Let yourself dream

When we were children, we wanted everything and we weren't afraid to ask for it.

"I want ice cream."
"I want to stay up late."
"I want a pony."
"I want to be a ballerina."
"I want to be a pro basketball player."
"I want to go to an Ivy League university."
"I want to act on Broadway."
"I want to live in Paris."

Sometimes grown-ups said yes, and sometimes they said no. But sometimes--and this is what hurt the most--sometimes we were told to stop asking, to stop wanting, to stop dreaming of a better future.

"You can't have everything you want."
"We can't afford it."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Grow up and face reality."
"People like us don't do that kind of thing."
"It can never happen."
"You're better off with a practical career."
"If you want a job, you better learn to type."
"You'll just be disappointed."
"You don't have what it takes to do that."
"You have to be (brilliant, beautiful, whatever) if you want to succeed at (whatever)."

Little by little, we forgot how to dream. We learned to settle for whatever was our lot in life. We put away our dreams in a box with all the other things we gave up when we grew up.

Well, consider me your fairy godmother. Maybe I can't grant your every desire, but I can give you permission to dream. If you could be, do or have anything in the world, what would it be? What work would you do, or what activities would you pursue? Where would you live? What people would be around you? What would you see when you looked in the mirror?

Go ahead, close your eyes and dream. Sink into it. Remember how good it feels.

Dreaming it is the first step to having it. But on this blog we're going to do more than dream. Stay tuned!

Kara