“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” ~ Walt Disney.
I recently took a trip to the manifestation of Walt Disney’s dreams, Disney World. No place screams “have the courage to pursue your dreams unapologetically” like Disney World. This year’s trip was to celebrate my daughter and her best friend’s upcoming high school graduation. As well as an opportunity to run the Princess 5K & 10K as part of the Princess Half Marathon Weekend.
What I always come home with is a desire to dream big. This year I realized that what I really needed is the courage to dream big. The definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens one or strength in the face of pain or grief.
How do we muster the courage to be someone that makes a difference in our world and maybe the whole world? To find out I looked to one of my heroes from childhood. Kermit the Frog.
1: “It starts with a dream. Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. Life is how we get there, allow for traffic.”
Sometimes this traffic is found between our own ears. It is the self-talk loop that runs in our head and talks us out of greatness. (Check out Elizabeth’s post HERE for information and ideas to change this conversation.) Sometimes the traffic is other people walking all over our courage and dreams simply because they don’t have them for themselves.
Whatever traffic is keeping you from dreaming, don’t be afraid to take another route. I challenge you to take out a piece of paper, set a 5-minute timer on your phone and write as many things as possible that you dream of having, being, doing. Below is a picture of my quick list in mindmap format. Keep this list with you, take a picture and save it as your lock screen on your phone. When traffic starts to back up, review the list, gather your courage and take the nearest exit.
“2: You owe it to yourself. “I guess I was wrong when I said I never promised anyone, I promised me”
Your dreams are for you to pursue and enjoy. Don’t be afraid of traveling this road alone. You owe it to yourself to pursue your dreams with no apologies. If you are fortunate enough to have someone join you on your pursuit, then that is a bonus. You absolutely are good enough to be rewarded by the universe of all the greatness your heart desires. If you are alone on your journey to dreams fulfilled, you are absolutely worthy of the gifts that the universe has to offer someone as courageous as you are. If you would like some tips to building the confidence to live your dreams, check out THIS post.
“3: “As long as I still believe, the dream is still alive”
Resilience is a huge part of courage when you cast your dreams out into the universe. After avoiding the traffic and the expectations of others your ability to still believe is what it will take to succeed. Resilience will help you stand back up and regain your focus on what you are dreaming of.
“4 “Be thankful for the bad things in life. For they opened your eyes to the good things you weren’t paying attention to before.”
Gratitude is one of the keystones for a life well-lived. We must practice gratitude in all situations. We must develop a habit of always saying “Thank You” to any gift that is received. These gifts could be physical gifts, or lessons learned. If a lesson feels painful then call on your courage, practice being grateful and flip your filter to see the good in the lesson.
“5: “Life’s like a movie, write your own ending”
The ending that you are writing in your movie is the dream you are thinking about. Courage is the thing that keeps you going when you think you can go no further. It is the idea that keeps you up at night contemplating how it is going to manifest itself. Just like a character in a movie, you will stumble, question and doubt yourself. Be your own Shero and keep moving toward that dream.
I hope that you find ways to apply these courageous dreaming tips to your life. Dream Big Sister, your life may truly depend on it.