 “Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.”—John Updike Before we talk about your goals and dreams, let me ask you some questions. What is it that you’ve always wanted to do with your life? What is the most important thing that you want to experience? What have you always wanted to try or learn? These are important questions, which must be answered before you can move forward. You wouldn’t start a long road trip without plans and a map, right? Well, this journey is even more important. Rainier Maria Rilke said, “There is only one journey - going inside yourself.” This is the journey to discover your dreams, your goals, and your plans for what you really want out of life. Robert Browning told us, “Our aspirations are our possibilities.” So, what are your aspirations? What are your dreams in life? Until you discover what that is and take the necessary action, your life will be out of alignment. Work with your inner passions and the Abundance that flows will attract the situations, people, and/or money to make that dream a reality. Before you set about making that dream a reality, ask yourself if this is truly your dream, and yours alone. You can’t fulfill the dream of your father, or your mother, or anyone else’s. It must be yours and only yours. You must listen to your own heart and not be pushed, even by those with good intentions, into a life decision that doesn’t fit in with that dream. There are enough regrets in life; and if you take action on someone else’s idea of what your dream should be, you’ll always regret it. Are you sure this is what you truly want to do with your life? When you wake in the morning, do you drag yourself out of bed, dreading the day’s work, or do you leap out of bed, eager to get started on that day’s tasks? Do you say, “Good morning, God!” or do you say, “Good God, morning!” Your own true passion and only true passion will fuel you each day and make you eager to get started. Do you feel that fear might be holding you back from having this dream? Do you feel that maybe you don’t deserve it? Do you feel guilty about enjoying your dream, when you could be giving to others? You can’t give to others from an empty cup. If you’ve ever flown with small children or babies, you may remember that the instructions the flight hostess gave for emergency situations is to put the oxygen mask on your own face first before putting them on your children. If you give it to your children first, you could die, leaving those children without their parent. Don’t be afraid of achieving your goal, of making that dream a reality. People often feel that they just can’t have what they want, or that they somehow don’t deserve the dream. Unfortunately, they often just bury the dream, shoving it way down in their consciousness. They figure that if they don’t think about it, it won’t hurt as much. They may even try to forget they ever had a dream. Realization of your dream threatens everything you know, your whole life, and your belief system. You may have been unhappy with the old life, but it was familiar; you understood it. Don’t let your dream be life-threatening. Embrace the new thinking, the new belief system. Don’t be afraid of it. You have every right to listen to your heart. By going with your passion and your dream, you are fulfilling an obligation. Only you can perform that particular task and make that specific contribution to the world. This is what you were meant to do with your life; this is your job on the planet. So now you’re positive that this is the dream of your heart. This is what you want to do with your life. This is your contribution to family, society, community, and the world. There’s no doubt in your mind. How will this make you feel? Imagine that you’ve accomplished your goal, and your dream is in place. How do you feel about it? If your answer is, “I couldn’t be more thrilled! This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me!” then you are living your dream. If you knew today that your dream would come true in the very near future, what would you do? What would you do differently in your life right now? How would you approach that Abundance coming your way? If things are going your way, how do you think your family and friends will react? Will they be supportive or critical? Will they back you all the way, or try to discourage you and tear you down? What do you expect of them? Your passion must be strong enough to withstand even the criticisms of loved ones. It must withstand their well-intentioned discouragement without falling apart. Then, you will know the dream is valid; the passion is real and unstoppable. Now what do you plan to do with this unstoppable passion and dream? Let your mind take you wherever it will. This is important dreaming. How will this change your life? It’s important that you take whatever steps are necessary to move forward with this dream today. Even if it’s just a small step, you must start now, today. Remember, action is vital. Don’t put it off; don’t let procrastination keep you from your dream. Set up whatever is necessary to kick this dream into overdrive and go for it! Don’t miss a single opportunity that might aid you in making this dream a reality. Keep up the momentum, don’t let a day go by without making some move forward, anything that will move you forward, even just a little. If the dream is especially big, maybe you can break it down into smaller projects and do them a little at a time. Large dreams can be intimidating, unless you break them into smaller, doable chunks. Let yourself enjoy each step you take, knowing you’re getting closer and closer to the ultimate goal. Start thinking of that goal in all caps—THE DREAM! Make it an event every day, make it happen. Is this what you really need to be happy? Think of how your future will play out if you don’t make this dream a reality. Now, return to the image as you want it to be. Does it make you happy? Then you have to go for it. Eric Fromm said, “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” “Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it,” said W.N. Murray Finally, don’t forget to add a gift for yourself each day. Add the gift of time - time just for you and time to spend with yourself. When everyone is down for the night, and the house is quiet, tiptoe into the kitchen, and make yourself a cup of chamomile tea. Sit down and put your feet up. Then put on some soft music (use the headset, so as not to wake anyone), close your eyes, and visualize your dream. Think about it in detail, exactly how you would like it to unfold in your life. Don’t think in generalities; be specific. If your dream is a home, design it in your mind, one detail at a time. Design it from the layout of the rooms to the color of the sofa cushions. Add everything to each room exactly as you’d like to see it in reality. If your dream is a job or career, imagine yourself doing that job, or having that particular career. See yourself working each day, enjoying that work. See yourself moving forward step-by-step, up the ladder of success. Whatever your personal dream happens to be, give yourself the time alone to think and build that dream in your mind. Visualizing that dream, putting it out there in the universe, is the first step to realizing that dream. See it in your mind, build it bit by bit, until it is so real to you that you almost feel you can reach out and touch it. Many people find it helpful to write down their dreams, or even make sketches, depending on the dream itself. Call this your creative journal. Anything will do: notebooks, sketchpads, or whatever is handy. Look at it everyday; add to it as the dream becomes more vivid in your mind. Look through magazines and find pictures that help to develop your dream, whatever it is. You can keep these pictures in your creative journal, along with the sketches and notes. Anthony Robbins told us, “I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret.” “Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them.” - Russell Conwell |
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