unlocking your dream

Jimmy on the Champs-Élysées ~ Paris 2005 (a dream within a dream)

I have been thinking about those big dreams we have that for some reason or another we keep a secret.

I am wondering if it's because we think the dream is too big, too wild, too crazy, too out there to ever imagine it becoming a reality?

Or is it because we fear judgment? That we might lose friends along the way who for reasons of their own can't be supportive? That we might disappoint family members? That the dream will be completely different than what we envisioned it to be as a reality?

Or is it easier to make excuses and create imaginary obstacles to keep the dream locked away for fear of failure? Success? Stepping out of our comfort zones?

The answer to many of these questions might be yes. But what I am learning is this: When we voice our dreams ~ I mean literally say each one out loud ~ that is when the magic takes over and all those fears begin to dissipate...

People will start appearing in your life that can help you take the next step.
Opportunities will present themselves to you in ways you never imagined.
You will discover that you hold the key to unlocking your dream.

So tell me, what dream, or dreams, have you been keeping a secret?
Are you ready to share it with the world and see the magic unfold for yourself?

I believe when we honor our dreams is when we change the world.
Your dream isn't just for you, we all benefit from you following your bliss.
Truly.

I invite you to unlock your dreams here in my space.
Leave your secret dream here in my comments...
and then announce it out loud in your own voice.

Go ahead.

Be bold.
Be brave.
Unlock your Dream
Invite the magic...

I'll start::

One of my big dreams is to live in Paris for one year with my husband and daughter and write about the entire experience as a means to inspire others to follow their own dream, whatever it may be. (I will share more details about this in future posts)

Comments

[Athena714]

Ah, we share a dream, my dear. Hawk and I would love to live in Paris.

Other than that my dream would be to somehow make a living from my photography. I'm working on it, but it seems so far away, especially when I barely have ten minutes to myself to do anything these days.

[Daphne]

My dream is to having a small cottage on 2+ acres of land and a tiny menagerie of farm animals (goat, chickens, etc) and to make my living as an artist and micro-farmer.

(just started reading your blog, I love it!)

[Jummy]

Oh thanks for this beautiful space for us to share our dreams.

I dream of losing those extra pounds (easily 80) that have plagued me for my entire adult life, and seeing myself at a healthy size as an adult for the first time ever.

I dream of being able to create beauty through photography or web design and I want to take a course to make either or both closer to reality. I want to feel led to create by something I see first in my head. I want to create that greeting card and novelty shop that I can see in my head...

I want to fall in love for the first time with a man who will cherish me and feel lucky that I waited for him and went through times where I was hurting and feeling like giving up. I want to be the best version of me when this happens, and hopefully I'll know myself better by that point.

I was definitely inspired by this post...I thank you, Stacy!

[darlene]

sometimes, the dream starts to come true and we realize (and by we i mean me) that it is not actually what we want (or so i am discovering which is cool because it allows us to move on or so i am also finding) ... all that cryptic wordage aside (we'll talk in an email if you want to know more), there is a secret dream of turning my poetry into songs and there are upcoming voice lessons with an amazing voice coach and i do have a studio already set up in my basement thanks to all the amazing musicians in my life so um yeah ... there it is ... my secret not so secret dream. did i mention i have also been playing my guitar again and that a beautiful man who i am married to is guiding me to the ins and outs of his drum kit, tee hee.

you are beautiful and your dreams are already dancing themselves out i suspect, muah! xo

[jessamyn]

stacy~
i love this.
i love you! hee hee!
seriously...and looking at this picture of your love sitting at champs-elysees made me tear up. because i have looked out at that street and i have walked it and i know what it means to be there living something so other worldly~ and WOW.
this post did something wonderful for my soul. i haven't shared my dreams with the universe for quite a while now, thinking that i am not in the place to make them come to fruition. but this is a gentle reminder to me that NOW is always the right time...and no matter who surrounds me at the moment, the universe will open doors to lead me to people and experiences that will help make it all happen. the universe wants to give!
thank you dearest, for your ever vibrant perspective.
and for your dreams...because they help inspire mine.

what a beautiful dream to live in Paris. can i come in your suitcase?

muah!

