As a child you probably had no problem answering the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Chances are you didn’t even begin to think about whether it was realistic, because as a child, everything is realistic. Life is magical and if you can imagine it, it can happen.
Sadly we grow up and society places limitations on what we deem realistic and we lose a bit of that spark of imagination we had as a child. The magical essence of life is gone and for some it never returns. Those that lose the sense of magic in life, tend to live and make decisions in very practical ways. They may make life decisions in ways that make sense and very rarely think and live outside the box.
I have two very distinct sides of myself that at times fight for control over situations and decisions in my life. One side is the creative dreamer that enjoys creating, writing, choreographing and doing anything that allows me to stretch outside the box. The other side is logical, practical and a planner. She sets a plan and executes accordingly. This side is also quite controlling and when things don’t fall into place the way I thought they should…well let’s say it isn’t a pretty sight.
It would seem that having a combination of these two sides would provide a nice balance, but to be honest it doesn’t. When I begin to think of all the wonderful things I want to do in my life, my realistic/logical side often kicks in and begins asking “how”. How will you start a business, when you don’t know anything about business? What are the steps? When do we start? How long will it take? The list of questions goes on and at some point I begin questioning whether I can do it or not. My self-talk takes a very negative turn and fear kicks into full throttle. It goes downhill from there.
During these times I find my logical/realistic side fueling my limiting beliefs, the very beliefs I need to release in order to make my dreams a reality.
There are other times when my imaginative side is in control and I am floating on the belief that anything is possible. During these times I truly believe that all of the unknown pieces will fall into place if I am patient, believe in myself, and keep my mind open to the many possibilities of how my dreams can come true. These thoughts often lead to more complacency than action.
What I have found is that neither side will benefit me if used exclusively and yet I am at a loss as to how I can combine the two to work together. How can I dream a magical dream, yet set some action steps that will allow me to make progress as I go? I’m afraid there is no formula that will work for me and as with anything in life it will take a bit of trial and error.
Yet again I am presented with an opportunity to learn.
I now have the opportunity to practice patience as I figure everything out. By allowing myself to not have all the answers, I am relieving a lot of pressure I have had on myself for the past few years. Additionally, I am giving myself the space to learn how to release the fear and uncertainty that comes with my dreams and as I shed each layer, I become more open to life and possibility. By allowing my dreams to unfold organically, I can believe in the magic again without feeling like I always have to control how my dreams come true. I am reminded that while I may have a plan in place, the Universe may have a better way and if my focus resides on my one and only plan, I am stifling the very thing that I love so much…my creativity.
The key? Believing that anything is possible (no matter what you want to accomplish), setting a loose plan, and being flexible about how your dreams meet reality. Sounds easier than it is, but with a little practice anything is possible.
