A few years ago, exhausted from living my dream of being an artist, a good friend reminded me why I’m on this journey.

I wondered if I’d made a mistake by moving so far from home to make my dream come true. Had I given up the wrong things — my home, a relationship, close friends, and family ties — all to live 5,000 miles away to be an artist?

She said she didn’t think so. That for as long as she’d known me, over 30 years, all I’d ever talked about was being an artist.  

I’d forgotten that!

At that moment, she refocused me on my return trip to Hawaii.

Seeding the Stars is an Analogy for Creating Dreams

Living in Hawaii has been wonderful in many ways, and difficult in others. No matter what decisions we make in life, something has to “go” in order to give life to something else. After all, the root of the word decide means “to cut off.”

The world isn’t a big fan of dreamers. If it were, more dreams would come true!

The world isn’t a fan of change either — and change almost always accompanies dreams.

The collective unconscious is like the great Mississippi, the Amazon, or the Nile — dividing consciousness instead of continents. As it sweeps with us through life, our dreams can be tossed and turned in watery emotions and jumbled thoughts.

Dreams are real.

Their purpose is to shift us forward in our quest for expansion and growth.

We are a part of nature, not separate from it. All of nature is constantly expanding, seeking more growth, bringing more change. Try stopping growth in one area and it burgeons forth in another.

While dreams might feel singular to the person having them, they’re actually held by scores of individuals at once.  Thus, when you think of a fresh idea, you’re surprised to hear it echoed in the words of another halfway around the world.

Our dreams are as connected as we are.

If a dream were a virus, it would infect each of us differently as it searched for a place to take hold, for a source to feed it to fruition.

For some of us, this dream would alter life as we’d strive to make it come true. For others, it might be a mild niggling thought of interest that never quite takes root. Still, others would think of it as a strange dream they had one night, and others forget it altogether.

A dream can become woven so deeply into the fabric of your life that it becomes an invisible piece of who you are. A symbiotic relationship is formed between host and dream.

When that happens, the responsible thing to do is to follow your dream. Allow it to lead you to unimagined places of location and thought.

You will be changed in ways you couldn’t have foretold. But then that happens throughout life whether or not you follow your dream.

Life is risky.

Another word for risk is Adventure. It’s a shift of perspective. 

To follow one’s dream is to buck the current of consciousness in which you were raised.

You might go against “the flow” until you realize you can simply step outside that flow.

With one sideways step at a time, you’ll inch your way to the nearest guidepost. From there, your next step will be revealed.

 Eventually, you’ll find your own personal stream. After a while it becomes your river, your own flow to be followed, leading you to the next leg of your next adventure. 

By following your impulse to jog left when the current of those around you jogs right, you’ll likely be following your soul’s dream for you. 

Following dreams isn’t always easy or rewarding. No matter how long it takes to reach your dream, following it can be the very best use of your time.  

Dreams are harbingers of changes to come. If you’re out ahead of the pack, your dreams might be of the utmost importance to you and to those around you — perhaps even to those who have yet to hear of you. 

You might take some “wrong” turns until you adjust to this “new” way of living and intuit your own next right action.  

Keep going. Nurture your dream, mature; and change along with it on your journey through life. 

Your dream might not seem like much at times, but it might just mean the world to others.

Take your opportunity, follow YOUR dream!

2020 showcased the “art of the spin.”
We learned that anywhere, anytime, we can put our own spin
on a situation, shifting our perspective to see things differently.

 I became aware of the power of thought 35 years ago when I read an article
on the impact negative thoughts and words have on our emotions.

I read the book, “You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought,”
and began to do what I call “practicing the flip.” 

When this painting began, it was titled, “Reach for the Stars.”

 “Practicing the Flip” is one of my favorite tricks to keep my sunny attitude.
The idea is that for every “negative perspective,” there’s a correlating “positive perspective.”

For example, instead of saying “don’t forget your sweater,” say “remember your sweater.”

Try saying both phrases out loud.
Did you emphasize “don’t,” “forget,” “remember,” or “sweater?”

That’s the word that sticks in your brain.

To practice the flip, “Please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions,”
becomes, “please email me if you have any questions.”

You’ve successfully removed all hesitation!

 It takes conscious awareness to “practice the flip.”

Good news! With practice, it comes more easily.

At this stage, the painting was known as “Reaching for Possibilities.’

How far away do your dreams feel and how do you feel about that distance?

If they feel near, you might feel eager anticipation.
If they feel far, your feelings might vacillate.

 Which perspective feels better?

How can you flip your perspective to feel even better?

What if it’s a good thing that your dream isn’t about to come true tomorrow?
What would you do if it were? Are you really ready for that possibility?

What can you do today to prepare yourself for that inevitability?

You might not be aware of ALL of the things that need to happen to make your dream real.

How could you? Your dreams aren’t static, they morph and evolve as you do.
No worries, you’re finding and making your way toward your dreams.

Practice living as if your dream is getting closer every day.

Fuel your dream with the joy of anticipation and preparation.
Make room in your heart for the changes your dream will bring about.

Start to make those changes.

You are growing into your dream. It is within your reach.

Remember your ever-present ability to flip your perspective. 

“Within Reach” reminds us that no matter how far out there our dreams may feel, they are within our reach — or we wouldn’t have them!