[windylindy]

Dreams don't stop even when you are older. MY only advise as an older woman is just go and do it. You can always reverse course, or veer to the right or left.. If you want to live in Paris.. Live in Paris.. You can achieve just about anything.. there is always a way.

[stef]

I wish...
To have a house on the beach in a small town, where I drive around in a VW bus, have a studio to do my photography and art. Where my husband has his studio for his music. We make money from our art. My friends are close by, my family is close by and we have a loving community we surround ourselves with.

thank you for this safe beautiful space...

[lotus]

i lived in france for years!
it was a dream but as every dream the reality is never the same. the dream is what is sexy and lofty. strangely it is life when there.

in france there is so much red tape! visas are beyond difficult to get. it's a hard life full of delicious wine and cheese nonetheless! it takes years to assimilate one's self there...

anyway...after a while you don't see what is around you and life is just "life"!

what is most important is the "dream". the longing for change. the swirl upward and outward. to dream out of your box.

all dreams are great and what is so interesting is that there is always someone who is living your dream and when they are there...it is life! it all melds together and makes up the fabric of your life.

the beauty of it all is if you really want something you can always make it into a reality. your reality.

paris is beyond beautiful. magical and wild. it smells of wine and cheese and old cafe! life.

[stacy]

hi lotus,

that is so wonderful that you followed your dream of living in France, that inspires me. believe me, i am not married to any romantic idea of my days being filled with cafe culture and living off of cheese and wine ~ i do have a daughter and bills and will need to work after all... but you are right, what is most important is the dream.

i am a huge believer in following your dreams and every time i have done so it was never what I envisioned... but turned into much more than i ever could have envisioned and ended up guiding me to my next dream, and the one after that, and the one after that.

i agree, paris is magical. i know i am only one of many who feels the connection while there.

i am loving all of your juicy dreams, these are all so inspiring ~ keep em coming!

xo

[w]

I've worked in banking for most of my post-college life, and although I don't know anything about information systems I've recently been dreaming about a career in healthcare information technology. I had a medical issue about 6 months months ago and was completely facinated with the efficient systems they had - amazing! My physician even gave me a tour of my patient e-chart once she realized how interesting I found it. I signed up to take a general IS class this fall at the local community college to see if I think it'd be a good fit.

Okay - so it's not as romantic a dream as a month in France, but it's my dream nonetheless! (And maybe that will be my dream someday too!)

[Maree]

Ooohh...I love dreaming. My dream is to finish my novel, find an agent and have my novel published. Then I want to travel the world writing and living and loving.

Stacy, you should read The Bold Soul (http://lisataylorhuff.typepad.com/) which is all about an American writer living in Paris and all it took to get her there and what happened when she followed her dreams!

Yay for dreams!

[kb]

What timing! Just the other day I finally got brave enough to admit my dreams to myself. I wrote them all down on individual sticky notes - they're like puzzle pieces right now - and over the next week I am going to put the pieces together and see what the life of my dreams looks like. Then I'm going to figure out how to get it!

I dream of building a wildly successful business helping passionate people find success doing what they love.

I dream of owning little cottage in a beach town. Out back there's a wide porch with comfy chairs and a garden full of frilly, fragrant old garden rose bushes. I have a bicycle with a basket that I ride into town to do my shopping and I can hear the crash of the waves from my bed.

I dream of finding love - the kind of big, passionate, joyful love that I'll only find with a man who is my equal - I dream of having a great love story.

I dream of having Bono as a client (you said dream BIG!)

I dream of being able to work from anywhere

I dream of traveling to faraway places and spending a month at a time in different places so that I can really get to know them (see you in Paris!)

