What Do You Do After Your Dreams Come True?
How I learned to exercise my dreaming muscle.
I have always been goal oriented. All my life I have lived for the token, the trophy, and the triumph. It has become a joke in my family that I will do anything for a gold star sticker, because sticker = goal accomplished. As a result, it will come as no surprise that I recently set out with a new goal in mind: to see my life bigger, to think bigger, and to dream bigger.
I have always aspired to be more than my full time job. That drive has led me to my side hustle as a fashion entrepreneur, to become a writer, and most recently to my spirituality journey.
But I keep getting stuck.
No amount of notebooks, colourful pens, and sticky notes could guide me to see past the end of my nose.
Rightfully so, because as I sit here typing and look up from the screen, my biggest dream has already come true.
It is right there in front of me: my own property on the lake that I call home.
The connection I feel to this place runs deep.
I grew up spending summers at my family’s camp, more commonly referred to as the cottage, which became synonymous with family, connection, and love. Over a decade passed of swimming, boat rides, and barbecues, and when at age 12 my grandparents decided to sell I was devastated. In the middle of my tears I made a silent vow that some day I would have my own piece of the lake — a special retreat where I knew nothing other than freedom and happiness.
I’m still in awe that I made that dream come true.
It was the kind of dream you don’t share with anyone in fear that you won’t be taken seriously. It was also the kind of dream that challenged the status quo: aren’t married couples the type to buy cottages, not single women?
It was on par with winning the lottery: very unlikely to happen but fun to imagine nonetheless. The difference here being that I’m very good at saving money and as a result, I never buy lottery tickets. Which brings us to the present, sitting on the dock, taking in the lake view, with the biggest dream I could have imagined coming true.
So, what’s next? What do you do after your dreams come true?
For months, this question has plagued me. I’ve read books, talked to friends, even asked the lake for answers. As I started to uncover the process that led me to invest in this property and make my dream come true, it opened my mind to be able to dream again.
Here’s what I learned:
Reframe what it means to dream.
When I invested in this property, it wasn’t about accomplishing an external goal or checking something off the to-do list. I was motivated by my connection to this place, the way it makes me feel.
It was an emotional investment.
I’ve learned that in order for my goals to have meaning and an everlasting impact, they need to be aligned with how I want to feel, not with the things I want to do.
This is a small but necessary shift in your mindset that doesn’t only lead to a whole new world of possibilities, but also leads to a more fulfilled life. It requires you to go deeper and connect with yourself in a way that leads to knowing and understanding what your heart desires.
For me, I am constantly guided by my desire to feel free: free to choose, free to express myself, and free to change. This has led to dreaming big for both my personal and professional lives that allow for that freedom.
Drop the self judgement.
Don’t assume your ideas suck.
Too often I shut down my ideas before I give them a chance to grow. As they start to build momentum, so does the fear and embarrassment that my dreams are too big, too out there, and impossible to bring to life. For a long time, I kept them hidden in the back of my mind, tucked away for safe keeping. But that only led to detachment as my interest and enthusiasm would eventually fade.
I’ve learned that magic happens when you share your dreams out loud.
This could be the part that scares us most because when we share our dreams with the universe, we have taken a big step forward in making them come true.
By acknowledging our dreams out loud, they start to carry weight, which leads to momentum, and eventually a force to help us see them through.
Each of us is many.
I’ve come to learn that there is no one path, there is no one life. And as a result, there is no one dream.
Dreams are ever changing and evolving as you transition through your many lives.
Take the pressure off of believing that your first dream is the the right dream, the only dream. Tap into your childhood-self and remember what it was like when anything was possible. When your imagination ran wild as everyday brought a new adventure. Give yourself that permission again: to dream big and to be allowed to change your mind.
As I look out at the lake, I’m reminded of that young girl who fell in love years ago. Who felt a connection too deep to ignore and who allowed her dreams to be bigger than she was. She continues to guide me in unlocking my imagination and allowing my dreams to run free.
