So many women I know are holding on to a deep secret, keeping quiet about something that could change the world – or, at the very least, their lives.
The secret is a dream.
A dream of doing something more, something different, something that’s been calling their name. Is there one inside you?
Why all the secrecy? Because these dreams are mirrors to our soul. They reveal what we long for, what really matters to us. They ask us to feel worthy of them. They challenge us to follow them regardless of how the people in our lives react.
And when we say them out loud, we make them real.
They dangle in the air in front of us, clear as day. Not so easy to ignore as when they were buried inside, shrouded in doubt and fear. When we say them out loud, to real live people, those people might have questions or opinions or – gasp! – ideas to help us.
Eight years ago, I decided to be brave about revealing a dream of mine. I’d been blogging for a year about beauty in our midst. Taking pictures, writing about what I saw, feeling increasingly connected to the universe, and nervously protecting a growing longing to turn my reflections on beauty into a book. I could see it in my mind’s eye. I could feel it helping people. I could imagine it being really popular. But it felt audacious, preposterous to think I was ready for that or worthy of that. Still, that dream chased me. Kept popping up when my guard was down.
One day, I went out for coffee with Anne, a smart and spirited woman who had mutual friends with me. We talked about our backgrounds, our work. And then, like an angel in disguise, she looked at me lovingly and asked if I had any dreams she might be able to help me achieve. And that’s when I said it, just like that.
I said my dream out loud. I gave it wings.
And do you want to know the craziest thing? She had just met with a local publisher the week before who said he was looking for the very kind of book I described to her. The universe is freaking amazing when we speak our truth, isn’t it? Anne connected us, the publisher gave me a book deal, and I relished every second we worked together on that book.
A couple of years later, two weeks before the book went to print, the publishing house closed its doors without warning. My book never saw the light of day. It was sad, of course, but I already knew deep down my dream was morphing. I already had other hopes gaining steam inside me. Experiencing the power of giving voice to that book dream gave me confidence to speak up about other fantasies for my life. And the death of that book gave me the space to launch my first ecourse. I wasn’t sure I was ready to or worthy of teaching anything to anyone, but it was another little dream that wouldn’t let me go. As soon as I said it out loud and wrote it on my blog, I set the wheels in motion. And today, I am so grateful for the brilliant women who have come together for my classes over the years. I’ve learned as much from them as they have from me, if not more.
Saying my dreams out loud – the ones that reveal who I am and what I want and ask me to stand in my own light for all to see – is still daunting. But, because my friend Andrea Schroeder asked me to share here today how I give a dream wings, I’ve decided to be brave. To tell you about a new (old) dream. To say it out loud, to release it to the universe on wings and a prayer. To set the wheels in motion. Here goes…
I’m ready (again) to write a book. A best-selling book (squeeeeeal!). A book that cracks hearts wide open to fill them with hope. A book that brings us all closer to the Great Beyond. A book you can’t put down because you hear the voice of God, the swirling universe, the dancing stars, the stirring of your soul every time you open it, leading you to your happily ever after.
It’s a big, bold dream. Audacious, yes. Preposterous? Maybe. But possible. Totally, wonderfully possible. Because everything is. It feels awesome and awful to put it in writing, unsure if you’re rolling your eyes or clapping your hands. That’s the way it always feels, and it’s kind of exhilarating. I so hope you’ll try it, too. Your dreams are pulling at your heartstrings because they have something to say, because they need to be in the world, because they’ll help make your life feel worthwhile. Saying them out loud is like pushing them out of the nest; until you do, they have no chance to take flight. So what are you dreaming of, love? Ready, set, fly…
The Give Your Dream Wings Blog Hop is a peek inside the process of how inspiring people make the magic happen. We’ve got some of the internet’s most inspiring bloggers sharing how they give their dreams wings – what they do that supports, nurtures and encourages their tender dreams to come to life.
This is happening in celebration of the new e-course of the same name by Andrea Schroeder of the Creative Dream Incubator. The Give Your Dream Wings e-course shows you how to nurture and grow YOUR dream, for free, in only 10 minutes a day. You do not have to wait until you have more time or money!
Click here to find out about the free e-course, and to read the other (crazy inspiring!) posts in this Blog Hop.
