Trust 30: Day 18
Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.
It seems as if I can’t escape these “dream” prompts. They appear at every corner. I don’t believe in ‘fate’ or being led to certain circumstances, so I know that I’m not somehow, in some cosmic way, supposed to be focusing on my dreams at this particular moment in my life. And so I’ve had to take a couple days to really consider how to approach this prompt.
I have since decided a few things.
This concept of having dreams and being held back can be mythic in nature. This is all very bucket list-ish — something else I struggle with. Truthfully, it is not a matter of having A Dream. It is a matter of seeking opportunities. If opportunities are not sought after than something is either not important enough or it is simply not a convenient or the right time for something to happen.
I think, in general, we like to think we have A Dream. It is something ambiguous to hold onto, like bits of cloud to grasp. We can console ourselves with statements that begin with “If only…” and end with the mournful ellipses. People can hug us and toss out platitudes of “Don’t give up! Keep dreaming!” that give just enough encouragement but without the commitment of specifics.
These are different than goals. Goals are concrete and specific. They are bound by time and concise language. They kick us in the rear. Goals are tangible and have life in them. Goals are the very harbinger of accomplishment. There is no romance to goal-making and this is why we much prefer to sit at the vanity table powdering our noses and spritzing ourselves with perfumed dreams.
My dreams? What are my three dreams? Simple. I want to raise decent children who contribute to the world. I want to be remembered as a good mother who was a good example. I want to be a good person who lived in her joy. What’s holding me back? Nothing, of course, except for time. I will not ever know in my lifetime if I’ve accomplished these dreams. But I do know that I won’t spend this lifetime second-guessing myself and seeking out moments to live something that may or may not be important. I have my goals, and I strive for them. But my dreams? These are something else entirely.
Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart.
~~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I wrote and illustrated my first bestseller, "The Lovely Unicorn" in the second grade and I've been terrified of success ever since.
Published by ShadowTeamsNYC and represented by Lisa Hagen Books
Published by ShadowTeamsNYC and represented by Lisa Hagen Books
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