I listened to Braving the Wilderness again….for the fourth time. Yes, that’s a lot but as I’ve mentioned before (a lot) I am a huge fan of Brene Brown. Like maybe a superfan even! Each time I listen to this book I learn something and I get more from it. This time it really struck me just how far I’ve come since the last time I read this book. I was thinking how helpful it is to have a ruler of sorts to measure my progress on. One year ago I was making decisions that were tough and impactful but when I look back now on things like what will I name my business and what should my logo look like they seem so much smaller. Today I’m living the dreams that I dreamed last year…seeing clients and working for myself!
Also about a year ago I also started blogging. At first I was posting every two weeks and for a few months I’ve been posting every week. I love blogging each week and I am grateful for the opportunity to think about what I’d like to put out in the world each week. Earlier I was listening to Girl Wash Your Face and Rachel Hollis talks about the importance of creating just for the sake of creating. That is what I am doing. Creating just to create.
In the midst of all this self reflection I got a text from a friend who was asking me how things are going. The answer is they are going great. Like truly and honestly great. Then I opened a webpage and was presented with this quote:
We know what we are, but not what we may be.
William Shakespeare
That really got me thinking. I’ve known for a long time now that I wanted to be a therapist. I think I knew when I was 15 years old (even though I didn’t recognize it until later). I’ve been really clear on that goal since about 2013 when I started to go back to school. I knew that I wanted to start my own private practice and see clients in my little town. I knew that was the goal and what I was striving for but I’m not sure I actually thought I’d ever achieve it.
Fifteen year old me or the me who was struggling to finish my Bachelor’s degree would never have believed that I’d be in this place now. It’s hard to imagine what we might become. I wonder how often I limit my achievements just by not dreaming big enough? So in this quiet moment of reflection I plan to think about my dreams and dare myself to dream bigger than I ever have before.
What would you dream about if you could dream anything? If you gave yourself permission to really think of something huge and scary what might it be? Do you want to go back to school? Start a business? Run a marathon? Get that dream job? Go on a glorious vacation? What if what was holding you back was just your own thoughts about whether or not you could make it. If you knew it was possible what would you do to reach your goals?
Today my big dreams are to pay off my student loans. To run Camp Mimi for my future grandchildren every summer. To go on a solo vacation to San Francisco. To be an adjunct professor at my alma mater University of Southern California. And who knows? Maybe someday those dreams will come true too! After all, we don’t really know what we may…
