We all have fantasies and dreams, daydreams or overnight dreams. But are they always just fantasy or sometimes does our subconscious allow us to see what could be?
If your dreams are of being famous, winning the lottery or some such then this may not be the case. But what if your dreams are of being successful in your career, or starting a new venture and being successful?
Can this be our minds giving us a glimpse of a future that could be ours?
My recurring dream is of running a successful charity. Something that is altogether achievable, and totally in keeping with the results of my personality tests for ideal careers which show altruism as a key area of focus for me.
But at this point in my life this is not a possibility, not in my current plan anyway. But it could be.
This then made me think of many of my friends and acquaintances. Of this group there are many that decided not to stick with their original careers and change. How many of them dreamed of running their own coffee shops, breweries, wine shops, internet businesses, or street food stalls?
In their case did their dreams come at the right time to help them make the decision to take those first steps in a new direction.
Now I am not saying that we should all just give up on our careers and follow our dreams. Life brings with it responsibilities and we have to fulfil those. But also life gives us opportunity. Sometimes that golden moment occurs and we are in a place where we are able to take advantage of trying something new with a lower level of risk.
Speaking of risk, I also often wonder how closely related these dreams are to what we would do if we couldn’t fail?
Someone gives you a magic card, like a Monopoly get out of jail free card, that meant whatever you chose to do you couldn’t fail. Have you ever thought about that? What your thing would be?
Mine links back to the charity I mentioned earlier. If I knew I couldn’t fail then I would chase that dream and make it a reality. Which in turn then completes the circle I guess. What it is right now that makes me think that I couldn’t succeed?
A related example here is this blog. I spent a long time working in a role where writing (in a specific style) was a key part of my job. During that time I was repeatedly told that my writing was not good enough and that it wasn’t a skill of mine.
At that same time I was writing a blog. I stopped. Because of that commentary. A few years ago I started on a fitness journey and wrote a blog on that. Which then boosted my confidence and helped me to start this blog.
So I went from believing that I couldn’t write to writing and having a readership that is not large, but still amazes me. When I get feedback on my writing it makes me happy. This month I wrote an article for a magazine, it will be my first published article.
One of my dreams has always been around writing, but I never thought I was good enough. I have turned this around now and have that confidence back. I am starting to achieve one of my dreams.
What do you dream of?
What would you do if you couldn’t fail?
What is stopping you from doing it now?
Lastly, what is it that you have been told you can’t do that with some focus and learning you could try out and see what happens?
Pete Greensmith 