28 May, 2009

Ah, to Dream...

When we are young we dream.  We do not fear loss or hurting another.

We dream selfishly and we dream big.

Then we grow up.  Our dreams are tethered to the ground, and we have to accept that not everything is as once we might have once thought it to be.

We realize that our dreams have to work with our responsibilities.  No longer is the sky the limit but... the bank account…

And there are people counting upon us for their stability and security.  We might have kids that require our attention or parents who need our assistance as they grow older… and we have spouses and families and friends and employers or employees.  So many people depending on us to keep our feet on the ground; so many depending on us to give and give and give...

Sometimes we give so much that we forget ourselves.  Sometimes we give so much that we forget how to dream.

What happened to the dreams of our youth?  What happened to the selfish pleasure that we took in creating dreams for ourselves - realistic or not, they were dreams that allowed our hearts to fly and our souls to explore what we desired.  In our dreams we were able to see a bit of our passions and explore different things that bring delight.

Something happens to us as we grow older and become adults.  We become more concerned about status and money and lifestyle than living life to the fullest and finding peace in our hearts.    We worry that our own happiness is dependent upon others... or we allow ourselves to believe that we can only be in this city or family or job or situation.

Some of us worry about ensuring the happiness of others - forgetting that no one can make another happy.  Happiness comes from within.

I heard a saying years ago that one of the best gifts we can give our children is the pursuit of our own dreams.  If we can dream... we can pursue that dream... and we allow our kids permission to dream and pursue those dreams.

What do our kids learn if they don't see us dream?  What do they learn if they see us basing our happiness on others over finding it within ourselves?

I am teaching my very sensitive child to keep her power in the sense that no one has the power to hurt her unless she allows them to take it.  Similarly, I want to teach her that happiness is something that comes from within.  Just as people don't have to power to hurt us if we don't let them; they are not responsible for our happiness.

With all this in mind, I recently asked a friend to dream... to not worry about work or family or responsibilities or ensuring the happiness of others... just to dream selfishly.

Dream without a tether to reality; dream as we do as children!

My daughter dreams beautiful dreams of Italy and travel and dance.  She dreams of exploring the importance of education with the members of her ballet company.  She dreams of people getting out of their cars and walking instead of driving everywhere (see... totally not tethered to reality)

I dream... I dream dreams that are about experiences and giving and sharing.  My dreams are no longer about saving the world or professional achievement, but they are about living life to the fullest.

Take a few minutes today and consider - what are your dreams?  Are they tethered to reality?  Are they based upon responsibilities?  Do they allow you the opportunity to feel excited and happy?  Can you dream without worrying about the feelings and happiness of another?

Today, take a few minutes to dream selfishly... life will be there when you return from your little piece of dreamland.... So Dream...

Dream big... I dare you!!

 

 

 

 

1 comment:

dadshouse said...

I've been trying to live my dream, but at some point I have to pay the bills! It's not about material riches, just surviving and thriving. I think if we only focus on dreams, we're like a leaf that blows around joyfully in the wind. It's beautiful to watch, but it's no longer living. The tree is rooted to the ground, and can grow, and sway, and be there. And live. Some dreams need to be rooted in reality for them to have a chance of taking life.