Tag Archives: doing your dream

Silver, Good China, and No More Holding Back

Sunday, January 1, 2012

At our house we have a simple tradition on Christmas day….one person takes the gifts from beneath the tree and puts them in a pile for the others.  Then we open them individually while everyone else watches.

It struck me today, on the start of a brand new year, that in life we also have piles of gifts (abilities, qualities, and talents.)  But it’s not enough to have them.  WE HAVE TO OPEN THEM.

For some odd reason I often hold gifts back…

  • I seldom use our sterling silverware.  Never mind the awe of even possessing such a treasure (a wedding gift from Ron’s Mom.)  Better keep it in the chest so it won’t tarnish.
  • Our best china (the pattern I spent hours choosing because I liked it so much) remains hidden in the cabinet adding zero elegance to our meals.  Love it and hide it?  What a novel idea.
  • Clothes & shoes “so gorgeous I have to have them” somewhere in the closet, waiting for who knows when?

Since when does using something now in the moment mean coming up short later?  Where does this scarcity mentality come from?

Worse yet, what about the gifts inside ourselves that matter a whole lot more than possessions, like our personalities and passion, true selves that are meant to be given that the world around us might benefit and grow?

What gifts are you saving for later, keeping them under wraps?

In 2012, I’m pulling out the silver,  using the china, and wearing the dress.

A new year of possibilities is calling out for you too, calling our names, calling for every gift inside to open, blossom, and soar!

2012 here we come…

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3 Reasons People Don’t Do Their Dreams (& How to Overcome Them)

Monday, November 8, 2010

If living our dreams is high on most to-do lists, why do so many of us fall shy of doing them?

Here are 3 Reasons I hear repeatedly when coaching people on how to live their dreams….

Reason #1– I Don’t Know How

Of course you don’t.  How can you know how to do something  you’ve never done before?  Obvious, right?  Yet this simple obstacle of not knowing how is what prevents so many from starting.

Need information?  Connections?  Motivation?  More time?  These are exactly what you get by moving forward, one steady move at a time.   Remember, you get know-how when you don’t know how.

At every juncture, not knowing how threatens to halt the dream…….I wanted to write a book but had no idea how.  Felt like stopping.  Asked a few questions, was told I needed an agent.  Didn’t know how and felt like stopping.  Used networks, prayed a lot and found one!  Agent says I need a book proposal.  Felt like stopping.  Agent knows someone who writes book proposals for a living.  Proposal — done, now how to find a publisher?  More prayer, felt like stopping, we got one!  Publisher wants a well-written, best-selling book.  Don’t know how to write one or get the 10 people they want me to interview for the content.

One email at a time, one hour of writing a day, 20 interviews later every piece came together.  Book in hand, how do I promote and sell it?  Found out how and am still learning how every day.  Definitely not stopping!!

Reason #2 — I’m Afraid It Won’t Work

85 % of what we fear never happens.  Practically speaking that means for every eight and a half minutes I spend worrying about something, I could be channeling that same time into achieving my dream in 10-minute increments.

Subtle fears tend to plague all of us…

Fear of Embarrassment — What if I look stupid, or arrogant? (What if you look bold for trying?)

Fear of Failure — What if the entire thing ends up a bust?  (You’ll know what you don’t want and have credibility later when you finally do succeed.)

Fear of Whatever Else — Most other fears are nebulous and unfounded yet they paralyze and keep us from starting.

The process of DOING my dream is what FIGHTS my fears, fears that will likely never happen.  Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Reason #3 — I Don’t Have Time

Neither do I, and yes you do.  Busy people do more with less time.  How?  In small but specific increments.  One step on one dream once a week (my “1-1-1 Strategy”) works!  Dreams are big but steps are small, steady, consistent, or maybe not consistent, but continual.  You resist the urge to quit, over and over again.

This quote from Shakespeare captures what we’re saying here…..

Things won are done;
joy’s soul lies in the doing.

It’s time for YOUR dream.

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