“You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new
dream.” CS Lewis
When I hear the word “dream”, dozens of popular songs come to mind
that include the words dream or dreaming. My band, The Rain Crows produced a CD in 2013 entitled "Dream Of Flying Dream", and the title song is about dreaming of flying! Dreams are a favorite subject of poets, artists, authors and
songwriters. We dream when we’re sleeping, and we dream when we are awake. Some of our dreams are a conscious effort,
while others are a subconscious processing of our thoughts and emotions. We dream of things desired and hoped for. We dream of life beyond our present
circumstances. Dreams give us hope and a
reason for living. From far-fetched
fantasies to realistic goals, dreams are essential if we are to become healthy,
balanced, fulfilled human beings.
I recently created a personal “vision board” which is a way to
identify your dreams and goals, and begin to make them a reality. I had heard about vision boards for years,
and have always wanted to create one. I
have read story after story about people whose dreams were brought to life as a
result of starting with a vision board. The
purpose of a vision board is to remind you of your personal dreams and goals,
and to keep you inspired and positive as you work toward your goals each day. Mine includes health and fitness goals, career
goals, financial goals, relationship goals, places I’d like to visit, things
I’d like to own someday, things I would like to do for others, and other
experiences on my bucket list. My vision
board also includes motivating quotes, key words, and photos of people and
places that inspire me. It cost about
$12 to create and took less than two hours to put together. I have read about personal vision boards like
mine that you create for yourself, as well as vision boards that companies and
organizations create as a group project.
My vision board is in a very visible place in my kitchen so that I can
look at it every day and be reminded that dreams really can come true. I am finding that it lifts me up on the blue
days, the gray days, and the days I’m not feeling too “dreamy”!
My vision board
Conscious dreams can express our wishes, but unconscious dreams
can also express our fears. I recently
dealt with a recurring nightmare that kept cropping up over the course of a
month or so. I always had trouble
remembering the details when I awakened, but the feelings that these dreams
generated were the same each time. My
nightmares were very upsetting, and I would awaken with a sense of foreboding
and gloom each time it happened. I
didn’t think much about it, really, other than the fact that I seemed to be having
the same dream over and over again in different forms, which had never happened
to me before. During this same period of
weeks, I was also having some unexplained sadness and blue feelings. I could not identify the reason for my blue
feelings, other than the fact that it’s wintertime, which is always a bit
depressing for me.
Finally, after weeks of my recurring dream, I finally had a dream
that was very detailed, with specific people, places and actions that brought
it all to light for me. I realized that
I had been subconsciously processing a deep fear about an upcoming event that
resulted in these nightmares, and my conscious self was not even aware of
it. It had been triggered by a series of
small, unimportant discussions about this event that were not at all negative,
but set this fear aflame in my subconscious.
After my recurring dream became clear, I was able to deal with it
head-on and talk it through with the people involved who put my mind completely
at ease. I was not even aware that I had
this irrational fear until the dreams helped me identify it. This was no doubt a purely psychological
process for me, but I found it interesting that my unconscious dreams helped me
process fears and feelings that I was suppressing and unaware of in my waking
life.
I read a leadership book once that said, “If you do not find time
each week to put your feet up and ‘dream big’ about your organization, you are
probably not an effective leader.”
Translation: if you don’t take
time to develop a vision and purpose, you are just going through the
motions. You never get out of survival
mode. Effective leaders have learned the
art of balancing vision and execution.
They know how to develop a vision, help others catch their vision, then
work as a team to execute the vision.
When we start with a dream and a vision, we have a purpose, motivation,
and energy to move forward and reach our goals.
Those of us in leadership positions in our careers have read
insightful books and attended powerful seminars on leadership in the
workplace. But have you ever thought
about the concept of “personal leadership”?
How many of us have taken “leadership” of our own lives, and effectively
navigate our personal lives with thoughtful leadership? We invest a great deal of time and thought
into helping our children, our friends, our coworkers and businesses thrive. We spend loads of time and energy helping
others to identify and reach their dreams and goals, but what about our own
personal lives? We often stay in
survival mode for years and years, where everything seems to be “have-to”, and
we don’t get to the “want-to” places that we dream of. We often feel like human hamsters running
fast on our hamster wheels but not really going anywhere, still stuck in the
familiar cage we call life. Albert
Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing the same
way over and over again, yet expecting different results. If we want different results, we must change
our approach. If we want a different
approach, we must change our thinking. I
believe that it all begins with dreaming big, starting to identify what you
really want, and putting a plan in place to make it happen. How we think determines who we become and the
course of our direction.
Here are some ideas to help you begin to “dream big”!
- Be specific. Identify your specific dreams, and form a detailed plan to reach your goals.
- Create a vision board.
- Start a bucket list of things you have always dreamed of doing or experiencing. Add to the list whenever you find something new that inspires you.
- Set aside time each week to let your mind roam free and dream. Take a walk, a drive, or meditate in a quiet space. Make sure you unplug your life from all technology for an hour or so, and eliminate interruptions. Be still and listen to your heart.
- Ask a friend or mentor to share their dreams for your life. We are often surprised to find that others have a bigger picture of our lives than we do.
- Take action. Achieving your dreams doesn’t just “happen” to you, you have to take action to make it happen.
- Believe your dreams are possible. Inspire yourself with stories of others who have accomplished what you are trying to achieve. If they can do it, why not you?
- Set both short-term and long-term goals. Reaching short-term goals will keep you encouraged as you strive to hit the bigger success marks along the way.
- Be flexible. You will get there, but your journey may not be quite what you expected, and it may not be the same as another person’s journey. Some dreams are reached by taking the long, scenic route, while other dreams are reached by taking the fast highway.
- Celebrate and share your story! As you reach your goals, one at a time, be sure and share your story with others who will be inspired by your achievements. We are all at a different place in the journey, and your story will help keep others moving forward.
“Don’t
be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.” ~Unknown
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