Let your dreams come to you

I am just returned from the Big Island of Hawaii, a wonderful place for rest, play and rejuvenation. Because of the five-hour time difference I awoke before dawn every morning and did a series of yoga stretches. I actually did sun salutations as the sun rose and the first rays of warmth washed over the lanai--fabulous.

One of my hobbies is bird watching, and I still had several Hawaii birds to add to my list. So I set out one day for a patch of native forest at a high elevation, where some of Hawaii's rarest native birds can be found. As I hiked through the beautiful woods, I could hear exotic birds calling all around me. But they were elusive little critters. Each time I would hike toward an intriguing call, it would move farther away from me. Or I would catch movement from the corner of my eye, but when I turned or raised my binoculars, I couldn't see anything.

Frustrated, I sat on a fallen tree to rest. I sat very quietly, and after a few minutes, the birds came to me. Just sitting in that one spot I spied several green Hawaii Amakihi and red Apapane. The longer I sat, the closer they came. Then I heard a rustling behind me. Wary in case it was a wild pig, I turned slowly and there was a Kalij Pheasant not five feet from me. (These are not native to Hawaii, nor are they particularly rare, but they are exotic to me!) I sat and watched him for a long time, then finally thought to take a picture, but he was too far away by then. The picture here shows him as a smudge!

Sometimes the dreams we pursue are just as elusive as a rare bird. The harder we push, the farther away it seems our dream recedes. But often if you sit quietly, relax, and allow it to happen--just stop trying so hard--the dream will come to you.

I am a big believer in setting goals and taking action. But if you've been trying and trying, and it seems you're making no progress, try putting it out of your mind for a little while, relaxing, and focusing on something else. You might find your dream sitting right next to you.

Aloha,
Kara