Recently, during a phone conversation with a potential business partner I asked this question, "Are you living the life you dreamed of when you were a child?" The question was followed by a long silence.
Finally, the quivering voice on the other end of the line responded, "I buried my dreams long ago.
" I admired her honesty.
Unfortunately, this is true of many people and this fact has robbed us of artists who, with the stroke of a brush, could have created masterpieces on canvas that would have hung on the walls of our homes.
It has deprived us of novels that would have made us laugh and cry as we turned the pages.
Possibly, an innocent man could have been saved from a life of imprisonment by a gifted attorney who let his dream of defending innocent men and woman lie dormant in his heart, while he drifted through day after boring day, working at a job he hated.
Why do we bury our dreams? What happens to the hope and zest for life that we felt as children? I think that too often it's because someone we loved spoke harshly, or laughed at our ideas when they should have spoken words of encouragement.
Maybe the words of a parent or sibling stung so deeply within us that we began to believe that the words were true.
Possibly it was a teacher in school, telling us one more time to "sit down and be quiet," or that our answers had to be "from the book" and not thoughts from our own minds.
I've spoken with people who became so sick of spending countless days in a boring schoolroom that they simply "checked out.
" At this point, it really doesn't matter why a person buried their dreams; what really matters is that they dig them up, dust them off, and get on with their lives.
For those of us who have chosen to change our lives by building a home based business it is imperative that we dig deep and bring our dreams to the surface again, because it is those dreams that will move us forward to accomplish our goals.
When others may quit, our dreams, our WHY, will usher us on until we attain the vision of the life we really want to live.
Our dreams will propel us forward when people tell us "no" or when a team member may decide to leave our business to follow a different path.
Our dreams will help us to remain focused, roll up our sleeves, and go to work.
They will help us press beyond our comfort zones, and become not only better business builders but better people.
Some of you may be very clear about your vision.
Others may have an "idea" about what you want while some may not even have a clue.
Regardless of where you find yourself, let me share with you a simple exercise that has helped countless people on this journey of building dreams.
Begin with a journal.
It doesn't have to be fancy.
A spiral notebook will be fine.
Set aside some time when you can be alone.
Turn off the phone and the computer.
If you can, consider getting a hotel room where there will be no distractions.
This has always worked great for me.
I like to go for a walk and listen to music that inspires me.
Then I'm ready to put pen to paper.
Find what works best for you so that you will be relaxed.
Then take out your journal and take a trip down memory lane.
Remember your childhood and write down what you liked to do.
What did your play times look like? What made you happy? Now move forward to your teen years and do the same.
What were your dreams? What things excited you? What were your favorite classes? What projects could you get lost in so that time slipped my without you noticing? Here are some categories to write about.
Social: relationships, marriage, family, friends, extended family Career: your business, job goals, education etc.
Health: physical, mental, spiritual Personal: hobbies/passions, personal development, favorite hobbies, travel, etc.
Economic: current state of your finances, income, bills you want to eliminate, things you want to buy Jim Rohn says that at the heart of every dream is an underlying motive for wanting the things that we want, and that often the motive itself is infinitely more important than the realization of the dreams.
So, go back over what you have written and think about the feelings behind your dreams.
Be sure to write about these motivating feelings in your journal as well.
Maybe you desire to purchase a home and pay cash so the feeling or motive behind this dream is security.
I've spoken with people who have lost homes in foreclosure due to job losses.
Therefore, their motivation to pay cash for the home is to feel secure in knowing that they will never face foreclosure again.
Complete this sentence in your journal, "When I reach my dreams, I will finally...
" Be honest with yourself when your write your motives, desires and needs.
There are no wrong answers.
All of us are unique, and our dreams and motives are unique to us.
This in itself calls for celebration! This journaling experience is step one on your journey towards living the life of your dreams! Taking this step will "break the ice" so to speak, and what lies ahead of you, if you continue on the journey, will amaze and delight you.