I’m reading Simon Squibb’s powerful book, What’s Your Dream? We all carry amazing dreams inside, but often we let the busyness of everyday life snuff them out. 

     Or we’re afraid to reach for our dreams, fearing failure. 

     Or we lack self-confidence. 

     Or imposter syndrome kicks in. 

     Or we think reaching for our dreams will be too hard. 

Whatever the reason, often our deepest desires get pushed to the background. We allow our dreams to get quieter and quieter, and after a while, we don’t even hear them whisper anymore. But deep down the dreams still linger, maybe just as a tiny ember, but still flickering softly. In his book, Squibb fans the flame by asking a direct question:

What’s YOUR Dream?

It’s a question that deserves an answer. Maybe your dream is to be a stay at home mom. Or an influencer. Or maybe it’s to start your own business. Or to travel the world by sailboat. Or write a screenplay. 

Perhaps you haven’t identified your dream yet, or maybe you’ve abandoned your dream for one of the reasons listed above. Here’s my advice for you. Step off the treadmill of life for a while. Put down the to-do list. Put your phone in a drawer. Get out in nature by yourself and take a walk. Then, in that quiet space, ask yourself the question: What’s Your Dream?  Invite your dream to bubble up to the surface. 

It might be scary to allow yourself to dream. You may think, who am I to dream big? I’m just a normal person. Guess what? We’re all “normal people.” The world’s greatest inventions and works of art were created by normal people. People just like you, just like me. The only difference is that these people set aside their fears, focused on their purpose, and chased their dream.

On your next Personal Retreat Day, step off that treadmill. Take time to dream again. Write down your dream. Then decide on one small action you can take immediately to pursue your dream. The day after your PRD, take that small step. You’ll find yourself at the beginning of a journey that will bring fulfillment, meaning, and purpose to your life. 

It all begins with a dream!