Reignite Your Dreams
Is reality standing between you and your goals? You see it. You feel it. The dream still has a spark. Maybe it’s alive yet barely breathing - badly in need of resuscitation. You wonder if you have the strength to go for it again.
Life often gets in the way of our dreams. When we are young, our future seems invincible. Then life seems to change after pursuing a career, having children, or going after other goals. As we get older, we may look back and wonder why time seems to be moving faster than the dream can become reality.
What do you do when the dream you had for some area of your life - a business, a relationship, or career - feels like it's on the line?
Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor who later thrived as a well-known psychologist, once said "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. " When the embers of your dreams are fading, it’s time to make a choice. A choice to reignite your dreams and bring them back to life.
When the embers of your dreams are fading, it’s time to make a choice. A choice to reignite your dreams and bring them back to life.
How to Reignite Your Dreams
Re-acknowledge Your Dream - If the embers of your dream still have a spark they can still come alive. The dream inside is for a purpose that's greater than you. You are the bearer of the dream and you control whether is lives or dies. What would it look like if you let the dream live within your heart again? Maybe you’re concerned about the pain or feel fear just thinking about it. When you look back over your life 10 years from now, what will you think about your decision to go for it or to remain in the status quo.
Re-envision where you want to go - Perhaps the dream seems far away because circumstances and situations have changed since you first envisioned it. Maybe new information or technology made an idea seem obsolete, or changes in an industry shook your thoughts on how to get started. Maybe changes to your life or lifestyle made it hard to focus or a demanding job sucked up all of your energy. Take a moment to re-envision your dreams and let your mind wander to the possibilities of what could be.
Readjust your perspective - When we are young and hopeful, zeal and momentum become blinders to the deep details of how long it takes to forge new ground in our lives. Adjust your perspective to see where you are compared to where you want to be. Then, consider what’s needed to close the gap.
Rewrite your plans - Plans change but the vision stays the same. If you want to make a difference in the world, your original plan might not be the way to go, but you can change your plan and still be successful. Whole industries of technology developments have been birthed out of the concept of pivoting or proceeding. This concept says if it works, keep moving forward, if it doesn’t then pivot based on feedback and learnings gained from trying. John Maxwell said it best “In order to achieve your dreams, you must embrace adversity and make failure a regular part of your life. If you’re not failing, you’re probably not moving forward."
Recommit and take action - Winston Churchill, who led his country through one of the most difficult wars, is known for saying, "Perfection is the enemy of progress!” It may not be perfect, but if there is still purpose in your dream, then you can decide to let the dream live. There is life found in doing something for the greater good. It will require hard work and perseverance, but someone’s life will be better for the sacrifices you make.
Your dream is important. The desires of our heart are placed there by our Heavenly Father. He has a purpose for your life and you can make a difference in the world.
It’s true that critics will come, but it’s also true that they will go. You may face difficult times, and you may face incredible success. You will never know unless you take a risk to reignite your dreams and go after them.
Verse to Live by
Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.Psalms 37:3-5 (NLT)