I used to consider myself a realist. Not in the beginning, in the beginning, I was a dreamer. Then, my life took a different course. Before I knew it I was a busy wife and mother and my dreams had been buried so deep I'd forgotten what they were.
After a time the nest became empty and I went in search for that one thing that I had been passionate about before. Before diapers, and bottles and the never-ending cooking and cleaning that comes along with raising a family.
It didn't take me long to remember the thing that I had loved was books.
Oh, how I treasured the stories I had read as a child. My books took me on adventures. They made me laugh and cry and see myself in the characters that lived among their pages.
Once I started reading again, (now that I finally had the time.) I remembered that I had once loved writing too. As a child, I wrote poems almost as soon as learned to put words on a page.
I was a quiet kid. My thoughts were deep. I was frequently referred to by teachers and adults as a daydreamer. In those days, teachers didn't have much patience for a kid with her head in the clouds. So as I grew older it seemed the natural thing to do was put aside those dreams and get on with the business at hand. Which I did.
But when I finally reconnected with that dream inside of me, my life opened up. I wrote stories, long stories, short stories, poems, and finally my first novel.
My dream didn’t just happen. It took, and still takes, a lot of hard work and dedication. I’m not always up for the challenge. But the important thing is, I keep coming back to it. I won’t bury my dreams, not ever again. And neither should you. Be a dreamer, be a doer, and a thinker. And encourage those things in the children in your life.
Want to reconnect with your dream? Ask yourself these 3 questions.
1. Aside from normal daily activities, what do I enjoy most?
Think about what makes you feel joyful and connected.
2.What was my passion as a child?
Remember when you had no worries or fears? Nothing seemed impossible. Get back to that place in your head.
3. If I only had one day left to do something for myself, what would it be?
Our lives are full of responsibilities. Imagine that everything you are responsible for has been taken care of, now you can spend the day doing something you've always wanted to do. No limits.
Now go follow that dream.
