We renewed a wonderful friendship over dinner a few nights ago. It’s the kind of friendship everyone wants – and more importantly – needs. Honest thoughts and words shared in an environment unburdened by any need to qualify or explain; a safe place. The perspectives shared were helpful to all in many ways and they evoked a great deal of reflection all through the following night.
Two thoughts dominated the reflective moments: Dreams, and decisions. We all shared dreams we held many, many years ago. Interestingly, there was virtually no notable change in those dreams; they are ALL still alive, vibrant and resonate more deeply and broadly than ever.
We talked about decisions made, those we are making and those we are approaching. Today we have much greater wisdom about the importance of each decision than we had 30 years ago, but we have no hesitancy whatsoever to engage and risk.
So, why am I sharing this with you? It’s simple: you have (or had at some point in time) dreams for your future. Are those dreams still alive in you, or have they been placed on a shelf for you to longingly look at and think of “what might have been”? Are there any dreams for today and tomorrow stirring your heart, mind, soul and spirit? If not, why not?
Dreams do require decisions to act in ways that turn the dreams into reality. Every decision matters for today and tomorrow. Some dreams are hindered by past decisions that cannot be changed, but experience tells me there are still dimensions of even those dreams that can be realized IF I am willing to engage fully. The one universal truth about decisions is this: everyone makes them everyday intentionally or by default. I know intentional decisions are far more likely to have positive outcomes.
So, without sermonizing, I challenge you to revisit your dreams. Then decide if you are going to pursue them. Oh, by the way, decisions are not “head games”…if there is no demonstrable action, there was no decision. Decisions that are genuine are ALWAYS followed by action. Those actions are the building blocks of the dreams.