Do you dream? Do you look to the future with purpose and passion? Do you believe anything is possible?
Or has life knocked you back so many times that you’ve stopped dreaming altogether? Or do you expect nothing so that you lose nothing?
I’ll be honest. Until fairly recently I’ve never been much of a dreamer. Whilst I admired and encouraged those who pursued life with positive expectancy, I used to feel that it was different for me.
Abandonment and abuse as a child had stolen so many things from me. Among them was the ability to dream. Or wish. Or hope. As I grew into adulthood my expectations of everything and everyone were so pessimistic. My outlook was limited to blocking out the past and managing the demands of the day. Life had always been so harsh that it was all I could do to survive.
I didn’t dare to have ambitions. I never imagined having a fulfilled and happy life. The words that had been spoken over me for years would reinforce that I was never going to be good enough, clever enough or pretty enough for anything or anybody. So why set myself for even more disappointment and failure?
“Hope is the dream of a waking man.” ~ Aristotle
Yet behind the mask of alcoholism and the cocoon of depression lay a woman desperate to believe that life could be meaningful and loving. Even in the depths of despair there was the whisper of hope. It gave me the determination to want to start living my life as the person I was meant to be.
My journey of emotional healing started with accepting the past and letting the hurt go. The nightmares of yesterday could no longer be allowed to shadow the dreams of tomorrow. Recovery meant looking to the future and believing in myself, not living the miserable existence prescribed by others.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” ~Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
It’s never easy to change the thoughts of a lifetime, but somehow I found the courage to dare to dream, and the faith to believe that the dreams could come true.
In my spirituality I found my dreams could be nourished without fear of failure. With faith I learnt that even if what I had hoped for didn’t materialise, that it was for the best and I could expect something even more beneficial at the right time.
“Faith is like a bird that feels dawn breaking and sings while it is still dark.” Rabindranath Tagore
Today my life is filled with so many good things that I would have never imagined. I know now how important it is to look to the future with hopeful anticipation. It makes life challenging, purposeful and joyful. And as my faith has strengthened so has the certainty of my visions for my future.
I’ll never stop dreaming. I’ll never stop believing.
What about you?
The Hurt Healer 
Another beautiful post, Carolyn! I so remember those dark days, myself. Your beautiful story will help so many others see that it really is possible to dream and hope and find joy – no matter how difficult their journey thus far has been. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you Lisa. I’m glad you’re through the dark days too!
Thanks for your heart-felt post, once again, Carolyn. For me, I have to lower my expectations…I dream, create it, and then have found myself disappointed with the results over and over. {sigh} Time to really learn to dream, create, and turn it over without the expectations!
It’s such a fine line to tread Meryl between dreaming and expecting! But keep on dreaming!
I see the “dream muscle” like any other: if it’s somehow damaged or if we never develop it, it can’t serve us. If we work it regularly, it supports us and carries us a long way. And if we abuse it and ask it to do more than it’s capable of doing … the dreams fail to materialize. You, Carolyn, figured out how to get past the damage, develop the dream muscle and now work it regularly!
That’s a wonderful way of looking at it Sharon – a ‘dream muscle’! And you’re right that once I found out how to find it through the pain, I learnt how to use it! Thank you for your great comments as always Sharon 🙂
This really resonated with me. I went through years of being afraid to dream because who was I to want more for myself. It was a hard road to turn that around. There are so many other folks out ther who will benefit from hearing your story. Thanks for being so open and honest.
So glad yo have turned it around Ruth!
I nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – Hope you will accept. 🙂
Thank you so much Pat! I’m very happy to accept 🙂
😀
A truly inspiring and thoughtprovoking post! The quote of Tagore particularly resonated with me.
You are right. As we believe, we visualise and dream. The path forward gains clarity in this way and we lose much of our fears as we move on. Awhile back, I had posted on a similar concept which you might find of interest.
Cheers and God bless.
Shakti
Thank you for your comments Shakti. They are most welcome!
Inspiring post!
I found this part particularly interesting
“My outlook was limited to blocking out the past and managing the demands of the day.”
All too often when we refuse to accept the past, especially when it has to do with negativity or failure we are trapped and blinded in the present. I believe that dreaming is healthy for everyone. It allow us to unlock the hidden potential within us. Keep dreaming!
What a great description of dreaming – “a way to unlock the hidden potential within us.”
I love your comment “It’s never easy to change the thoughts of a lifetime, but somehow I found the courage to dare to dream, and the faith to believe that the dreams could come true.” …
You hit the nail on the head as per usual! I love the way you express yourself so genuinely and it is evident that you speak from the heart. Thank You for yet another brilliant post! x
Thank you Christine for your kind comments and support xo
So true – the importance of listening to that (sometimes very tiny) voice of hope inside, as it gets you through the drakest times and brings you into the light 🙂
You’re right Val! It doesn’t matter how small the voice of hope is, as long as it is there. 🙂
Feeling hopeful was my first step to envisioning a better life for myself, and this year has been all about overcoming fear and mistrust. As my state of mind improves, I find myself actually believing that I have sooooo many possiblities ahead of me. It’s nice!!!!
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring comment Ali!
I too know that it’s faith that helps me look to the future positively, despite many current obstacles most of them health issues, either mine or those close to me. Thank you for once more for your encouraging post.
So glad you find it encouraging Karen. Having faith is always a help in difficult times. Hope that your health issues start getting better very soon. 🙂
Thank you this has really made me think. I have health issues and have hope that I will find relief, but your post made me think about hoping for even more than that – maybe having a life that i find satisfying and enjoyable. thanks :o)
Thank you for your kind comments Lucy. I do believe that the limitations of the mind can be far greater than the limitations of the body. You can have the enjoyment and satisfaction you seek if you set your mindset and keep on believing. You can do it 🙂