If making dreams come true was easy… well, everybody would be living the life of their dreams, wouldn’t they? But they’re not because there are obstacles and even pain along the way. Many lose hope, faith, and stamina just before things break free and others simply lose sight of what they want. It’s for these reasons that dreams remain dreams. I am an advocate for counting your costs before you begin a journey to your dreams. There is also something to be said about having a plan…a map. Though this isn’t everything, here are 4 musts to make your dreams come true.
Make Your Dreams Come True #1: Set the End Goal
First of all, I highly recommend knowing what your “dream life” looks like down to the silverware you’ll eat with. Yes, the details matter. Where do you want to live? How do you spend your time? What values do you live by?Answer these questions and more in as much detail as you can. If something is too vague, add to it until you can see and feel living that way. Another major step to making dreams come true is changing how you talk about them. They’re not just “dreams” to think about, they’re things that will one day happen. Make it real by leaving no room for chance. Positive verbal reinforcement makes it more real to you.
Make Your Dreams Come True #2: Be Inspired by Others
Inspiration is all around us. Pay attention to the stories of your loved ones, friends, and the people they know. These people don’t have to be famous or celebrities to be living a dream. Heartfelt accomplishment comes in all shapes and sizes. My great grandmother composed beautiful music that not many people ever heard. But, it was her dream just to write it. I had another ancestor who wrote a book and several who served their country.
Also, take a good, hard look at those in history who overcame hardships to live their dreams. Read the story of Louis Wain and his schizophrenic cats, an artist whose talents continued to grow even when he developed mental health problems. There’s also Helen Keller, who managed to complete a degree and become a world icon despite being blind and deaf. There are inspiring stories everywhere, and they will be a strong force on your quest to building the life you want – especially if you’re suffering from similar issues.
Make Your Dreams Come True #3: See Obstacles as a Challenge
If you have difficult circumstances in your way, you have two choices. You can either roll over and accept that your dreams won’t come true, or you can see these things as challenges to overcome. In many ways, it’s not even about the end result. It’s the journey you travel along the way and the lessons you take to heart that create the most satisfaction. I constantly have to remind myself that there will be pain involved in change and growth. I also tell myself that it will end and things will work out.
Make Your Dreams Come True #4: Just Keep Swimming (Going)
As we said at the beginning of the article, no dream comes easily. If you could have your dream come true tomorrow without any work, you probably wouldn’t appreciate it. Building quality things takes time, and it’s as much about the process as the goal. Difficulty comes and goes, but if you just keep going, you have a much better chance of seeing the positive results you truly want. Giving up or quitting because things get hard is common, but it never ends in making your dream come true. Practice hanging in there when trouble comes. You ultimately just get stronger and build character that serves you and the world.