Quote from Henry David Thoreau on Library Way in New York City. Taken on February 28, 2007. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Have you ever taken some time to appreciate a major transformation in your life? I’m in one of those times.
Having turned 50 this summer and moved to a new home about a month ago, I’m at a good place for taking stock of where I’ve been and where I’d like to go next. I’ve been listening to and catching up on Mary Morrissey morning mentor videos. I’ve been listening to her videos all year and finding them helpful. I also spent some time revisit the exercises in my book Writing Your Destiny again.
After this week, I’ve come away with a deepened appreciation of how much power there is in writing our dreams in some form. So many of my dreams have come true, especially when I look back to where I was ten and twenty years ago.
I liked the way that Mary Morrissey paraphrased Thoreau:
If you can dream it, you can create it
Which is very close to a quote from William Arthur Ward:
If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it.
and Walt Disney:
If you can dream it, you can do it.
This is not a new idea, it’s just one we need to remember when one dream or set of dreams is accomplished.
There are always more dreams to create. And while I certainly haven’t created every one of my dreams, I’ve noticed there is a great power in believing that something is possible.
That’s why I’m working on creating a long-term plan for the next ten years and listening to the ideas and thoughts that go beyond logic and can only be characterized as dreams. In our ever-changing world, it can seem crazy to plan ten years out. Yet to truly deepen our skills and talents takes that kind of time horizon. Some of our more complex dreams require that kind of planning too.
Today’s contemplation:
What do you think of dreaming and long-term planning?
Have you ever created your dreams?
How have you found the patience and persistence to create dreams that require years of effort?
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I love that quote by Henry David Thoreau – hopeful and threatening at the same time
. The older I get, the more I am inclined to consider long term planning. The truth is i just wasn’t capable of it before. And even now, I am only just beginning to be receptive to the idea. It feels good to me, the long term dreaming though – I might indulge myself in some this weekend 
It is tough to plan when we’re young. I didn’t do too much in my earlier days. Enjoy your long-term dreaming this weekend!
I’ve actually found that if the dream is radically different from the life you lead and/or you have significant issues to get through on the way, a dream can take many years to manifest. And sometimes it changes over that time as life changes.
That is my experience too. The dream changes as we do.
I do find that there is some fundamental core of the dream that doesn’t change and that is what I try to see unfolding.
This really is very powerful, Karen. I think I find it difficult to find the time to really sit with my dreams. I have thoughts along the way, but to seriously focus, contemplate, write them down and then make them clear enough to even know if they are realized–that’s the challenge. I do wonder…thank you, Karen. Something for me to think about. D
Debra, I am a dreamer in many ways, but like you I have actually found it difficult to truly sit with my dreams.
In years past, I’ve tended to think a lot about my dreams, write them down and take little steps with them, but my follow through hasn’t always been good with my biggest dreams because they were the ones that require long-term thinking, planning and action.
At the beginning of this year, I started working on developing a useful long-term mindset. I’m still working on finding the balance of living in the now and keeping a focus on longer term goals. I’m finding that giving myself a ten year horizon with my big dreams is inspiring me to take more action in the now. Having fun with it all helps too! May you have fun with whatever planning benefits you now
Karen
I am a huge dreamer and believe in miracles; some of them have come true… but not the way I expected. Right now, I’m waiting on a miracle; a blessing…. TY!
I believe in miracles too and have found they come to us in many ways. Here’s hoping that your miracle comes to you in a wonderful way very soon!
The quotes become more powerful the more you think about them. I have found that its best to keep dreaming all the time.
That’s a good point. We do need to keep dreaming all the time!
Dreaming is easy for me…long term planning is a whole other thing. hehe
“If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” This was a good reminder for the day.
Glad you liked this. I enjoy what you do with your blog, and imagine that may end up leading to a longer-term plan someday!
Karen, some time ago I wrote a post reflecting on DREAMS and the fact that they DO COME TRUE http://wp.me/p1O652-eb … We get so busy LIVING that we forget about those dreams and never notice when they came true… Hope you have a chance to click on over!! Big hug, Alexandra