Think it’s too late to live your dream, or that your dream is too far out there to ever become a reality?
We treat our minds like puppies.
Without a tether, a puppy goes wandering into the neighbor’s garden, rollicking in puddles and piles of leaves, or romping with too-big dogs or in dangerous streets – generally, doing what you tell it not to do.
And so, we keep our puppies – and our minds – safely tethered to what we know is safe.
But what if we could trust our minds a little?
What if we could free ourselves from the restraints we’ve been told we need to have in our thinking?
What if you could wander into the neighbors garden – and think about doing things you never thought were possible for you?
What if you could rollick and play – and let yourself dream big?
What if you could romp with big dogs and walk in dangerous streets – knowing you didn’t have to stay small?
What if you could do things, even if other people told you no?
Well, my friends, the first step is, of course, to imagine it.
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” ― Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich
How can you do things you never thought were possible, dream big, or stop being small if you’re having trouble even envisioning what that looks like?
Live Your Dream With This Exercise
Whatever your dream turns out to be, the first step to doing it is to find it.
Here’s an extremely simple exercise that I have used with some of my clients with great success. I used it with a client this past week and it had a very interesting outcome.
*As always, I change client names to protect the extraordinarily brave.
Steve works in finance. He’s great at it, but bored because he likes people and solving problems they have with numbers and business more than he likes spreadsheets.
When I talk to Steve about what he wants to do next though, he can’t venture very far mentally, from what he’s already doing. There are too many constraints, some of them real, and some of them in his own mind.
Perhaps you’ll recognize a few of these constraints yourself?
- What if I don’t get paid enough to support my family doing something totally different?
- What if no one will hire me because I don’t have the right skills or experience?
- What if I get hired but I fail because I have no idea what I’m doing?
- How can I even figure out what I want to do?
I asked Steve this simple question:
What would you do if you were independently wealthy and you never had to work again?
Now, we had spoken about dream jobs and he had thrown out a few. But independently wealthy? No need to consider money at all? That’s different!
Immediately he told me that he would start a foundation to help sick kids.
Now we’re getting somewhere!!
So, here’s the real, extra-bonus, 64-million-dollar question!!
If you’re not in a financial position to do your big dream now, is there some aspect of it which appeals to you that you could do?
[Tweet “Get the extra-bonus, $64 million question to help you live your dreams!”]
Holy smokes, yes! He couldn’t start a foundation for sure, but why the heck couldn’t he run the financials for a foundation focused on kids? Especially if that was the job he’d fall out of his chair for??
Go forth and research, dear Steve!
Now what about you?
Ask yourself those two questions, and see what you come up with. And please, post your answers below!
Big hugs,
Jess