Recommit to the Dream that Excited You

Dream With Passion

It’s easy to get discouraged while pursuing your dreams, but especially those which require a commitment of emotions along with the usual time and effort requirements. If you were raised like many from my generation and their ancestors, sharing emotions, even on a page you’re not intending to share is a frightening, gut-wrenching endeavor at best. The truth is, your biggest dream is going to insist on being felt on every level, and will draw feelings from the depths of your soul. If you don’t allow yourself to allow them to come all the way to the surface; to face them full on, and let them go, your dream will get stuck in limbo.

What is a dream, but an expression of passion? How can you manifest what’s in your heart if you’re afraid to feel the emotions associated with the dream? How can you take the necessary steps forward if you’re afraid to get uncomfortable while many of the associated feelings bubble to the surface and, quite literally, get in your face? The truth is, you can’t. For every person who has manifested their biggest dreams, I’ll show you someone who faced their fears, accepted their feelings, and mastered those fears with a combination of courage and tenacity.

In many cases, the worst road block was internal; imposter syndrome, fear of failure, fear of success…the list is endless. Some were forced to endure, and overcome a slew of Negative Nellies telling them their idea would never fly, or that they should toe the line, put their heads down, and live life according to someone else’s expectations. The fact that we have airplanes, computers, cars, vaccines, and a slew of other modern conveniences, and health care advances is proof many had the strength to overcome, or better still, ignore the dissenting voices, and follow their own hearts.

Kick the Negative Nellies to the Curb

Those people were no better, no stronger than you. If you’re struggling, it’s probably a combination of factors, but the biggest roadblocks I’ve found to my own progress and ultimate success are self-doubt, and fear of facing some of my deeper, darker shadows.

I am fortunate in that I’ve long since jettisoned the Negative Nellies in my life. In fact, the most negative, discouraging voice in my life now is the one in my head. Everyone else in my life is incredibly encouraging. There are a few who are also brutally honest, which I need, but tend to allow to feed my self-doubt. I believe their purpose is to help me learn to leave self-doubt behind, and face the scarier parts of my psyche with, if not courage, at least the guilelessness of a young child who has yet to experience hurt.

Perhaps that’s the key. Inside you is a child who often embodies your deepest fears. But that same child is also an innocent, trusting being with memories of love and compassion, before hurt became part of their experiences. Too often, you start your inward journey after the hurt, when the beginning of your dreams began far earlier. You allow yourself to get stuck at the point where someone injected fear and doubt into your mind and heart, and drove away the curiosity, the confidence, and fearlessness embodied in the dream itself. You allowed yourself to bury all the beauty and possibilities under a wet, heavy blanket of other people’s experiences and hurts.

Focus on a Sense of Accomplishment

Instead of facing the failures you’ve experienced over the years; the times you’ve been knocked to the ground, beaten up, passed over; go back to the successes, and focus on how you felt about them. For me it was things like reading “Charlotte’s Web” aloud to my mother; basking in the glow of accomplishment, and what would become rare moments of maternal approval. Granted, you can’t simply sweep away all your painful experiences. The ones that embedded self-doubt, and fear are particularly resistant to exhuming.

Instead, you can pay particular attention to the moments when you felt a sense of accomplishment, pride, progress, and encouragement. Let those moments fill you with joy, hope, and inspiration. Allow those warm, happy feelings to overwhelm those of fear and self-doubt so the associated events can float to the surface.

I guarantee when you view them in the harsh light of day, and face them head-on, they’ll become less powerful, and about as frightening as a newborn lamb. They depend on darkness, and sidelong glances to maintain their power over you, your beliefs, your actions, and your future. You, alone have the power to shine a spotlight on what’s getting in your way, and expose it for what it truly is; fear of change.

Choose Success Over Stagnation

Let me ask you this. If you had the choice between moving forward; realizing your full potential; standing on the mountaintop looking out over all you’ve accomplished and achieved, or submitting to the fear, and self-doubt by treading someone else’s prescribed path, which, in all honesty, would you choose? I’m here to tell you, you have that choice. In fact, you’ve always had that choice; every, single step of the way.

Sure, people and circumstances might have convinced you you didn’t have a choice. By listening and following their advice and guidance, the only thing you accomplished was to give into someone else’s fears. You stifled the child inside who wanted to run, and maybe even fly. But she’s still there. She’s waiting patiently for you to figure things out. Those flight plans are still waiting for you to hit the Enter key, and go.

Not only do you have everything you need to recommit to those dreams, you have experiences and an inner strength you lacked when they first entered your mind; a glimmer like the sun catching a drop of rain. You also know what stopped you in your tracks, or worse, altered your course for the worst.

Recommit to Your Own Dream

It’s not that you didn’t need those experiences in the alternate lifestyle you chose, else you wouldn’t be reading this now, and wondering if my words are truly meant for you. You wouldn’t be wondering if it’s time to gather the strength you’ve earned while traversing those straight and narrow paths. Trust me. It took an incredible amount of strength to stuff your heart’s desires into a box while following a path you knew took you further and further away from yourself.

You’re ready now. You have the tools you need to recommit to your dreams; the large ones, the small ones, and everything in between. Most of all, you have the strength and self-love to face the demons buried in your unaddressed, repressed feelings, and give them permission to move on. They’ve lived in your darkness for long enough. As you fill yourself with love and light, there will no longer be room for the creatures who thrive on darkness and pain.

All I ask of you right now is to let yourself dream as big as you can. Fill yourself with love, light, and confidence. Listen to those who encourage you, and disengage from those who don’t. Be your own biggest cheerleader. Know your dreams are important. Achieving them affects so much more than you can even imagine. It’s time to stop short changing yourself, and in so doing, take your proper place in the Universe. You are Love, and moving toward your dreams is the most heartfelt, honest expression of that love.

 

Abut the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.

Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.