“Dream big, devote everything.” For my family, this is a motto that has not only informed how we raise our own children but what we want to impress upon the children we work within our Devoted Dreamers Foundation. I frequently hear my husband, the dreamer of our family, shout these words with passion and dedication. But it has dawned upon me as of late, that while I may be reciting the words, I’ve forgotten to actually dream myself.
Giving in to Fear
I try so hard to be a person that practices what I preach, but sometimes the actions slip away from me. I found myself paralyzed with fear and doubt, kept from dreaming of anything outside my family and faith. I’ve witnessed harsh judgment, ruined relationships, and failure and somewhere along the line I internalized these visions. I made my world so small it consisted only of the 4 walls of my home, the 6 members of my family, and God.
Permission to Dream
A few months ago I found myself beginning to dream again, beyond the confines of serving my family, and I found myself frightened. Was I giving in to distraction? But God reminded me of something: how can I encourage my children to boldly dream, when I am not encouraging myself to? I needed to give myself permission to expand beyond my comfort zone, to leave my perfectionism and fear of failure in the rearview mirror, and dream.
Write It Out
I began to take my dreams to paper, spilling out countless ideas, thoughts, and future plans. The more I wrote, the more my heart began to pound with excitement, the wider my smile began to spread, the bigger my dreams became. God directed my hand and helped the ideas to flow rapidly and naturally. I felt truly myself for the first time in a while, a person who believes in the power of dreams!
Maybe you, like me, have become fearful. Maybe you’re scared of loss or mistakes. Maybe you just forgot how to dream. Whatever it is that is holding you back, I want you to trust in God and encourage you to not get lost in the routine of your life. Someone else’s freedom, growth, and salvation may be on the other side, empowered by your ability to dream it! Regardless of what your life consists of in this moment, as long as you have breath in your body, God’s intentions in your head, and kindness in your heart, know it is possible to dream big and devote everything.
