Go For Your dreams!

We are all born dreamers, but as we become adults and we inevitably meet life's hardships, our self confidence and our ability to achieve can be altered. As we grow older, some of us no longer dare to dream for fear of appearing childish or being disappointed. In addition, we as human beings are conditioned to survive in an environment of threat when resources are scarce, and we are genetically structured to being alert to real and imagined dangers everywhere.(As a result, the holographic view of the universe, pregnant with an infinite range of possibilities is not the mainstream perspective from which we choose to make our decisions in life. Yet we can, if we have the necessary courage and persistence, shift our natural tendency to operate from a perspective of lack and danger, (which we assume to be our reality) to a more empowering one, which is to make our choices from a range of possibilities in the face of every challenge. How do we shift from our present limited perception of reality, to one that would support our dreams? We tend to perceive reality as a fixed entity which stands outside of us, which we can measure, compare, and assess fully, provided we gather enough facts. Life, from this perspective, is a hostile terrain, where everyone is competing with one another, in the struggle to have enough, and be enough. In this world, competition is the vehicle to success, and the triumphs of some imply the failure of others. Our environment is perceived as a pie which has a limited number of slices. Ask yourself: How are my thoughts, in this moment a reflection of my current perception of reality? Look for anything in your current frame of mind that reflects comparison, measurement, scarcity, or competition. What you may find out, is that when your mind walks along this road of comparison and measurement, it is like being on a downward spiral that has no end. From this view point, life is truly limited from all aspects and viewpoints. Allow yourself to dream for a moment... Imagine that beyond this world of comparison and contrast, there is a far stretching universe of infinite possibilities that anyone can access, provided they make the conscious decision to do so. Mother Teresa had a dream of ending poverty in Calcutta. She knew this would never happen, but it did not stop her from doing what she could do and living her dream. Dreams don't have to be realistic or even possible for us to decide to start somewhere and go in their direction. Henri David Thoreau said it beautifully: "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Do you have a dream? What is it? If you could do anything, what would you do? If you could be anyone, who would you be? Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream too: He dreamt that his nation would one day "rise and live out the true meaning of its creed - that all men are created equal." His dream was the light that guided him throughout his entire life and work. Holding a vision that stands beyond what we perceive as possible or real, provides a framework for new possibilities to rise above our current reality. From the Taoist perspective, abundance is the natural way of the universe. We see this natural abundance reflected in the fruit bearing plant that provides us with food, and still retains in its seeds the power of regeneration. As an analogy, in the realm of all possibilities, the pie is whole and each time we take a slice, it becomes whole again. When we live from this perspective, we no longer need to compare ourselves with others, because we acknowledge that we are all connected by an unseen thread. The world becomes a common ground where each one of us can bring their contribution to the whole and has a chance to express their own and unique greatness. Accordingly, vision led dreams spring out from a perspective of abundance. They provide a fertile ground for expression of creativity, development, expansion, and eventually, the creation of a new reality. The key to operating from this mindset is to be very clear on what distinguishes one world from the other, and to decide to keep a strong focus on the world of possibilities. How you can start applying these principles in your life: Start spending some time everyday focusing on your life vision. You don't even have to know what it is at this point. Just commit to spending a minimum of ten minutes a day with the following question: "What do I want to experience in my life, now, while I am alive and vibrant?" As you ask yourself this question, it is important that you realize the timeliness of it. You are asking yourself what you want to experience not in a near or far and uncertain future reality but in the "nowness" of this very moment. Contemplate what you really want to experience during this precious time that you are on this Earth. If you think that you don't have ten minutes a day for this, examine this thought, recognize it as a limiting thought and move yourself beyond it. Make this time, ten or more minutes a day, consistently for one month. Start a journal, write the question and let your inner voice come through and forth. Can you give yourself that gift? In the beginning, when you start holding this question, you will find that your mind cannot easily see beyond what it believes is possible for you. It is important that you allow it to expand beyond these limits. You don't have to believe it is possible. All you need to do is, each day, write down everything that comes to your mind, without censoring or limiting what arises. Let your imagination soar and be as wild as it wants to be. If your mind argues that it is unrealistic and senseless, watch it argue. Be curious to see where this leads you. Eventually, you will find that your mind loosens its grip and begins to tap into new realms of possibilities. Your intuitive self will start shooting through. All you need to do is trust the process and show up everyday consistently. After you have finished writing each day, read over it - does anything strike you? Underline any passages or phrases that stand out or seem significant. If you're more of a visual person, you could start collecting stacks of magazines and cut out any pictures that appeal to you, without thinking about why or analyzing them. When you have a pile of pictures, ask yourself "Are there any fresh ideas or common themes?" (Paste them into a scrapbook and add to them as you come across other images that appeal to you. If you stick to these exercises for some time, you will start to identify some patterns and ideas that will start giving you some clues to what could be your life vision or big dream. There is no right way to do these exercises and the only way to do them wrongly, is to fail to be persistent with them. If you find that some days nothing happens or comes out , let it be OK. Just make sure that it does not prevent you from being there for yourself the next day. (Consistency is key to anything you wish to realize in life.((Another benefit from these exercises is that as you start focusing on your dreams, you will gradually shift your mindset from what separates you from them, to what you can do today to move forward towards them. The distinction between these two apparently opposite ways of apprehending life may appear radically twofold, and even simplistic. However, rather than stating that one approach is wrong and the other is right, the idea here is to see how we can be empowered by allowing ourselves to dream and expand our range of possibilities. Practically speaking, when you have a business and you imagine that there is an abundance of customers out there, who need your services, you are more likely to take action and find ways to find these customers than if you entertain the thoughts that costumers and resources are scarce and limited. In cultivating a mindset open to receiving from the universal source of abundance and flow we are more likely to prosper and have a fulfilling life. When our vision is oriented towards abundance and possibilities, we may more easily concede a short term goal or gratification, in pursuit of a bigger dream. When confronted to a limiting belief about a situation, here are a few questions you can ask yourself: Is it true? How do I know this to be always true? How can I think differently about this in a way that would allow me to move forward? Once you have picked a dream that feels right to you, make a list of the resources you would need, and the steps you'd have to take, to realize it. (Now, ask yourself what would be a first step that you could take now, to start moving towards its realization. What would be a second step, and another? What would it take for you to start today, moving on the direction of your dream? Would it be worth it? What is the biggest potential that can unfold in the pursuit of your dream?