Your Dreams and Desires Are Your Guiding Light To Pursue

I am a firm believer that our desires are a guiding light for us to follow.  No one gets to the end of their life and regrets going for their dream.  On the other hand, I’m sure that there are those that wish they could go back and chase their desires.  We only live one life.  There are no do-overs.  If we let time slip by without pursuing our desires, then we may miss our true calling in life.  How does one start to pursue their desires?  I want to share some thoughts today related to this.

1.  Unleash your dreams.

Stop holding back on thinking about the desire that is deep in your heart.  It may have been there for a long time or it could be brand new.  It may be a quiet little whisper telling you to start your own business or it may be a roaring lion urging you to go back to school.  However your dream speaks to you right now, stop and listen.  Give it a chance.  There are seasons in our lives for everything.  Your desires may be telling you of a new season ready to spring forth in your life if you are willing to listen to it.  Don’t squelch your desires without even giving them a chance to blossom!

2.  Stop thinking so small.

The desires of our heart usually seem big to us.  They challenge and stretch our thinking.  This is what is meant by being outside our comfort zone.  Dreams and desires often make us uncomfortable.  They are a little scary, but we have to stop thinking small.  Let your dream expand.  Unpack your desires and let them grow on paper and in your mind.  Start getting some ideas out and let them simmer for awhile.  Discuss your dream with a trusted friend.  It is amazing how something as simple as this often becomes the first step toward realizing progress toward a suppressed desire.  My desire to start this blog began as some simple ideas jotted in a notebook one day when I was reading at the park.  You never know when inspiration will hit!

3.  Don’t be afraid to fail.

Why are we so afraid of failure?  I’m guilty of succumbing to my fears, but if we let it fear will rob us of our greatest potential in life.  It will stunt our growth.  Don’t let it.  Put failure away.  Dorothea Brande tells us to, “Act as if it were impossible to fail.” in her book titled “Wake Up and Live”.  What would you do today if you knew without a doubt that it was impossible to fail?  It is a compelling question, isn’t it?  Fear is often hard to overcome.  However, the killer part is that we have so much more to lose by not trying at all.  The consequences of a setback in our efforts is usually minimal compared to total inaction.  Fear is all in our mind.  We cannot let it rob us of our dreams!  Starting acting as if you cannot fail.

4.  Believe that dreams will pay the bills.

This is a specific fear that I think is very common.  Most of us believe that we cannot make a living at our dream.  However, there are a ton of people that have.  In fact, we usually make more money by doing something we love.  Of course, you have to pursue things in a thoughtful way.  If you are supporting your family, please don’t quit your job to pursue your dream without an alternate source of income.  However, it is possible to start taking action today to begin changing your course in life.  It is possible.  In fact, you need to keep telling yourself that it is possible until you start believing it.  A few years from now, you will wonder why it took you so long to start working in the area of your passion.

5.  Help others get what they want.

Helping others bring their dreams into reality is a great way to jumpstart your own desires.  I believe that the more you give in life, the more you get.  Pour yourself out in serving others.  Structure your dream in such a way that it helps other people and then really go the extra mile in serving them.  You may need to start working toward your dream as if it were a hobby.  For example, if you are a photographer, take some photos for a friend’s family at no charge.  If you want to write, then offer to put together a guest post for a blog or write an article for a local magazine.  You want to help the other party and get noticed.  The best way to do this is to let your passion shine.

6.  Don’t give up.

I offer this advice every chance I get.  The older I get, the more I believe that a lot of the difference between success and failure is perseverance.  We often expect too much too soon.  We are like fireworks on the 4th of July.  We shoot up with a dazzling bright sparkle, make a nice pop at the top, and then fizzle and fall.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Pace yourself.  Don’t burnout and give up.  This is the biggest danger to our success.  Keep trucking even when you don’t feel like it.  It is okay to take a break, but don’t quit.  It is when you most feel like quitting that your biggest success is waiting just around the corner!

Follow your guiding light to live the life of your dreams!

The dreams and desires you have in life are there for a reason.  They are your guiding light.  They want to lead you to the life you most desire.  Your job is to follow them.  Put your heart and reputation on the line.  Nothing in life is achieved without risk.  Don’t be foolhardy, but don’t wait another minute to start pursuing what you most desire.  Start taking the simplest steps and see where that leads you.  You will be amazed at how fast your dream builds up momentum.  Follow Nike’s slogan and “Just Do It!”

What are your dreams?  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Photos by ricardo.martins and rachel_thecat and mandj98