What’s your big, scary, hairy, crazy, totally unrealistic dream? The one you wish for fervently and find yourself thinking about on and off while wandering?

Where does your mind go when you daydream? 

That big dream, that thing in your mind–the really big one. Yes, that one.

Have you thought about making it real? Making it actually, seriously, part of your life?

Taking a dream to reality is risky.

It requires the real risk of failure and discovering whether or not you’re capable of what you believe. Whether or not you can actually accomplish all of the steps towards making it real. Whether or not you’re willing to do the work and go through the (sometimes painful) process of getting it to real.

Attempting to make a dream come true is a reality check. The possibility if a different reality is painful. It is quite possible that along the way towards going after your dream, you find out that you won’t get there. It’s too late. The pieces didn’t work. You don’t make it.

Behind the course of taking a dream to life is a possibility of not getting there.

To protect ourselves, we cling to the dream. We stay behind, saying wistfully to ourselves and others the story of the dream, but we don’t chase the dream itself.

Our words start to sound familiar. We tell stories that sound like were going to so that or we could have done that…

To take steps towards your dream requires uncertainty courage, bravery. You might discover that your dream window has expired. You might discover that you’re no longer in love with the fantasy you created. You might discover that the person you were has changed.

Taking the journey will change you. Taking the journey is unpredictable, uncertain, and scary.

You will emerge a different person. Your solace is that the other side of this today is a new place, and we are creatures that require change to grow.

And what if it does work out? What if your wildest dreams actually could come true?

Would you have the courage to go free them?

Or are you enjoying the dream more?

It’s been a busy week around these parts! Last week I got to detail my morning routine and chat about how early I do (or don’t) wake up in the morning, along with many details about my writing and creation habits. Also check out Satya Colombo’s absolutely decadent 100th blog post that celebrates creation, flow, and finding space to become who you are. In the post, Satya asks 16 people to talk about the practices they engage in that support them energetically in doing their greatest work; naturally I talked extensively about swimming (and walking and dancing). 

We’re in week #2 of the Writer’s Workshop, focusing this week on Storytelling and the ways we construct our personal narratives and hero’s journeys. I can’t wait to share some of the incredible work from the class after we finish up at the end of next week. If you’re interested in joining us on one of these journeys, I’ll be putting together the second group to come together in writing community in July this summer. Sign up to join us if you’d like.