Don’t let your dreams become a burden

We all have dreams, goals, aspirations. These ideas represent things we want to achieve, places we want to end up, lifestyles we want to be living. They are all future based and require some action on our part to get there.

Some people are very aware of where they’re heading and plan the journey. The planning allows the smaller, necessary, tasks to be done one at a time. Add all those achieved tasks together and the hope is that the goal/dream is reached.

Others stumble along, vaguely aware of the direction they’re heading. They know where they want to be but they don’t know how they’re going to get there, and they certainly don’t want to put in any effort.

The truth is this. We all have goals/dreams/aspirations – whether we’re fully aware of them or not. To reach those goals action is required. There is a responsibility on us to do what we can do for ourselves – the Universe expects this. It (the Universe) then does the rest i.e. the stuff that we can’t do for ourselves. All being well, goals/dreams/aspirations are reached and achieved.

A word of caution here though. I’ve heard it said “be careful what you wish for” – because it just might happen. The Universe does provide, and prayers are answered. My understanding though is that the Universe doesn’t simply provide ‘things’ – if you wish for a Ferrari or a Porsche, the Universe won’t necessarily respond with “here you go” (it might!). Rather the Universe listens to feelings – so when you say “I want a new car” it hears “I want to feel free, I want to feel exhilarated, I want to feel excited” – and it provides. The key is understanding that those feelings and experiences will be provided to you – if you put in the work and have faith in the Universe – but that they won’t be provided necessarily in the format that you thought i.e. the new car.

For many the dream involves escaping from a current lifestyle or situation. You only have to look at how many blogs and ebooks there are on this subject to understand that there are huge swathes of humanity dissatisfied with their current lifestyles. The good news is that this sort of change is available – if you’re prepared to work for it.

If that’s what you’re after then I would encourage you to go for it – what have you got to lose? I am however also a firm believer in acceptance and in loving what it is. From that place (of acceptance) dreams become easier to attain and in loving what is you avoid being thoroughly miserable whilst working towards your goal (see the ‘Learning to love the job you hate’ post ).

Let’s say though that you are clear on your goal/dream and that you know (and have planned) what actions and steps you need to take to get there. You’re on a mission. This is great and I wish you every success.

I want to ask you a question though – are your dreams becoming a burden? Have you become so obsessed with achieving your goals that instead of providing hope and direction they simply add to your dissatisfaction and discomfort with life (we tend to initiate change when the pain of a current situation gets too much)? It’s something to be aware of and to watch for.

In working towards your dreams take care that they don’t become a burden.

I’ve had some experience of this – which is why I’m writing this post. The answer is simple, which is why I want to share it with you.

Let go and let God – the art of letting go

It’s important to apply limits in our daily lives i.e. what we’re going to do and how long we’re going to spend doing it. This planning of our time allows us to achieve the things we need to on a daily basis – take care of our families, our current employment, and take actions towards our goals and dreams.

If you’re doing this, and taking regular action towards your goal then you’re doing really well. So why does this sometimes feel like it’s a burden – just something else on the list of things to do – and why does it cause so much angst.

One word – expectations.

In working towards our dreams we can become fixated on the future and on where we think we should be rather than where we are. When we don’t meet those expectations we become disheartened and disillusioned, and start to doubt ourselves.

The secret to avoiding this is to practice the art of letting go. Remember earlier we spoke about putting in the action and leaving the rest to the Universe? This is the leaving the rest to the Universe bit – that so often gets left out.

So here’s what to do:

1. Have a plan – it doesn’t have to be detailed, but you do need some sort of direction.

2. Take responsibility – for the actions that you are able to undertake

3. One step at a time – but just do it. A lot of tiny little actions add up.

4. Accept – where you are right now and learn to love what is. See the positive rather than the negative – the glass half-full.

5. Let go – and let God. Have faith in the Universe. Have patience. Know that the Universe is always conspiring in your favour.

In terms of expectations the trick is to keep your eye on the prize but not to focus solely on it, and your idea of exactly what the end game will look like. Know your direction, but be open to the Universe, the journey, and the destination maybe not being quite as you’d planned – imagine it being even better. When you take action, however small, reward yourself and focus on the achievement. All too often we take an action and immediately focus on what’s still to do – instead of being happy with what we’ve done. Remember you’ve got a plan so each time you do something you’re a step closer – take pleasure in that.

Let go!

I mean it – let go! It’s as simple as that – put in the action and let go – put in the next action and let go – your destiny awaits!

All the while keep the faith and know that all will be well, all will be well, and all things will be well.