I dream of living the life of my dreams.

xoxox

[Tracy]

I dream of a fully accessible, independent-making home for Kaitlyn - in a cooler climate, of course.
Love you!

[Marjorie]

I loved this post. I am a big believer in dreams and living the life that you are meant to live. Sometimes we have to let go of all the fear and just jump. A year goes by very quickly and what a wonderful experience this would be for your young family. Believe in yourself and enjoy the adventure.

Life is short, dream big.

[farnes]

Ooh my... exactly what I have been thinking of too lately. I've especially been wondering why we keep those big dreams a secret because I have myself for more than two years now.

For me it's a mixture of fear of finding out my dream is not for me at all, fear of disappointing my loved ones and most definitely fear of stepping out of my comfort zone.

I've slowly been having conversations with people about my dream to become a literary translator (from English to Dutch) since I had an epiphany a couple of months back that made me brake through those imaginary obstacles you write about.

I feel that the magic realy is taking over now. Thank you for these words...

[amanda]

So strange that you blogged about this, because I just had a conversation about life dreams with my husband a couple of days ago. I have been feeling so overwhelmed and exhausted and sub-par as a full-time working mom with a child in full-time daycare. I just feel like I'm failing everywhere. I have identified my dream to be one where I work as a freelance writer (I used to be a journalist before I began my current job at a non-profit theater nine years ago). I would send my daughter into daycare two or three days a week, because I really do feel she benefits from that environment as well, but I would have much more flexibility and free time to be with her. And I may just actually start pursuing this dream. Good luck with yours - I'd love to read about your adventures in Paris!

[Emily]

Wow! That has always been one of my dreams too--to go back to Paris with my husband and children and discover our family in another country...
My unvoiced dream, is to start a photography/videography business with my husband. So many obstacles seem insermountable. I dream. I dream. I dream.

[elliebelle]

I love reading everybody's dreams...
I hope to someday live a life where I don't know what day of the week it is. I want to be able to support myself by creating. I want to get married and have children. I want to be less attached to material things. I guess that's a start. My dreams seem to change daily - but that's what I have for today.

[Belinda]

I dream of living in an eco-paradise of my own creation. Living off the land, being completely at one with nature, away from the mundane banality of mainstream society.

I've realised that I don't want a job, I don't want to be reliant on money at all in order to survive, and I don't want to end my life with this same feeling of disappointment in myself for not following my dreams and being true to myself. I also dream of having a child, but I guess that one is more up to fate!

Thank you for the question :)

[denise andrade]

you will be in Paris.
i see it and it looks delicious!

my dream::
gorgeous old home in Victoria, B.C.
near the ocean.
surrounded by forest.
driving distance from downtown.

both Carsten and i are authors, touring and spending loads of time with our sweet hippy son.

i am also photographing artists in Seattle and Vancouver.

we get to travel a lot on book tours and because of this, Cedar is completely cultured.

we have a tree house. a big one on our land and all of Cedar's friends sleep in it.

faeries live in our trees too.

my girlfriends and family visit all of the time because we have the most adorable guest house that looks as cute as the Hobbit homes in Lord of the Rings.

how's THAT for dreaming big?

thank you for the space to do this.
i love you.
boho girl

[Brandon]

It's not really a secret, but I want to live somewhere in Europe (I think Italy or France) and become a local. I don't know either language, but that's okay. I'd love for my children to be Americans who grow up outside of America. My wife does not share this dream. I might be willing to modify this dream to include someplace like Buenos Aires, which might be more enticing to the missus.

[Erin {Juneau.Eco.Mommie}]

dream out loud...i just love it!
I have been lucky enough to live some of my dream most recently. My husband and I sold practically all our 'stuff' and drove with our son 3000 miles north from So Cal to Juneau, AK. We get to dream here everyday in this majestic place. Close to the cultured, hippie downtown, nestled in the Tongass national forest and alongside the beautiful ocean. We are in heaven. Now we have a second son that we get to share our dreams with.
The second half of my dream is expanding my creative side more thoroughly. More photography, more painting, more jewelry making, starting my own yoga studio space where all these wonderful creative juices can explore and be revealed.
Thanks for sharing your dream....Europe sounds yummy. Your dreams are never to big to be captured in your heart and delived into reality.

