May All Your Dreams Come True!

Years ago, my teenage daughters and I were playing Jenga with one of the neighbor kids, Joshua. Some of the pieces had sayings, tasks, or fortunes written on them. After a piece had been carefully pulled from the tower, we would read what was written on it. On one of Joshua’s turns, he pulled out a piece that had some words on it. Before we could offer to help him read it, he looked at it and confidently said, in his adorable four-year old voice, “May all your dreams come true!” The girls and I just loved it! We still quote Joshua today. So I say to you, may all YOUR dreams come true.

How do you make your dreams come true? First, you must have a dream. Oprah Winfrey said, “You have to be able to identify what you really love and what you really want before you can get it”. Do you dream of having more time for family, traveling, or gardening? Do you want to continue your education, move to Spain, be a racecar driver, get control of the laundry, or change the world? What is it that you dream of?

What if you don’t have a dream? What if you don’t know what you want? In her book Dreams are Whispers from the Soul, Finding Your Purpose and Passion in Life, Marcia Wieder says,

Many don’t know what their dreams are or having been disappointed in the past, may be afraid to dream again. Life without dreams is no life at all. When our existence gets reduced to a list of problems to solve or things to check off, passion dries up. Imagine a different list, one comprised of projects and activities that are the expression of our heart and soul. Reconnect to what makes you happy. Do you know what that is? If someone tells me, “I don’t have any dreams”, I offer back, “It sounds like your dream is to have a dream.” In a heart beat, they move from having a problem to solve to getting into action on something they want…a dream. It’s more powerful to move toward what you want than to move away from something you want to get rid of.

Once you have identified your dream, it is time to take action toward living it. Begin by believing in your dream. Change the thoughts, beliefs, and actions that have been obstacles to living your dream up to this point in time. Do you believe that you can live your dream? Do not give in to fear and doubt; go forward seeking ways to live your dream. Do something everyday, no matter how small, toward realizing your dream.

Share your dream with others. This is not easy for several reasons. First, you may fear being laughed at, or discouraged from pursuing your dream. Second, you may be afraid of what others will think of you if you fail to achieve your dream. And thirdly, if others know about your dream, they will expect you to actually take action toward achieving your dream. Wieder gives this advice, “Successful dreamers know that great results come from assembling an extraordinary team. Share your dreams with like minded people, kindred spirits and valuable resources. A resource is everyone you know and everyone you don’t know. Everyone is a potential resource for helping you accomplish your dreams”.

You can live a fulfilling life full of joy and passion by identifying, believing in, sharing, and acting upon our dreams.

May all your dreams come true!