I first noticed the words propped up with the thrown-out Christmas tree. I might have seen them around town but they didn’t click.
Just now, I noticed the words again written in chalk outside the Whitney Museum.
It might be hard to make out the words from my pictures, but the words were, BECOME YOUR DREAM.
I had just picked up mine and the kids’ registration for our 5K Coogan’s run at the NY Road Runners Club on East 89th. Yes, it’s been a dream of mine to run a 5K. [The last and only time I ran a 5K (hoping to beat 41 minutes): http://runningaground.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/i-did-it/ ]
So I felt a frisson, an emotional charge, an old friend, a coincidence, an epiphany, an Aha!, a click, an all’s-right-with-the-world feeling when I saw the words again.
Of course, I snapped a couple of pics on my phone. (I think this photo is upside-down.) When I got home to the West side, I googled Become Your Dream. I learned the artist is James de la Vega http://dynamomagazine.com/?p=1646
There are pictures and sightings of his words and the spunky Keith Haring-like helicopter all over the city, mostly on the Upper East Side. Bitchcakes (love her name!) has a nice photo and thanks the artist responsible “for this act of pure joy and positivity.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitchcakes/5386588568/ Nice.
I want to thank the artist too. It was about 5:45 when I walked towards the Whitney. I thought. ‘Maybe I’ll duck in and see some art. I hope I have enough money for admission. Ah, no worries. The museum closes at 5:45.’ So I started down 5th Ave. That’s when I saw the sidewalk art next to a bit of construction in front of the museum. 
Seeing the words thrilled me. It reminded me that art is on the street. Art is at my feet. Art inspires me to keep walking or to get running. To keep going. To get out of my comfort zone. I love my beautiful New York. http://mybeautifulnewyork.wordpress.com/
I love street art. I love the idea of it and the feel of it. I love Become Your Dream. These are my three inspiring words for 2011.
Here is my blog entry about my three words when I saw them for the first time in the garbage two months ago: https://mbcoudal.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/my-3-words/
100 Days of Poems and Pics 
“Become Your Dream,” at first, these chalk messages
were amusing and inspiring, but after many years, to
now see them scrawled every four feet on the Drives
in Central Park, the words not only seem ego-driven
and obsessive, it’s a matter of time before some fellow
graffiti artist changes the “D’ to a “S,” as in Scream.
Because that’s what the barrage of messages have
become to many viewers.