“There’s the dream that you have for life. And then there’s the dream that life has for you. When they meet, it’s a magical thing.” Marcia Weider
Would you love to be a dreamer or a visionary? Can you imagine how juicy and meaningful your life would be if you accessed what’s flickering deep in your soul?
Everyone can access their unique dreamer.
Guess what? You absolutely can.
Before I go on, I want to clarify what I’m talking about.
A dream is something you want. No dream is too big or too small.
Your dream may be to get paid well for work you love, go on a trip to Africa, live on a houseboat, or spend more time with your family and yourself. It can be anything.
Some dreams are based on needs. Others on desire. One is no better than another.
Dreams change throughout your lifetime. But by mid-life, you probably want to find your purpose on this earth.
You want to know that your life has meaning. That it matters.
Once you stand in your purpose, your quality of life changes.
Some people are lucky and know from the time they’re young. But most of us have to get inside of our dreams to get to know your purpose.
The good news is that your purpose is already inside of you. You were born with it.
It’s your birthright to live a life of joy and abundance.
Remember – It’s not about what you do. It’s about how you do it.
12 tips to ignite your dreams and find your purpose
1. If you don’t have a dream, don’t worry. Dreams come from making them up. Your dream for the immediate future may be that you want to learn how to dream.
2. Change the way you think about your dreams. Admit to yourself it matters to you. And then own it.
3. Move towards your dream, rather than moving away from what you don’t want.
4. Go on a Passion Quest. It’s a time in your life when you ask yourself meaty questions.‘Who am I?‘ ‘Why am I here?’ It can take a week, a month, or 6 months.
5. Ask yourself what you want your life to be. Don’t back away from the truth. If you want it to be totally different from now, that’s OK.
6. Say ‘no more’ when you know what no longer matters to you. Delete them from your life.
7. Breathe fresh air and ask yourself ‘What’s next?’ What would bring me more joy and fulfillment?
8. Believe deep in your heart that the only thing that matters is what matters to you. Nothing more.
9. Imagine your dream in technicolor. What are you doing? Where are you? Who are you doing it with? What is it that you’re creating or accomplishing?
10. Own your vision. Be committed to your dream.
11. Leave reality out at this point in the process. It squashes your dream before you have a chance to explore all possibilities.
12. Savor each moment of this adventure. Awaken and heal the dreamer within you.
*This post was inspired by Marcia Weider
Oh Fran, you’ve done it again. You have such great lists. There are so many quotes about purpose, just like the one you began with. I’d like to add one of my favourites:
Mankind’s role is to fulfil his heaven-sent purpose through a sincere heart that is in harmony with all creation and loves all things. ~ Morihei Ueshiba
I love #1 and #6 and #11 – oh what the heck, as usual I love all of them. You’ve made it too hard to choose a favourite.
Elle
xoxo
I like it Fran,
I Love helping the Mid Lifers cement their dreams & longer term visions….this fits in very nicely, thankyou
be good to yourself
David
David….am glad you liked it! Fran
I love this Fran. I’ve always been a big dreamer. As Elle says, I love all the tips but in particular, #6 about saying ‘no more’ which can be difficult but is amazingly freeing and also #12 about savouring each moment. It took me forever to learn to enjoy the journey!
Claire
Claire….Saying ‘no more’ is a tough one. I’m going through that process right now. Shedding skins has to be done if you’re going to live an authentic life. Ahhh…savoring each moment. I know that as I grow older, the deliciousness of each moment has become a top priority. It’s always wonderful seeing your beautiful face here. Fran
Fran,
No. 10 stands out for me. I I continue to put the same effort into my dream as I have in my marriage and family I’ll do just fine;))) Now that lyric “Dream on, dream on, dream until your dreams come true” is in my head!
Tess….Great words from a wise woman…and you are reaping the benefits. How beautiful!
Hi Fran,
Love this post! It inspires us all to live our dreams to the fullest. They are all great, but No. 4 stands out to me. Finding our dreams means first exploring who we are. Thanks for sharing!
Cathy….How true that is. Surprisingly, so few of us actually even know that this option exists. How exciting and what an adventure it is to explore and get to know yourself. 🙂 Fran
Fran,
This is a wonderful post that I’m going to share with my husband who is researching a dream that he is about to embark on. As we “move towards the dream” (your number 2) we are trying to “savor every moment” instead of being a little nervous.
Thanks for the inspiration!!
Betsy….Kudos to your husband…and for you in supporting his dream. With your optimism and ability to focus on the moment, I know that and he you are doing beautifully. 🙂 Fran
This is a great list, but the photo says it all!
Galen….LOL….isn’t that the truth!
Fran: I liked points eight and ten the most. All your points are wonderful and some much need wisdom. There are always going to be negative people in this world, but I must always think positive. The only thing that matters is what I believe because belief is my strongest weapon. Many times, it is all that I have.
William…I’ve learned over the years to stay away from individuals with ‘negative energy’. I’ve slowly removed certain individuals from my life….even some who I used to consider to be friends. The truth is that it doesn’t matter at all what other people think. Wanting to be accepted and approved of is all in our head. It’s our job to quiet that noise and empower ourselves by staying true to our dreams and vision. It sounds like you’re on track. Keep up the good work. Fran