Big Dreams, Big Gratitude

43 of 45 Moments of Wonder

Yesterday I invited you to begin dreaming with me. I am in a time of wondering what my life can look like, of taking inventory of the parts of my life that are energizing and life-affirming, and the ones that need to change because they make me feel badly about myself.

So today is all about putting our dreams in black and white, recognizing what wonders are already there, that we can be grateful for, and deciding what we want more of. We can dream whether we are 16 or 46 or 86. If we are living a life, we have the power to make it exactly what we want it to be.

I have been working through a process of dreaming, journaling, evaluating and making small steps and promises to myself to create the life I want, instead of living on autopilot. I want to share this process with you over the next few days to, hopefully, inspire you to find what works for you to create the life you dream about.

The truth is, we are all living the life we created. If you love every aspect of your life, I am so happy for you and proud of you. Most of us, however, have some dreams for something different in our lives. It may be about our work or our relationships. Maybe the environment we are in is not what we hoped for but what we settled for. Today, let’s take steps to create our lives exactly as we want them to be.

The first step is to get all the dreams floating around in our heads and put those dreams on paper. You may choose to journal your ideal life, or, if you need some structure, consider these questions. Write the answers as if they are happening now or that you are living this life you want.

Activities:

• What do you do for work?
• What physical activities do you participate in?
• What kind of spiritual practices do you have?
• What do you do to give back to your community?
• Where do you want to travel? With whom?

Environment:

• Describe your ideal home? How do you feel when you are there?
• What does each room look like and feel like?
• Do you have a yard? How do you use it?
• What does your work environment look and feel like?
• Where in the world do you live?

Relationships:

• What does your relationship with your partner look like? Describe how you spend time together.
• How do you interact with your children?
• What kind of relationship do you have with your coworkers?
• What do your family finances look like?
• Who are the people who energize you?

Self:

• Describe who you are.
• What kind of person are you? Are you powerful? Confident? Playful? Dramatic?
• How do you present yourself in the world?
• What matters most to you?
• How do you spend your alone time?
• What are your non-negotiable values?

I believe the first step toward creating the life we dream, after getting very clear about what the dream is, is being grateful. Showing gratitude for the life we have gives us the courage to pursue more.

Once you have written down your dreams, take a highlighter and highlight all the things that are already in your life. Be grateful and work to keep those good things in your life. Make a commitment to yourself today to find a way to show gratitude for the people, the relationships, the material good things we have, and commit to keep showing gratitude as you build your dream life.

Tomorrow I want to share two strategies I have been using to make my dream life a reality. The first involves journaling and is really a way to get my mind focused on the right things. The other involves my planner and is about taking actionable steps toward making my dreams reality.

I hope you will join me tomorrow. Until then, show some big gratitude today.