What's Your Dream? -- Winter 2008 Newsletter

WHAT'S YOUR DREAM?

My favorite movie ending is "Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream?" from Pretty Woman. The best thing, however, is that you don't have to live in Hollywood to dream. Every person should have a dream. The challenge for most of us is turning our dream into a reality or "living the dream."

Your dream is your heart’s desire, something you truly want to do. Your dream may be to work in a certain profession or live in a particular place. Your dream could also be simple things like having time to exercise or work in your garden, spend more time with family or friends or finish reading a novel.

What is your dream? What would you love to do with your life if you had the time and resources? Travel? Write a novel? Complete your degree? By knowing your dream, you have a powerful motivator to make changes in your life. And by living your dream, you are fulfilling your destiny. Before you live your dream, you must first find it.

Brainstorm
Brainstorm your dream by quickly answering the following questions and examining the pattern they reveal.

What would you do with your life if...
You won $1 million?
You had to return to college to get a four-year degree?
You won $1,000 a week for life?
You had six months to live?

These questions should motivate you to look behind what you assume to be your dream. For example, you might assume that your dream is to have lots of money, but what do you want from that money? What do you want to do with your time?

Write it down
Take a walk or go to a quiet place where you can contemplate your dream and then write a detailed dream statement. It takes courage to state your dream, particularly if it is different than your current lifestyle or what you think people expect of you. By writing a dream statement, you are creating a picture and your subconscious mind will work to complete the picture. The more positive your picture, the more positive your results.

Set aside time for your dream
You have to nurture your dream, just as you would nurture a rose garden. Designate a particular time during the week to work on your dream. Long-term goals are best achieved when you break them into shorter ones. When your dream truly reflects your desires, you will get up in the morning like a child at Christmas, you will barely be able to contain your excitement.

Get ready, get ready, get ready!
The best thing about having a dream is that it may come true. But you may be so surprised when you get a chance at your dream that you are not ready to act. Abraham Lincoln said, "If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first hour sharpening the ax." Prepare yourself for opportunities and follow Bishop T.D. Jakes instructions to "get ready, get ready, get ready!"

Testimonial
When I reflected on my being and dreams, I noticed that there were two constants in my life: cooking and writing. I enjoyed these tasks so much that I would actually get up early in the morning to cook and/or write. Combining my two passions, I decided to write a cookbook. I wrote my dream statement and developed a timeline. Every Saturday, I tested recipes, typed them up, and took pictures of the finished product. In May 2007, my dream was realized when Yummy to the Tummy Family Table Cookbook went to press. The book is a success! Had I not taken the necessary steps, I would not have realized my dream of authoring and publishing a cookbook.

I encourage you all to live your dream. To quote Ralph Marsten, "What you are longing for is longing for you."