Dreaming Out Loud

Dream:

a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal

noun

Dreams. Whether we fail to realize it or not we all have a dream. Be it an occupation, living situation, relationship goal, or a fantasized about activity or experience, we all have one. Some dreams are small. Some dreams are bigger. Most are never spoken out loud. Why? Why is it that we don’t verbalize our dreams? Chase them? Take the small steps that lead to the bigger goal of achieving our dreams?

Fear. A non belief that it can be achieved. It only happens to other people, not me. I’m not good enough, smart enough, or worthy of my dreams. At least for me this is what has always held me back. That and not really realizing or wanting to admit to my dream. Plus, if you don’t verbalize your dreams then there is no one to discourage you. Give their negative input. Tell you why it’s not feasible. There’s a flip side to that that I’ve found though. If you don’t share your dreams there’s also no one to encourage you, to tell you that you are worthy and capable of living your dreams. To help you find your way. To ask you, ‘Why not you?’.

‘Why not me?’

‘If not me, then who?’

I’m just now starting to ask myself these questions. I mean, the people who achieve their dreams are more often than not just normal people. People who decided it was worth the discomfort, the effort, the drive, the learning as they go to achieve their dreams. We often only see the highlight reels of their success. You don’t see the hard work. The self doubts they had to work through. The time it took. The sacrifices. The people who told them along the way that it wouldn’t happen. Couldn’t happen. A self limiting mindset will serve no one other than those who impose that self limiting mindset upon themselves. They may choose to live there, but you don’t have to.

I’ve always been a lover of books. Stories. Words. Ideas. The exchange of thoughts and beliefs. It took me a very long time to realize my dream of writing. It took me even longer to do something about it. I’m in the beginning stages. Taking baby steps and trying to verbalize out loud that my dream is to write. Looking back I should’ve seen it. I was raised with a practical approach as a child of two very hard workers. I never heard stories of what they dreamt to do or become. I didn’t really notice my lack of a dream, or that I had the option to do so until I was much older. As in the past few years to be exact. It’s exciting. Uncomfortable. Scary. Admitting it to others feels like opening myself up to criticism. To hearing those that want to tell me it’s too hard. You don’t know what you’re doing and have no experience. This is all true. However I’m willing to learn as I go. To go through the failures and mistakes. Especially if it means I not only show myself, but my children, that dreams are tangible to those who want them badly enough.

What is your dream? Do you have one? A goal, a life style, or a mindset you’d like to achieve? Say it out loud. Even if it’s just in the mirror to yourself. Write it down. Hang it somewhere you can see daily. Tell one or two trusted people who are positive and encouraging. Start small. In the upcoming weeks I’ll talk about goals and how I’ve begun to tackle them. I too am in the beginning stages of dreaming out loud. The saying really is true. Why not me?