Too often I find my clients, (myself included), have forgotten how to dream.  Our lives have been put on some sort of auto-pilot/survival mode.  There is no passion, there is only survival.

I hear things like “If I can just get through this”; or “I am just living day by day – I figure if I can get through today I’m doing OK”.

Why is it that we forget how to dream?

I think there are many reasons.  But the biggest one is unmet expectations.

Have you ever daydreamed, planned, hoped for something only to have it never come to fruition?  To have circumstances that you believed were beyond your control bring all of your hopes and dreams crashing down at your feet?  I have.  It hurts – on so many levels.

When this happens, a wall starts to build.  It is our wall of protection.  We build it – usually subconsciously to protect ourselves.  We don’t want that hurt again.

Each time we get our dreams dashed, we add more height and thickness to that wall.  It becomes a shield – a fortress.  Unfortunately for us, it doesn’t just keep the hurt out, it keeps the dreams, success and joy out as well.

After a period of time, there is no more dreaming, no more hope – just existence.  We stop trying.  We stop reaching for more because our arms are not long enough to over-reach the wall.

It happens so subtly we hardly notice it.  And then, without warning we are in a never ending, Groundhog Day existence.

What can we do to tear down that wall and start dreaming again?  You see, I believe it is our Divine Nature – our true destiny, to dream and have success and our heart’s desires.  We are meant to have JOY!

Start with little things.  Start by noticing successes each day and expressing gratitude for them.  That is how we start to tear down the wall.  Find the good in EVERY experience you are having NOW.

Focusing on gratitude shifts your energy.  It changes everything about you.  It is as if your wall is made of ice (like an igloo) and gratitude is a blow torch that melts it away.

But as that wall starts to melt and fade away, you become vulnerable.  You open yourself up to being susceptible to having your dreams crushed yet again.  Daring to dream is a frightening thought.  It is very uncomfortable – almost paralyzing.

Be BRAVE!

Take the next step.  Spend 5 minutes, alone, quiet, and open.  Allow your Higher Power to speak to your heart and heal it.  Allow your mind to follow your heart and see what marvelous things can be yours.

Take baby steps.

Don’t set out for dreams that you feel are out of your reach just yet.  Start by dreaming about something yummy you would like to have for dinner or a song you would like to hear.  When those “dreams” come true, what do you do?  That’s right!  Express Gratitude!

Then move on to something bigger, something that is more of a stretch.  Recognize the good in every dream fulfilled and every unmet expectation – yes, even the ones that don’t come to you.

As you do this, you will find your dreams becoming aligned with those things that will bring true joy to your soul and you will see them coming true on a daily basis.