How many times have you thought to yourself, “This was my dream! I can’t just GIVE IT UP!”
Here’s the thing we forget, though. Most things in our lives are our dreams at some point.
As a kid, you probably dreamed about getting a cool new bicycle, or a really fun birthday party. As a teenager, did you ever dream about kissing a certain crush in school? But after getting the dream, how did you feel? Did that thing you “had to have” start to lose its luster after a while? Did you move on and buy a new, better bicycle once you got older? Did you actually marry your first crush, or date many people before finding the right one?
My guess is that you probably did move on from all of these first “dreams”. So why is it so hard to let go of our dreams once we’ve achieved them as an adult?
Believe me, I’m not perfect at this either. I’ve been guilty of holding on to jobs, certain traditions, and even pieces of my business, for much too long. Those things that were so exciting to strive for, and then be in, slowly became not as fun and more like a chore. Not to mention all the emotional turbulence that accompanied it all.
One of the best examples I can give on this subject is a former dream job I had. I had manifested and thought about the opportunity to work at this company for a while. When the job dropped in my lap, I was beyond ecstatic. And I did enjoy it for about a year. Fast forward to the 1 year, 3 months mark, and I got a real rude awakening. I took a quiz in Martha Beck’s book, “Living with Integrity”, and the summary of the quiz hit me like a ton of bricks. I actually hated my job and many things in my life.
How did that happen so fast? There were many reasons when I look back, but it was surprise to me at the time, considering I’d told everyone how much I loved my job that entire time.
However, even with that knowledge, I held on. I thought it would get better. I thought things would change. And they did, but not in the way I wanted them to change. Turnover, stress, instability, and lots of other concerns almost pushed me over the edge. I couldn’t stop crying, having panic attacks at home, and calling in sick to work because of stomach problems. Finally, 6 months later, I quit.
What a relief! Then things started falling into place, and immediately I received confirmation from the universe that I made the right decision. New opportunities were landing at my feet and I felt supported again.
What are you holding on to that you could give up? When will you let your dream go and make room for a new dream?
Like I’ve said for years, “if it’s not fun, stop doing it!!”
If you want some advice from your heart about your true dreams and what’s next to dream about, check out this Heart Meditation.
Want help letting go so you can feel more content?
