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I still remember many of the dreams I had when I was young boy. I’ve actually been going through old family slides (an ancient form of pictures for those of you my daughter's age) and reconnecting with the little boy in those pictures. I’m taking the time to think about the amazing experiences he had, the dreams he had and I’m asking myself "what happened to those dreams?" At 56, am I too old to still pursue them? In that process two questions are coming to mind:
Why not now?
What dreams would I really like to dream and create now?
When life has become stagnant or routine, when it seems like nothing will change, when you’re too tired from just doing what you have to do and when you’re already burning the candle at both ends to just get by . . . how do you justify the time to dream, let alone the time and energy to pursue those dreams?
We create our dreams by doing a couple of things. First we have to decide that they are worth doing! As I watch our daughter getting out and doing ‘fun things’, I’m reminded that the main reason I’m not out ‘doing my dreams’ is because I simply chose to stay home (to work, to rest, to watch TV, to do nothing)!
Dreaming is a choice!
Then there are the ‘rules’ that we live by - rules that say we have to do this and we can’t do that. A friend of mine has a great quote that he uses frequently: “Who made up that rule?” The more I ask myself this question, the more it opens up new possibilities for me! How many ‘rules’ do you have that are keeping you from pursuing your dreams?
Pursuing your dreams is a choice!
How do we get started - especially if we’ve become stuck? Like everything else new - with baby steps! When I was in high school, climbing and hiking were a major part of my life. After college, I got a job and they simply disappeared from my life - who made up that rule? This summer, Anna had a goal to climb Pikes Peak (a local 14,000 ft. mountain) and she wanted me to do it with her!! My first thought - "no problem, I used to do that all the time" (oops - 37 years ago).
Half way up the 13 mile climb, I had decided I was done, pooped, finished! Anna looked at me and asked, “Dad, if we don’t do it now, when will we ever do it?” She was right! - I dug deep and off we went to the top! It was a long haul for me, but what a great celebration we had at the top! How did we get there? One baby step at a time - and we had an amazing experience together!
Equally as important, it reconnected me with old dreams and passions! It’s time to reconnect with my love for hiking and climbing - and we’re going to do it ‘one step at a time'. After all, who made up the rule that I have to stay home on weekends? Turns out weekends are also for adventures and for living our dreams!
You can begin to live your dreams ‘one step at time’.
Dreaming is a choice!
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