The Art Of Dream Catching (Part 2)
Hey dream catchers! In last week’s blog, I dove into my one of my absolute favorite topics: making dreams a reality. I shared a tip about overcoming one of the biggest things that keeps many of us from living our dreams. To get caught up, click HERE.
This week I’ve got two more juicy tips for ya. Let the dream catching continue!
Dream Catching Tip 2: Dreams are an experience, not a one-time destination
Whether your dream is to play in front of a crowd of thousands at the Hollywood Bowl, to find your soul mate or to win the Nobel prize, the greatest dream killer of all is the false belief that any dream comes true in a singular moment in time.
Most dreams, especially those that are going to bring lasting fulfillment, unfold over the course of a lifetime and every step is part of the whole experience. Do you think true love is over when you find your soul mate? Or is it only just beginning? And in some strange way, isn’t the really bad date you went on before meeting “the one” part of the dream too?
And do you think the Nobel prize winner will be happy if all the years of research and hard work were experienced as nothing more than a means to an end, albeit a noble one? ;)
The secret to living the dream is to savor the process. A big part of this is remembering that tomorrow is never guaranteed and so we may never get to that final destination. I’ve learned that as long as the dream we’re living into is giving meaning to what we’re currently doing, then we are LIVING THE DREAM!
For me, that has meant allowing my deep desire to play on the world’s biggest stages to give meaning and context to all the steps that will get me there. That includes the little victories and challenges that I face along the way from playing a sold out show to a crowd of two hundred people, to learning music theory, to writing when I’m inspired and practicing when I’m not in the mood. When I keep the grand vision in view, all these actions and experiences are part of the dream’s unfolding and they bring me deeper fulfillment, each in their own way.
Q: Have you been seeing your dreams as a make it or break it one-time event? How can you appreciate the process and the steps towards that big vision more fully?
Dream Catching Tip 3: Wish Big, Play Big and Let Go!
The bigger we dream and the greater the risks we are willing to take, the greater the reward. At the same time, when we get too attached to a particular outcome or a specific way that the unfolding of our dream has to go, we can actually seriously hinder its coming to fruition. Bringing our dreams to life is a process of Co-creation with the Divine.
We can let the Uni-verse know what we’re wishing for with our innermost desires and prayers. We can do our part by making efforts and taking actions to support those wishes. And finally, we can invite Co-creation by keeping our faith in the face of uncertainty and by leaving room for the Divine hands to work their magic. In most cases, the plan that the Uni-verse has in store for us is more amazing than anything we could have ever imagined. And let’s be honest, if we knew exactly how everything was going to go, we’d get bored very easily and dream catching would lose its charm very quickly. Right?
Ultimately, it comes down to striking a balance between wishing big, playing big and then letting go of the outcome. What that looks like will vary depending on where we are in our journey. Some days, it will be our time to hustle and strive, such as when we’re just getting a creative idea or project off the ground. Other days, our practice will be to let all the seeds we’ve planted have the time and space to grow, like when we’ve been burning the candle at both ends to bring a vision to completion and the best thing we can do is rest. The key in both the ebb and flow is to remain present, tuned in and focused on the perspective that it’s all happening for us and wherever we are at in that moment is perfect.
Q: How can you dream bigger and what risk can you take on your dream’s behalf today? Where can you let go and let the Uni-verse work for you and with you in bringing your dream to life?
Very IMPORTANT message: the best way to take this blog and bring these tips to your own reality is to engage with the questions, write down your ah-ha’s and then get into ACTION!
I would love to hear about what you’re up to in a comment below! And you never know, what you share might very well inspire someone else to get their dream machine fired up! Let’s all support each other!
Much love,
Chris
Published by The Daily Love (July 7th, 2013)