What If You Dared to Dream?
"Dream what you dare to dream. Go where you want to go. Be what you want to be."
Earl Nightingale
Are adults allowed to dream?
That’s kind of a funny question, but it’s a very important one.
Very few of us were raised with role models over the age of 35 who were encouraged to live their dreams.
What most of our society valued was being hard-working, responsible and realistic.
The implication being that sacrificing your own needs and wants is virtuous, and demonstrates that you’re a “good” person.
Whereas “dreamers” were considered to be out of touch with reality, naive and irresponsible.
But what if it isn’t so black and white?
Maybe adults can have dreams without being naive, or foolish or irresponsible.
And perhaps we can achieve those dreams while still being excellent parents, wives, husbands and members of our community.
What if the litmus test for being a worthy adult is not sacrifice, but love?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill and just about every other teacher who understands how results are created, it’s this:
Every single one of us is equipped with an inner knowing of who we’re here to be and what we’re here to do.
And that inner knowing never leads you to sacrifice, exhaust yourself or remain unfulfilled.
It always leads you to a life you absolutely love.
People who have the courage to listen to their inner voice and follow their dreams, are happy, feel alive and prosper.
People who push down that inner voice settle for what they think they “should” do, and in the end it dampens their spirit.
And it’s not luck, being born in the right place at the right time, or having a good upbringing.
All of us have the capacity to listen to our inner voice and thrive.
Daring to listen to that voice and discover your dream begins with one question:
What would I love?
The answer to that question is who you were born to be, what you are here to do, and what will create the greatest fulfillment for yourself, the people around you, and the world.
Following your dreams is not a luxury for people with money, time or youth on their side.
It is the thing that will actually bring you abundance, time, energy and purpose... Not the other way around!
When you follow your dreams you are being 100% who you were designed to be and you can’t help but succeed.
The only reason that people don’t try is because we fear taking the step without certainty of success.
But what every truly successful person would tell you is this:
The decision to follow your dream IS what makes success certain.
There is something you have to surrender, though: CONTROL.
You won’t know every step of your journey on day one. You’ll know the first step, that’s all.
Then you’ll discover the next step, and the next step and pretty soon your dream is taking shape.
That’s why you must ask yourself the question, “What would I love?”
Because you must be in love with your dream to take a leap of faith, trust the process and make the journey worthwhile.
So today I ask you to have the same bit of courage that scared me when I first entertained the idea of having a dream.
Just enough courage to ask “What would I love my life to be like?” and then a little bit more courage to listen for the answer within.
Hear whatever that answer is. Picture it and feel it, even if it scares you.
Even if you have no idea how it would ever be possible.
That’s what makes it a dream.
There are many people who have done this, myself included. It’s simply how human beings are wired, but we were never given the operating manual.
You have everything it takes. You can do this.
Just ask yourself today, “What would I love?”