I had the weirdest dream last night

Have you ever noticed that you’re more likely to share with others the details of your weirdest nighttime dreams than your actual hopes and dreams for the future?

Many of us are too afraid or embarrassed to share our deepest desires.

Why?

Perhaps we’re afraid of failure and don’t want to set ourselves up for disappointment and ridicule.

Maybe we were raised to be humble to a fault. We may think others will perceive us as arrogant or boastful if we share what we really want to achieve.

Or maybe we think it’s selfish. We may feel as though our dreams should take a back seat to other priorities such as our families.

As a society, we encourage children to dream big. If a young girl tells her parents and teachers that she wants to become President of the United States, she’s likely to be told, “That’s great. You can do anything!”

On the other hand, if that same girl grows up to be a 24-year-old young professional that tells her peers and supervisors that she has her sights set on becoming president of the company, she may be disliked and distrusted.

For whatever reason, as soon as children become adults and enter the workforce (and actually begin to have the ability to carry out their dreams), we encourage them to just get good-paying jobs, wait their turn and be grateful for what they have.

What would happen if we never stopped dreaming? And, more importantly, what would happen if we never stopped sharing our dreams?

What would the world be like if instead of judging each other, we fully embraced and supported each other’s hopes and dreams? If instead of competing with each other for what we’re told we should all want, we encouraged and actively helped each other follow our hearts and unique paths to success?

If we all dared to be great in our own way, how could we positively impact the world?

Let’s stop treating our dreams like deep, dark secrets and instead shine a bright light on them.

Here are my wildest, craziest dreams for The Language of Joy:

• National best-selling book that helps thousands (or, millions, who am I kidding?)
• National motivational speaker
• Owner of boutique shop in Nashville that sells crystals, candles, books, tea, jewelry, etc, with healing massage, Reiki, intuitive sessions and personal coaching
• Owner of retreat (think Blackberry Farm) that focuses on relaxation and restoration with delicious and healthy food, equine therapy, workshops, yoga, meditation, etc.

So what are your biggest dreams?

I challenge you to share at least one dream that you’ve never shared before with someone you love and trust.

And then keep practicing.

Before long, you might find that others confide in you their hopes and dreams as well. Together you can support and encourage each other and have fun dreaming about the possibilities!

Dream big and shine bright my friends!
Heather