[Celeste]

Okay...so you just inspired a whole blog post in me...the first one in a month...I hope you'll stop by, if so inclined...:-)

Thank you so much!!!
xo

[Erin {Juneau.Eco.Mommie}]

I was inspired and had done some reading lately...I started this http://ourdailydoseofgratitude.blopspot.com

come visit...

[Erin {Juneau.Eco.Mommie}]

sorry,
http://ourdailydoseofgratitude.blogspot.com

wish I had spell check sometimes ;)

[kristen]

this is a beautiful post and so i put this out there...

we will own a small cottage house that i fix up in hermosa beach, CA.

we will spend a month each summer in italy, because italy is good for my soul.

i will pass the CA acupuncture licensing exam and when i open my practice it will be thriving because the 3rd time is the charm, (meaning it will be my 3rd time starting a new practice).

thank you for providing a place for us to put our dreams out there!

[kendalee]

Stacy, what a lovely dream and my wish for you is that it comes true!

I have several of these unspoken dreams. For a while my heart was so smashed that it couldn't dream at all so now even being willing and able to dream feels like a blessing. And you're right, I believe that putting them out in the world is part of the process of making them happen... It's scary to do that sometimes (I don't know why but all the reasons you mention ring true to me) but you have convinced me to be brave.

*I dream of living with a view of the ocean - and I now have a beautiful necklace that speaks this dream out loud whenever I wear it ;)
*I dream of being able to make a living with something that is not geographically dependent - perhaps writing.
*I dream of falling in love again - and feeling loved in return.

And that's just for starters! :)

[melissa]

My dream is to become a writer and a artist, one that lives in a flat somewhere with a close circle of friends. i dream to be surrounded by people that are uninhibited. i want to live in a foreign country and i want to find love.

someday, in a dream perhaps only.

[Tory]

I've been struggling with my dreams so much lately. They've been calling to me so strongly - and yet, I've been too scared to take a step towards them. I don't know where this fear comes from or why it speaks so loudly, but I'm working hard to focus less on that negative voice I hear and to just take one first small step. What's that quote - a journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step...?

I dream of working creatively for myself and also in a role helping people in need. I dream of spending more joyful time with my children and husband. I dream of a house near water, with a garden - in a small town. I dream of a circle of loving and creative friends. I dream of eating healthy and fresh foods and fining time to exercise and move my body. I dream of letting my fears and inhibitions go.

[Tina]

I wasn't able to read all the comments b/c I wanted this to come straight from my heart after reading your post, but like one commenter said Thank you so much for giving us this space to do this. I believe what you are saying that you should speak your dreams aloud, but can you do it in your room by yourself and the same events will still unfold or do you have to share the dream with someone for the events to unfold? This is part of my dilemma.

I have a ton of dreams but some of my most secret dreams right now are the guy I've had a crush on for about 7 years will realize I'm the love of his life. Cheesy isn't it?

One absolutely huge dream bigger than the crush is I would love to discover I'm creative. I play on all of these artist's blogs (yours included) and I would love to live that creatively and authentically. I would also love to make a living from it so I can stay home and take care of my two children. Be involved in their lives, teach them all of my values instead of some of just the most important ones b/c I work so many hours. For example, if I was able to stay with them I would love to have the TV off so that we would play instead. But right now while I'm at work and they are with my parents I know all they do is watch TV. Don't get me wrong I love my parents are able to watch them and love to. I just wish I was able to stay with them and instill a lot of those values.

Another dream (last one I promise) is I would love to move out west. The atmosphere and culture seem to fit me more than the south where I currently live. On top of which I have always just wanted to move.

Thank you again!