The Life Dream Archive

This is the archive of posts from my original blog “The Life Dream,” that started it all. :) Posts are from 2013-2015.

Starting the week

Monday, Monday, the day so many of us dread. I am working on reframing it in my head as a fresh start rather than the beginning of the work week.

This Monday I started back at Toastmasters. It’s been about year since I last attended and it was good to be back.

Now I just need to get started on a speech. Some ideas are ruminating…

Oh also I have been listening to Joel Osteen’s Your Best Life Now in the car on the way to & from work. He has some good points but its a little hard for me to get past his pastorly, southern voice and ‘abundance’ teachings. It still bugs me when people talk about how God will bless us if we just have enough faith. There’s a disconnect there, but I will have to write more about that when I have more time.

For now, Monday is down & tomorrow is a new day to learn & grow.

Aim for the moon…

Today I allowed myself to be open to the future possibility of a dream home. I could actually FEEL it being possible for the first time today.

“Always aim for the Moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

― W. Clement Stone

Human Nature

Why do we resist that which is good for us? How is it that I so don’t feel like getting up early on a Saturday morning to go work out when I know that it’s good for me? And yet, once I’m done working out I’m so glad I did it.  It’s human nature, but I can’t help wondering why.

You feel so good when you’re done working out or have finished that project. So why do you loathe the idea of doing it in the first place?

It’s the same with our dreams, sure we want the result but sometimes we have to force ourselves to take the necessary steps to achieve success. (sometimes over and over again)  My boyfriend suggests a change in perspective – re framing how we look at the task at hand, to remind ourselves of the rewards that outweigh the pain.

“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”   ― Plato

What discomfort will we endure now to gain a better payoff later?

Or what pleasure (or comfort) will we indulge now at the cost of a dream being fulfilled?

Lemme tell ya, I’m firmly in the discomfort-zone right now, but I’m keeping the faith, this is gonna pay off (& it already is).

Oh Crap, What have I done?

This morning I was battling fear big time.  I found myself being inundated with negative thoughts and fears.  Potent, even plausible fears continued to assail my hopeful will and mind.  The “reality” of what I’ve just done – committing myself, publicly to making my dreams come true, sunk in this morning.

I started worrying about the HOWs of this thing and worst of all I started thinking about how I might fail.  We all have different core fears and mine is the idea of feeling “worthless.”  My emotions were in turmoil and I kept thinking, “why is this bothering me so much, where’s the disconnect from yesterday to today?”  And then I realized, I didn’t feel like it today. I didn’t feel like putting the effort in to be positive and motivated.  I just wanted to “be.”   I wanted to ease this burning feeling in my chest and just be comfortable again.  The idea of failure that seemed like no big deal yesterday suddenly felt like the worst thing in the world.  I wasn’t afraid of trying and being rejected, no, what I truly I fear is not following through.

I realized that I had decided to start writing this blog and had set no timeframe, no deadline and really not much more than an idea that I’d write something every day.  So naturally I started wondering about the days I don’t feel like it or the days I go on vacation, what were my rules?  The truth is, I’m not sure yet.  I just need to do this now, to write each day and push.  I’m going to go against my perfectionist nature and I’m going to leave room, at the moment, for the rules to come.

So I’m following through, I’m writing and I’m going to pray every day that God continues to give me the strength to follow through on my dreams.  With his strength it is all possible!

Two other quick thoughts:

-taking a risk & getting even a small task done, checked off the list, can really alleviate the stress of feeling like you’re floundering in your day/life. (I guess, just be careful you’re challenging yourself & not just checking off whatever is easiest)

-Wow, I’m so blessed by kind words from my friends right now.  Thank you friends! Don’t underestimate the power of one kind sentiment said.

Starting before You’re Ready…

Today, I’m working on keeping my momentum up and doing at least one thing (or maybe a few) to push myself to move closer to living my dreams.

So today I’m stretching myself with a little impromptu video, unscripted  unpolished, but an honest start.  Here’s goes nothin’!

Sick & Tired of Not Living My Dreams

It’s funny how a little flu can smack you over the head with a dose of reality so strong that you sober  up to your life and decide to make a change.  I had just such an experience last week, several epiphinal thoughts wracked my unsuspecting brain and well, catalyzed me to take the reins anew of my life.   The chief offender:  the realization that I had parked on my road of life, nearly giving up, or at the very least certainly not passionately pursuing my dreams.

I have a tendency to get depressed sometimes when I’m sick.   When I am feeling under the weather, my personality lends itself to finding all that is wrong in the world.  I’m a doer by nature and so sometimes when I am forced to “rest” every task that is left undone, dish uncleaned, carpet unvacuumed and dream unrealized accumulates over my head in a dark cloud of despair and anger.  My poor boyfriend, who  loves me despite my extremes, patiently listened to me as I baroquely chastised myself and those around me for the flabbergasting state the world was in.

But once I was done ranting, the explosion of my emotions contracted again and revealed a clearer picture of what I really feel, what I really want and where I am heading on this road of life.

I knew I was in desperate need of help, help that could only come from those who have made it their life’s purpose to bring enlightenment to us average joes.  I immediately ordered some Les Brown motivational recordings from Audible.com.  For the last 3 days I have been listening to Les over and over.  I’m sick and tired of the excuses I’ve created that have kept me from living my dreams.  No longer will I buy into these fallacies.  I’m bringing in positive reinforcement into my life.

So many of us have a plethora of excuses on hand to help us lie to ourselves and  keep us from living up to our true potential.  Les says that for every one person who tells you “you can’t do it” it takes 17 times of someone telling  “you CAN do it” before you start to believe in yourself again.  Well friends, I’m taking action and I will be listening, reading and being open to the positive voices in my life to remind myself that indeed I CAN do it and WILL do it – live my dreams.

I’m just like anyone else, I’m a normal person, not born into wealth or what many would call advantages.  Hell, I’m a single mom with no college education, I’ve had to rely on the kindness of friends and family to get through some hard financial times of late.  But I don’t care because those things do NOT define me, what defines me is who I am  and how I choose to act.  I’m flawed and fickle;  sometimes I’m right and sometimes I’m wrong.  I can be bullheaded and a pushover.  But within me lies greatness, the same greatness that lies within you.  This greatness comes from God and I believe he’s given each of us gifts and talents, dreams that poke away at our hearts, begging us to do what we were meant to come to this earth to do.  And dammmit, it’s time, I’m not going to live a life half lived and regret pursuing the dreams I know I’m meant to live and give.

One of the most powerful illustrations I’ve heard Les Brown share, and the one that motivates me and moves me to tears like no other is the story that follows.  I hope it will awaken a commitment in you to live your dreams too.

(Note: original video was removed by Youtube.)