Around a year ago, I found myself in an internal tug of war:
• I wanted to be more intentional about the things I did and the direction my life was headed in.
• But writing my intentions down felt incredibly scary. What if I’d disappoint myself?
• Then again, how would I ever know if I didn’t try? (Round and round, I went.)
Can you relate?
When fear calls the shots…
This tug of war was happening unconsciously, so once I realized my fear of disappointment was deciding for me, I did something about it. I decided I’d make a vision board with my actual dreams and intentions!
I worked on it for a few weeks and it forced me to get really specific, then find visual symbols (since most of my intentions don’t necessarily involve material possessions.)
As I stepped back and took in the final product, I was glad to see the clarity I’d gotten over the past few years. That being said, something else, something unexpected was being reflected back at me, and it felt pretty uncomfortable.
I’d expected to take in the board with relief and excitement, like:
“Oh, this is what I want! Finally!”
But instead, it was different:
“Oh… this is the same stuff I’ve been dreaming about for a decade (with a few evolutions).”
This was a sobering thought.
Sitting with inconvenient truths
Things I’d dismissed as ‘unrealistic’ or ‘impossible’ were still staring me in the face 10 years later. (This is probably why Marie Forleo is always talking about the 10 year test: if you time-travel 10 years into the future and you haven’t done anything about this, would you regret it?)
There was no running this time though: the dreams (I do nothing about) will not go away. I let it sink in. I don’t necessarily get to choose the dreams either, but they seem to simply exist in me. Perhaps there’s a reason for this, and it’s time to do something about it.
So what to do?
(Not your traditional action plan.)
I knew myself well enough to anticipate ample amounts of resistance (after all, you don’t run from or deny your dreams for no reason). Instead, I kept it really simple.
Even remembering these dreams was a challenge, so I started there. The smallest possible step?
Remember, honour and nurture the dream. This is the commitment I made.
Luckily, I had a brand new board to remind me, so I kept it close and visible, without the pressure of doing it all at once – or at all – and risking slipping back into dream-related amnesia.
Did it work?
One of the things on my board involved a flying trapeze, which I’d never even been on (or even seen in real life). And last week, I went flying for the second time in 6 months!
I share this with you because you’re not alone in dreaming ‘impossible’ dreams. Trust me 😉
There seems to be no shortage of reasons and people telling us why what we want is impossible.
And yet… does it really have to be this way?
Are there people in the world doing what you’re dreaming of – even if tangentially?
How about using this community to dream and cheer each other on?
Because let’s face it, those dreams may not be going anywhere so what’s the harm in believing they’re there for a reason?
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to believe there are paths forward for each of us, without having to supress our dreams – and that we don’t need to go at it alone.
What are you dreaming about?
No really! I’m curious: what are you dreaming about?
It might be related to learning Finnish – or any other skill, realizing a specific milestone in your life OR something completely unrelated – nothing if off the table.
Let me know by leaving a comment below! (Or for those of you who aren’t ready to say it out loud yet, do yourself the favour of at least naming the dreams for yourself, as I did above)
To our impossible dreams made possible, and where ever the journey leads!
Sincerely,
Irina
P.S. For those dreaming Finnish dreams, maybe I can help! Fri, Feb 28th is the last day to apply for Finnish Through New Eyes – Spring 2020, starting in March. Check out the details here, if you haven’t already. This program won’t run again until Fall 2020.
