DEAR READERS: Happy New Year! What a blessing to step into 2018. I truly believe that it is a precious honor to be present and to have the opportunity to work toward our goals and make our dreams come true. I am a big believer in the power of dreaming. Since I was a little girl, I would dream up ideas for business, for creative play, even for getting out of responsibilities. You know how kids can be! My dreams told me that I was going to be a writer. Dreams do come true.
I thought it would be valuable to talk about the power of our dreams and intentions as we begin the year, because I know that within each one of us there are worthwhile ideas just waiting to emerge. And yet, too often we do not take the time to notice them, let alone write them down or tend to them so that they can manifest.
Consider this a clarion call to you to slow down long enough to identify and then nurture the dream inside. Go a step further and accept that it is your personal duty in your life to cultivate the fruit of your deepest convictions. Why? Because too many of us grumble along doing things that do not fulfill us out of a false sense of stability or fear or laziness. Yes, I said it. Because it’s true! Some of us give up because everything just seems too hard, or a catastrophe befell us and the climb out of the hole seems too far away. Others do not dare believe that their measly ideas would amount to anything worth sharing.
To all of those voices inside our heads, I say, “STOP!” Stop the broken record of negativity that serves only to lower our self-esteem and paralyze us from taking action. Stop complaining or hiding or plodding along doing things that do not serve your highest self.
Evaluate your life. Figure out what is working for you and what can be discarded. This includes people, places and things that simply must go. Be still long enough to hear that voice within. Pay attention to your dreams -- those that occur in your sleep and as you are going about your day. Write down what you harvest. Then nurture those ideas. Give yourself an hour each day to cultivate your dreams. Figure out what you need to learn to be prepared to do the work. Align yourself with the people who will support you. Walk away from those who stand in your way.
Why is this important? Our world thrives based on the goodness that we put into it. When people are not offering their best to themselves, their families, their communities and their jobs, negativity can fester. We live in times that require us to reach for the highest in ourselves and others. Our ideas, our inventions and our discoveries are essential to the successful journey that equals each of our lives. Every life is valuable. The question is how valuable do you consider your contributions to be? And are you willing to do the work to make the best of you manifest? I hope so. It is time to leap into your greatness!
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)