I hold WILDEST DREAMS CLUB events after my monthly workshops which always turn out to be an inspiring time to hear what people are dreaming about. There are huge dreams of changing the lives of inner-city youths, to embarking on earning a doctorate degree and traveling the world.
Will all these dreams come to fruition? Well some are taking form, some have already happened on a smaller scale, and some will take years to even get rolling. But the conversations always get those involved thinking- pondering what might be possible...
Before I started involving workshopers I had presented the question to my closest friends on their birthdays: what's your wildest dream for yourself this year? Since achieving one of mine- writing a book- I have been inspired to ask those I care about about theirs and when possible help support them in making it come true.
Shockingly some didn't enjoy this question. They don't like the idea of making up ridiculous unachievable goals just to have them hanging over their heads rotting on the vine. That Joy and her dreaming... it's not for me.
It's sad to me that people don't want to contemplate living into a big wild dream for themselves even if it only gets them an inch out of their comfort zone. But maybe it isn't the thought of dreaming that is the issue- maybe it's the wildest part that puts them off. Maybe if I rephrased it and they only needed to contemplate a little tiny dream...
A Mildest Dream!
We all have something we wish to transform in our lives. One Mapper* during the workshop laughed in exasperation and said if she could only get her closet in order that would be a dream come true for her. Well who says that's not worthy of dreaming and declaring- not me!
Another had an old broken down refrigerator in her basement that she dreamed would magically disappear. It didn't. I need to make it clear dreaming is just the first step- doing is the next. She actually needed to make a call to ComEd to come pick it up, but it was a huge weight off her shoulders and freed her up to dream a bigger one of helping returning veterans.
When we get little things done that we didn't know how we were going to get to or take on we get the energy and inspiration to take on bigger things. We even grant others the silent permission to allow themselves to dream along the way.
One friend (story to follow in an upcoming post) got married last weekend after sketching out a relationship map of everything she wanted. She found her guy and is now living a huge dream come true. And here is the thing: she inspired another fellow Mapper she barely knows to dip her toe into the dating pool. See, we never know who we will inspire going for our dreams and even if they are small they lead to bigger dreams. Even if they are mild they can lead to the wild.
So dream. Share your dreams. Dreamers taking even a baby step of action are finding and creating the best kind of JOY! :)
* I refer to folks that take the ME (Mapping) Workshop as Mappers.
