I’ve heard and said “LIVE YOUR DREAMS” a thousand times. Most of the time I was saying this because it was my personal wish… I never wanted to look up and I had stop trying or stop reaching. Even if I never fully see my dream come to life, I didn’t want to lose the hope that “dreams really do come true”.
BUT to be honest, the rally cry of “LIVE YOUR DREAMS” is a scary thing to actually do! It comes with all types of @!%#$ stuff you must fight thru! And even if you’ve previously been successful, going after a new dream can evoke all types of things that will make you think, “didn’t I fight this battle before?”. And i'm not even referring to the unkind things people say or the sarcastic comments you have to laugh thru just to keep from going off. I'm thinking about one's self talk!
I don't know about you, but even with me knowing I'm a bad-ass & a force to be reckoned with, I still got some jacked up doubts & unworthy feelings that creep up. Now listen closely, my dreams are pretty self-less; I literally only want to HELP OTHERS! The truth is, in some way I thought my desire to help others would somehow protect me from some internal fights, but ummm nope! That internal stuff still shows up. You know that stuff that says, "what are you doing? We were just fine staying in our comfort zone! We knew what was coming... We had a system, a rhythm to life, a nice HUMMMM! Now you got us out here trying to figure out new things & taking on new challenges at our age..." 🤦🏽♀️😱
After a while I just start laughing hard 🤣 at myself & at the fears that speak of the past like everything was perfect. It reminds me of the complaining children of Israel when they remembered the "...leeks, onions & garlic" making no reference to the slavery that came along with the "free" food (Numbers 11:4-6). Human nature - well my human nature, freaks out a little when faced with the unknown. Sometimes even when things are going well, worry creeps in.
Laughter is good for the soul & if we can learn to laugh at ourselves and KEEP GOING we just might realize our dreams! Thankfully that has been my journey. Here are a few personal testimonies:
In 2014 I was terrorized by these same internal fears about traveling. My father passed December 2013 (my mom had passed February 2012), and having no parents in the earth, I decided it was time to “start living”. To this day, I don’t know why traveling caused such serious panic/anxiety attacks. I wasn’t afraid of flying or any of the typical traveling fears. My husband was worried if I’d be ok traveling alone and I was really worried for myself, but I kept planning trips. As I type this, I realize it may have simply been stepping into the unknown. I was always going places I’d never been to before. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
In 2002, I had to ignore this same song & dance when we decided to move to South Bend. (another unknown). And in 2017, when I first started to think about leaving my job, these ideas rehearsed themselves on the main stage of my mind. And just a week ago, in the face of some really amazing successes, here they come again! BUT I'M STRONGER! I was doing push ups in my mind, body & spirit. I knew they were coming so I had my weapons at hand!
What weapons you may ask?
1. Great friends I can call at any moment
2. PRAYER & THANKSGIVING
3. Morning Devotionals (scripture reading)
4. Laughter & Fun (sometimes with a glass of wine or cocktail)
5. A journal to write in and to refer to when I need to be reminded of the amazing things God has done
6. Travel!!!!
7. Reflect on the hopes and dreams written out! (I created a vision box)
What are your list of weapons? What will you pull on when things come to stop you from achieving your goals? Hey you got to be ready for your enemy! If you're smart, you'll get to learning your own cycles of fear & worry. You must learn to deal with the things that want to distract you from all the good you're meant to be in the earth.
I want to help others & encourage people to do things they don't think are possible. I hope to lighten the load of burdens that good people carry and encourage people to walk free and then go out to help others. I really want to help people take off their capes of overachieving & perfectionism just long enough to heal & be refreshed, so their light doesn't burn out prematurely. And I want to be cute & have fun doing it!
So yes let's LIVE OUR DREAMS, but be ready to laugh when the internal & external voices come to question if you're ready. Say this to yourself "I know you think you're protecting me, but I'm going to be ok. I might fall, trip & skin my knee, but I’ve got this. I was born to be or do this". Then say a quick prayer of thanksgiving, "Lord Thank You for bringing me this far! Thank you for letting me see this new day. Give me your peace, wisdom & grace. And I look forward to the journey that's ahead, for I know you are with me".
Happy Holidays Everyone! Be blessed and enjoy this season of love, kindness & giving. If you're feeling alone or grieving, please reach out - let people know. There are great people in this world who will help you. 💚
#liveyourdreams #dontquit #selfcare #faith #believe