Lean Into Your Dreams

I didn’t want to be seen. 

After paying thousands of dollars to attend a five day workshop on how to become an inspiring speaker; traveling to San Francisco; putting my 15 year old cat, Remy, into a cage at the vet for a week (He hates that and will make me pay.), I didn’t want to be seen. 

It was Saturday night – day 4.  Earlier in the week we had spent a day with one of the top professional speakers in the country learning how to craft our message; a day with one of the top vocal coaches in Hollywood learning how to create a deeper, more resonant voice; and a half day with one of the contributing writers on the original Saturday Night Life to learn how to incorporate humor into our talks.  Such great content! Of course I took a TON of notes wanting to absorb everything.  On open mic night we would have a chance to take the stage for two minutes to showcase what we had learned in front of 100 fellow attendees. 

I hadn’t planned on speaking.  Instead I donned my ‘coach’ hat and worked with my roommate, Joyce (www.conversationswithyourself.com) to get her ready.  The workshop leader asked how many people would not be speaking. I thought, I’ll just watch, so I raised my hand.  But what it came down to was I had reached the boundary of my comfort zone, and I pulled back. 

What’s up with that?  I’ve led workshops on how to prepare and give presentations.  Why was I uncomfortable in this environment?

Later in the evening one of the participants told a great story which really summed up my issue:

One day a chicken and pig were talking in the barnyard.  They were so grateful to Farmer Bob for taking such great care of them.  “Let’s fix him a dinner,” said the chicken.  “What a great idea,” said the pig, “what should we fix?”  “How about bacon and eggs,” said the chicken.  The pig said, “That may be OK for you – for you that’s participation, for me it’s commitment.”

Yes, I did get up and speak.  In fact, I was so annoyed with my timid self that I was the fifth speaker that night out of about 70.  I kept hearing my own voice telling my clients to lean forward and stretch past their comfort zones. How could I say that I wanted to become an inspiring speaker and then wimp out when given the opportunity?  And let’s face it, two minutes is a “pin prick on a gnat’s ass,” as my Dad would say. 

So I talked about that very thing – how I didn’t want to be seen that night, yet I leaned into it.  In fact, one gal from Australia, who told a hilarious story about having bladder issues at key times in her life, said that she hadn’t planned to speak, but after hearing me she got up the gumption to get up on stage. I guess I am an inspiring speaker after all!

OK, it’s your turn.  When have you set a goal, invested time and money to pursue a dream, or wanted to make a change in your life or your job?  What happened?  Did you lose heart when the rubber met the road or did you lean in?  Were you participating or committed? 

If you have a dream or goal you’re working on now I’d love to help you lean into it and stretch past your comfort zone.  Contact me.

Activate Your Dreamer

When was the last time you sat down and allowed yourself to dream?  I’m not talking about fantasies  – uuuhhhhh, maybe I’ll win the lottery some day and then I’ll have enough money so I can finally call the shots in my life.  No, I’m talking about dreams.  What’s the difference between a dream and a fantasy?  You can’t control the outcome of a fantasy.   Go ahead and buy all the lottery tickets you can afford, but there’s nothing else you can do to influence the outcome.

A dream is something you can work towards, something you can make happen.  Don’t completely dismiss your fantasies.  There might be a dream hiding in there.  Do you dream of calling the shots in your life?  What does that really mean to you?  Working for yourself, being an entrepreneur, or a business owner?   Perhaps you have a dream of doing work you love and getting paid well for it.  Or you dream of enjoying the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, being financially secure, or being in love.

Put your dreams and fantasies through the test:  is there action you can take to make your dream/fantasy come true?   If the answer yes, you’ve got a dream.  If the answer is no, you’ve got a fantasy.  Fantasies are fun; they’re the stuff that fairy tales and romance novels and made of, and who doesn’t love that?  But dreams change the world.  History is filled with wonderful examples of dreamers who worked hard and who took action on their dreams.  Can you think of some examples?  Do you know anyone who had a dream and then made that dream come true?  A dream doesn’t have to have global reach, and you don’t have to be a bazillionaire or a celebrity.  Your dream is as good anyone’s - it just has to mean something to you.

My neighbor, Carol, loves Hawaii.  It’s a place that feeds her soul.  She loves it so much that she scrimps and saves her money and vacation allowance to she can go every for a month every year.  Now that she’s retired, she’s working towards relocating there. 

In 1992 Pasado, a beloved 21 year old donkey who lived at Kelsey Creek Farms in Bellevue, was brutally killed by 3 teenage boys.  A local newscaster, Ruth Walsh, was so upset by event that she quit her job and formed Pasado’s Safe Haven.  Nineteen years later they’re one of the premier animal rescue organizations in the country dedicated to 24-hour rescue and rehabilitation of dogs, cats and farm animals.  Ruth and many others have a dream – and they put commitment and action behind that dream every day - that no animal should suffer Pasado’s fate.  Check them out – they’re a wonderful organization.  Pasado’s Safe Haven  

Countries have been discovered, humans have walked on the moon, and ideas have turned into inventions because people dream.  And of course there’s the famous quote from Martin Luther King:  “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” 

So if you’ve lost touch with your Dreamer, make a conscious effort to reconnect.  Don’t shy away from the fear of being disappointed.  How can your dreams come true if you don’t have any?

There are techniques to manifesting your dreams – specific skills and mindset which can support you along the way.  If you have a dream you’d like to pursue, I’d love to support you on that journey.  I offer the Making Your Dreams Come True program from Marcia Wieder, America’s Dream Coach™, which has helped thousands of people pursue their dreams. Contact me and let’s get started.