"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau
Are YOU living the life you've imagined? Are you allowing your dreams to drive you? If not, you may have given up on yourself without even realizing it.
And what exactly is a dream? I'm NOT talking about those crazy things you have while you're sleeping after having eaten too much spicy food the night before. The dreams I'm talking about are your hopes, your aspirations, the way you wish things could be.
Today I'm going to show you how to be driven by your dreams…AND give you some immediate actions steps to do so.
I'm going to start by sharing a quick poem I wrote.
Inspiration
Ever felt like you’ve completely lost your motivation?
Where does one begin to look, to find new inspiration?
Well, when’s the last time you took an honest look at your dreams?
The odds are, the time since last, has been longer than it seems
For we’re driven by our dreams—our inner most desires
The way we wish things could be! That’s what ever inspires
Stop letting perfectly good motivation go to waste
It’s time that you realize: your dreams are meant to be chased
So gather each of your dreams, and write them all down—right now!
Do not lose sight of them again; make this a solemn vow
Share them with others; don’t be scared to let the whole world know
Then all that’s left to do, is convert those dreams into goals
What do you wish to accomplish? Where would you like to be?
What’s the single, most important thing you hope to achieve?
Let's reflect for a moment. I've asked it before, and I'll ask it again: What are you passionate about?
What (or who) is keeping you from pursuing your dreams? (More often than not, the answer is yourself.)
Dreams drive us! But to be driven by our dreams, we must be in touch with our dreams.
Here's your challenge this week: Start a dream journal.
Begin by jotting down your Top 10 Dreams (the top 10 things you wish to accomplish, become, or do), and don’t hold back!
If you want to swim with Dolphins, where and when would you like to do that?
If you want to travel the world, write down where you would like to go.
If you want to run a marathon…I don't know why you would want to run a marathon, but if you do, which marathon you'd like to run? Be specific!
It's fine to keep it general to begin with, but the more specific you are, the easier it is to imagine, and the easier it is to make it a reality. Let your imagination run wild!
As soon as you’re done, share those dreams with someone you trust will encourage you, and if you’re really daring, share a few in the comments section below. I would love to hear about them.
Then hang the list up in a place you will glance at daily, like your bathroom mirror (which if you do that, you might want to laminate if first as steam from the shower might make the ink want to run a marathon. See what I did there?
ALWAYS be adding to the list. Have a minimum of 10, but try for 100! And be sure to revisit your dream journal often. Perhaps put a reminder in your phone to look at that list once a day until it becomes a habit. We don’t want to fall into the out of sight out of mind predicament, so keep it in sight.
My ultimate dream, for the past 7 years has been to have a baby with my wonderful wife. And guess what? Our miracle is due this January! I say this because while some dreams may take years to accomplish, when they finally come to fruition, it's that much sweeter.
Your dreams are far too valuable to let go to waste. Let this list become your wellspring of inspiration!
The good new is, no matter where you are in life, it's never too late to pursue and achieve your dreams!
-Jeff Teresi
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