Do you remember your dreams?

I have been thinking all morning about dreams and vision. I read the scripture this morning that talks about writing down your vision. However, to write it down, you have to know it. There’s also a scripture in the Bible that says without a vision the people perish. If you don’t have a dream and a vision of how you’re going to obtain that dream, what are you chasing? Or, have you decided that your dream isn’t important because you don’t have it in you to chase that dream? Nobody ever promised that chasing our dreams would be an easy road, but can you just stop for a minute, and imagine that joy, and excitement you would feel when that dream becomes a reality? Maybe your dream was to have a child. What did you feel the second you saw that child? Complete elation? Love like your heart had never experienced? I believe that when we go after our dreams, that’s exactly what we feel.

Two year ago, I had a dream of starting this blog. I actually had on my vision board start a blog. I have now written 74 blogs, had over 4300 views on my blogs, 3000 visitors, and have over 60 people that faithfully follow me by receiving my emails, and that doesn’t count the ones who are following me on social media. Each time I write a blog, I hear from people thanking me for what I wrote, that it helped them, that it inspired them, that it was exactly what they needed to hear that day. I am not a writer. I have never taken any formal writing classes, writing was not a dream of mine growing up. What if I had let that stop me from starting this blog? What if I had let fear grip me? How many might not have heard a word on the exact day they needed it? I am so thankful that I pushed through and followed the dream.

Another dream of mine was writing a book. This too has been on my vision board. I knew that book had to be about the pain, and trauma that has occurred in my life, and how I made it through to the other side. This world is hurting and people need hope that it can be better. I wrote the book. Two weeks ago, I received the rough draft in the mail from the publisher. As I set on my couch at midnight reading it, I was overcome with such emotion. I left it all in the book. I told some very personal things, and at that very moment, I was overcome with emotions worried about some people. People who I speak of in the book, and how would they react? For a split second, I literally had the thought that I could not publish this book. I then had this thought. What if by not publishing this book a life isn’t impacted that needs to be? So the book will be published in a couple of weeks. I must do what I feel called to do.

So what dream have you had that you have pushed under the rug? A dream of a different job where you can help more people? A dream of writing a book? A dream of starting a blog? A dream of moving away from where you live? A dream of starting a new hobby? A dream of a family? A dream of a baby, however that looks for you? A dream of being a speaker? A dream of going back to school to further your education? Being a top producer in your company? Travelling more? What is your dream? Why are you not pursing it? What is stopping you? Do I have your mind turning? I sure hope I am challenging you right now to remember your dream and reignite that passion inside of you.

I recently heard that when Dr. Martin Luther King got up to give his now famous I Have A Dream speech that he didn’t even plan to tell people his dream. I don’t know why. Maybe he was scared. Maybe he thought the people would think he was crazy, I don’t know. Somebody behind him yelled out tell them your dream Martin. That person was a gospel singer by the name of Mahalia Jackson. Two things jump out at me about this story. First that he wasn’t going to tell them about his dream, and second that Mahalia Jackson had it in her to yell out during a speech. Would you have done that? I’m not sure I would have, but look what would have happened if she didn’t. I mean this is a powerful example of two people who influenced millions by a dream.

What is missing, and who is missing out because you’re not pursuing your dream? It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks about your dream, it only matters what you think about your dream. It also doesn’t have to be big, and, whose definition of the size are you listening to anyway? I am just some lady from the mid-west without a college education, or formal writing skills, who had a dream of writing. I still have no idea where that’s going to take me, but I’m already feeling fulfilled, and have contentment that I can’t accurately put into words. Dig your dream back up, get the vision, and the roadmap for what it will take to get there, and don’t stop until you reach it. Make a plan! Write it down! Get out a peice of paper, and write down all your objections. Then, mark out all the objections, and exchange them for why you are going to do it. Seeing it in writing might spark that vision again and get you back on course.

I challenge each and every one of you today to spend some time digging that dream back out, dust off the cobwebs and get going toward chasing it. You’re missing out. Others are missing out. Don’t get to the end of your life, and have regrets, and have to say I sure I wish I had chased that. How very sad. Chase them now while you have breath in your body, and don’t let anybody stop you! I believe you can do whatever you set out to do!

With love for you all,

Shauna