Seasons cycling, so much change all around us…thought I’d take the opportunity to repost my May Day, 2013 Change piece to help us all think proactively about how to start making our dreams come true today…
As the seasons progress, Spring moving ever closer to Summer, the earth warming and teeming with new life and growth, our heads and hearts fill with thoughts of new beginnings. We dream of something new for ourselves…new job, new hobby, new vision, new adventure. We dream of being reinvigorated. We dream of replenishing our souls. But how?
Rick Hanson, Ph.D. author of “Just One Thing” asks us to be curious. Ask yourself, “What are the dreams that matter most to me?” You know the answer to this question. This is where your intuition comes into play. The answer that comes will be from your heart. Try to remain open to the answer, rather than allowing yourself to be dismissive, critical and cynical of what you hear. It is our own judgments and our attempts to be purely logical and rational that blocks our dreams. Dreams are not logical, they are passion filled. That’s not to say that further down the line of turning dreams into reality that logic won’t enter the picture. For now, don’t be scared of letting your heart speak its language of emotion and excitement as the dream begins its journey.
The next step is to write down the answers to the question, speak them to people you care about, or maybe even make or collage pictures of them; whatever manner of expression suits you. Let the answers fill your thoughts, your conversations, your dreams, your life. The important part is turning the internal into external — a form of giving birth to these dreams, if you will.
So how do we move from the infancy of our dreams into maturation, from contemplation to reality? By doing, of course. Think about the steps you need to take to get where you want to go. Write them down. Envision the outcome of completing each of these steps. Make them a priority in your heart; that’s where they come from after all. Start today. Start as soon as you’re done reading this article. Make a commitment to yourself to spend time each day with this dream. Keep track of your progress. The fastest way to get momentum is to start moving forward, knowing that everything that you do today will bring you towards your goals of tomorrow. So get moving now.
The important part is to allow yourself to enjoy each small step in the process, rather then making the mistake of living for the future. We simply can not experience the future in the present. Right now is the only reality we have. So let yourself enjoy it fully. Notice how it feels right now to move one step closer to your dream. As you move forward, the reality of this dream may grow and change. That’s okay, as long as you keep nurturing the dream with your heart, it will transform as it needs to, allowing you to simply enjoy the process of watching it unfold.
Possibly the most essential piece of turning your dreams of change into reality is the belief that you can accomplish this task. I’m talking about having faith in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. Think back to other tasks or dreams that you have accomplished in your life. Noticing the feelings that come over you as you recall these achievements, remind yourself that you are fully capable of achieving what you want. Tell yourself, “I can really do this. I can have what I desire.” Smile at the thought of it. Instead of focusing on obstacles, focus on possibilities. Focus on the areas in which you have control; these are the areas where you can exert influence. The mistake that many of us make is to focus on wishing we could control things that we cannot. That, of course, is a waste of time and energy. Accepting things as they are and focusing on what we can take care of in the present is the direct pathway to getting what we want.
This may take some work. But if you make a point of caring for and nurturing yourself along the way, you will no doubt make it. This means being kind to yourself. How can you fulfill your dreams if you aren’t taking care of the dreamer? Work hard, but also rest, relax, breathe, give and receive love, say encouraging words to yourself, smile at the vision of the new you that you are creating…
So what are you waiting for? The time for a new reinvigorated you is NOW.
Be happy and well,
Sari Roth-Roemer, Ph.D.
