten key characteristics for success. They interviewed hundreds of people to find the elements of "Dream CPR."

Not only is this book very well organized, the main points are examined and present a powerful roadmap for success. With a journal, the inspiration in this book and your own dreams, you will be equipped with the knowledge to fulfill your dreams. If you have forgotten the dreams that once inspired you, this book may awaken the sleeping dreams and buried longings.

While reading "Dream It Do It," all I could think was: "If these individuals could see their dreams come true, I can also make my dreams a reality." I enjoyed reading the true-life example of Barbara Walters' persistence and was amazed by the resilience Maya Angelou has shown in her life.

What sustained the dreamers in this book?

Who were their mentors?

How can you put effective strategies into practice?

These questions are all answered in "Dream It Do It." It is not enough to say that you should just do something. Where do you start? The authors present some of the main principles of success by giving examples of effective strategies. They show where the dreamers found their inspiration and at times, this information will surprise you. I was amazed at how Maya Angelou created beauty out of pain.

While many may say that success is a result of luck, this book proves otherwise. There are definite steps you need to take to see your dreams become a reality. Success does take effort. However, if you love what you do, you just flow with life and create your desired existence.

A dream does not need to be just a cloud that floats around in the world of desire. You can release your ideas into a journal and then turn them into raging rivers that will move all obstacles in your path.

"Dream It Do It" presents the recipe for success and all you need to do is blend these ingredients into your daily life to create the life of you dreams. "Dream CPR" will breathe new life into your buried dreams or will give you the encouragement to continue your current path towards your goals.

~The Rebecca Review

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Really Works -- and Solves Annual Gift-Giving Dilemmas, November 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True (Paperback)

I just got my copy of "Dream It Do It" last week and couldn't put it down. It inspired me to reach deep into my memories and refocus on dreams I had buried long ago before I married. Now I know what I've got to do to achieve some of these dreams (including a career path I abandoned after college, but now know how to pursue thanks to Cook's and Sholander's insightful and gentle guidance). Their innovative "Dream CPR" and its nonfiction stories of real-life people overcoming the same barriers so many people I know have faced, convinced me that I can finally fulfill my dreams. I'm not going to pretend it's going to be easy, but after reading "Dream It Do It," I've started devising a clear path toward making them come true. After years of no confidence, I now know I can do it.

And on top of that, now I know exactly what to give a few of my relatives and friends for the holidays -- a copy of "Dream It Do It." I wonder, does Amazon.com offer quantity discounts?

So thank you Sharon Cook and Graciella Sholander for giving me the tools and inspiration I need to actually achieve my dreams -- and for handing me the perfect gift for some fellow baby-boomers and my teenage and college age nieces and nephews.