It’s important to have a dream ~ a big one ~ to be able to live ‘in-joy’ and embrace all that you are. You have one. Whether it’s hidden inside or visible in the form of a vision seed map or a mind~movie or inspired through the words of passionate people. It’s there. This takes time but when done brings momentum to your moments and action to your day. It’s inspiring! Then, it’s important to keep that dream alive during moments of challenge and doubt.
So, now that you have your dream, How do you Keep your Dream Alive? It’s easy to let go of dreams when the struggle seems too hard. If you do not have that dream to hold onto, letting go of it can happen withing a matter of seconds. Why do you Mother’s have pictures of their children around? To remind them of their love for them and their role in their children’s lives. Why do you solo-business owner’s keep their mission statement in front of them? To remind them of what is really important in those difficult times.
How do I know how to keep your dream alive? Because, I’ve been there in those moments of struggle and doubt. I’ve been in business long enough to have them myself. It comes at a point when you allow the mind~minions is. Those thoughts that say “This is too hard” or “Why is this happening to me?” or “I’m done!” It’s at these points that you can either let go of the dream or keep the dream alive.
At these moments, I choose to keep the dream alive. I take a deep breath. Step away from the challenge and know that in everything their is a lesson and in everything their is an opportunity. I go to this formula for reinforcement:
KEEP YOUR DREAM ALIVE FORMULA:
1) Re-ignite Your Dream~ Go back to your why….look at your vision seed map, or Watch your mind-movie! That’s what I do and it gets me every time. I watch it almost daily but sometimes I forget or get moving before I can and sometimes, I look at it a few times to have it re-inforce my deepest desires.
2) Rediscover Your Belief ~it’s there deeply rooted in your soul, take time to listen to it. Ask yourself a burning question, like “is it REALLY time to give up?” Don’t you really want to know that answer or sit and stew? I douse a question like this one about my dream and always receive a powerful response from my pendulum!
3) Release your emotions & Rejuvenate ~ use the water element to release (take a bath, sit by a water fall ~or just imagine etc.) and let the water take the emotion out of the moment. Use the Fire element to rejuvenate (sit, in the sun, Burn a candle, etc) and allow nature’s warmth to envelope and rejuvenate your spirit.
4) Reward & Reconnect those achieving ~ Send those people you see growing & glowing applause. This brings joy into your heart. You can’t achieve your dream if you don’t have joy beaming from you! Take time to be around inspiring people to uplift your energy.
5) Resume ~ Get seriously focused, now! Do a time management survey. Sometimes, you simply need to look at how you are spending your time. I start by repeatedly asking myself this question: “What is the #1 thing I need to be doing right now to take productive steps toward my dream?”
6) Embrace the Journey ~ The destination is not the reward. Your dream will grow as you start reaching it. It’s the natural evolution and so, that ‘dream’ will never just be….it’s not the destination, it’s the journey. Each and every day you are on the path of the dream~ find that in each moment, be ‘ in-joy’ of it and offer gratitude for having it. This is your true reward.
The next time the struggle seems too difficult or you are challenged to Keep the Dream Alive, Try this formula and see how you will be easily re-inspired to touch all the people you are meant to touch! What else can you do to release the challenge, remember the passion and embrace the journey?
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Great ideas for reinvigorating your dreams, Laura! A lot of these steps are similar to what you find in a model for change. It is all cyclical. Loved making the connection.
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 18th, 2013 at 10:45 am
That’s true, Janine. And, I didn’t make that connection until you pointed it out. For me, it’s about recognizing the ‘doubt’,finding ways to maintain the courage, move through that fear and be in alignment with what your real purpose is! 🙂
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Comment by Janine Sarna-Jones — March 18, 2013 @ 8:31 am
I love this assortments of ways to keep one’s dream alive, even in the face of doubt. They range from deep inquiry to getting into action to letting go. Nice. I especially appreciate the questions, like, “What is the #1 thing I need to be doing right now to take productive steps toward my dream?” and “Is it really time to give up?” because so often these can cut through the static of doubt, fear and general ego freak-outs. Good stuff.
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 19th, 2013 at 6:33 am
Thanks, Nancy. I love that one question “what is the #1 thing…..” We all have those moments but if you can recover and recover quickly from those (LOVE your expression) Ego freak-outs and then take ACTION. It’s so empowering!!! Thank you for that add golden nugget!
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Comment by Nancy Tierney — March 18, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
Love the formula Laura. Rewarding and reconnecting with those who are achieving is great stuff too! Congratulating someone for their success puts you into the zone too and is motivating. Embrace the journey – it’s what helps us get to a place we want to be…
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 20th, 2013 at 6:46 pm
It was similar to your post this week about making commitments and keeping them 🙂
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Comment by Linda — March 20, 2013 @ 5:26 pm
Nice formula, Laura! A wise musing indeed. I also find it helpful to document my dream intention for the day to keep me remembering the joy of it all…who am I becoming while realizing my dream? <3
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 24th, 2013 at 3:35 pm
OH true, Sandi! Daily intentions are key 🙂
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Comment by Sandi Gordon — March 23, 2013 @ 10:47 pm
Hi Laura! Beautiful post. I believe that the frustration and then the challenge of sticking with our dream despite the challenge only makes success more satisfying. It’s contrast and we need it to help us define, is this really what we want? Is this really what we’re called to do/be? You reminded me of an experience that I had back in college 17 years ago where I almost gave up on my dream. I can’t get into it right now but your post definitely triggered the memory for me and reminded me just how long this seed has been within my heart. Thank you. Janet
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 24th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Love that you are nourishing the seed, janet!
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Comment by Janet — March 24, 2013 @ 3:06 pm
Such an important reminder, Laura. I would love to have a a mind movie to fan my internal flame! Grrr, I’ve let perfection paralysis prevent me from creating it. No more! Thanks, lovely.
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 25th, 2013 at 7:21 am
Oh Lori ~ don’t! I so did that for a few years….the techno-challenges of it etc….I’m certain it took me a lot longer than necessary! There is no doubt whatsoever that the Sunday it took me to create it has had it’s return on time invested met over and over and over and over again! I honestly believe that without it, I would not be on this path and working with the clients who need me. And, I can say the same of you ~ your clients need you, if you feel like it will be helpful, carve out the time and do it! Remember, the only person that has to see it for the time being is YOU! <3
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Comment by Lori Nash Byron — March 24, 2013 @ 10:58 pm
Thanks for this Laura all of which I endorse in spite of the difficulty sometimes of keeping the dream alive! I love all the re’s – reward and reconnect, rediscover, release, resume – I found it all re-firing!
No A-Z blog challenge badge? Which is how I found you incidentally – looking around at blogs sort of near mine.
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Laura Clark Reply:
March 25th, 2013 at 11:39 am
Oh…so glad you found me via the challenge. My web-guy is on it 🙂 Love the refiring use !!!
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Comment by susan scott — March 25, 2013 @ 11:07 am