For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge believer in the power of dreams. Dreams deeply desired, turn into goals. Goals, when we choose to focus on them & work towards them steadily, can be achieved! In my own life I’ve known the joy of achieving several major goals. At one time they were only possibilities, stirring within my mind many years prior as I allowed myself to dream them! Since 2003, I’ve had the honor & privilege too, of listening to the dreams of over a thousand women in my courses, talks & trainings…& personally watching hundreds of them come to fruition as well! Still, the great power found in allowing ourselves to dream in the first place…is where it all starts!
When we’re small children, most of us find allowing ourselves to dream an easy feat. As adults though, allowing ourselves to dream can become a challenge. Once we’ve experienced the deep hurt of a dream not realized, family or friends continually belittling a dream or simply hitting a point in life where we’re utterly exhausted by a particular situation or circumstance, having dreams again, seems less enticing. I myself, know this firsthand.
When I stopped working in 2012, I was thoroughly exhausted. For nearly a decade I gave every inch of myself to my work. Giving all of myself to my work though, always fulfilled & energized me! It was only when we had our second child that energetically, things changed for me dramatically. When our daughter was born, I neither expected nor could’ve known the tremendous amount of additional energy parenting both our children would now require of me. A full year back to work after taking maternity leave, I finally realized I couldn’t continue giving in the way I was with both my work 24/7 & now additionally, our two, small children. There would be nothing left of me! As I stepped away, I felt sad, defeated & exhausted. Dreaming future dreams; beautiful things to again one day experience, see or do…was not only the farthest thing from my mind, it felt impossible! Stepping away from the hundreds of clients I loved like family & exciting work opportunities being presented at that time too, were like broken dreams of sorts as well. Once I was no longer working, I slowly came undone. There was this deep sense of feeling lost in my life. I felt on ‘empty’ too. Many days I thought I’d never find my way back to my work or true self again…& I seriously wondered if I’d ever be able to fully, fill myself up once more.
While it took several years for me to find my footing again (& to thoroughly fill myself back up), I did! We human beings are both amazing & resilient like that. By allowing ourselves the time & help we need, we’ll not only come through, we’ll be better, wiser & stronger for it (eventually!) Lessons throughout this period were plentiful, beautiful & deep for me. I also continue to this day, to see things more & more clearly as time marches on.
One thing that quickly became crystal clear to me was I hadn’t dreamed any dream, old or new, in a long time. I thought about this for awhile. I continued to think about it too, until I finally felt the slightest bit of excitement around the idea of allowing myself to start dreaming again! This small feeling eventually grew into elation & so here I am; beginning to dream once more!
As we now step into this fresh, new year I continue thinking about the power our dreams hold for us all…especially at the start of this new beginning! What kind of power can our dreams possess? Dreams can offer us hope! They can provide us with a reason to get up in the morning and in more challenging times, give us a reason to keep moving forward. Despite what we sometimes tell ourselves too, everyone in this human experience is vulnerable, fragile. Yes, we sometimes might even feel as though we’ve been broken apart. Still, as the late Leonard Cohen wrote best, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” And I believe, that the light that comes in gives us the energy to continue dreaming or dream again…if we allow ourselves to!
So with this beautiful, limitless new year ahead, I hope you’ll join me & allow yourself to dream, continue dreaming or dream once more…whenever you’re ready & wanting to!
As always, may you take from here large or small, whatever’s helpful to you…& where needed, share this message with those you love! Happy New Year. I wish you a beautiful month & a bright, dream-filled year ahead!
