Dream Big

About a year ago, I was in this crazy, screaming audience:

Being there live was an incredibly invigorating, crazy experience. A little piece of me fell in love with David Cook that day as my emotions ran from boredom in line to anxiety that we wouldn't get in to claustrophobia as the crowd got really intense to elation as we scored better seats than were assigned to us. I've felt connected to "Big David" and "Little David" (as my kids call them) since I got to share that day with them.

The words of that song began swimming around in my head immediately. If you don't dream big, what's the use of dreaming? Reach out for something more. I started thinking about my own dreams in life. What were they? Did I have any? I started to feel aimless, floating around wherever the waves of life carried me. That wasn't a good feeling. What happened to the girl who used to really dream big and make things happen? Where was that crazy lady who was always in the middle of everything?

A piece of me had fallen away. I had lost my way. So I set my New Year's Resolution to live life more purposefully and SEEK OUT happiness, rather than hoping it would fall in my lap. This has been my hardest New Year's Resolution yet, because it requires a lot of painful introspection. It also requires me to deliberately step outside my comfort zone. Who wants to step outside their comfort zone? That sounds so, I don't know... UNCOMFORTABLE.

I'm still working on it, though, and feeling happier than ever. I'm remembering that I have the strength to mold my life into anything I want it to be. I'm not living by fear; I'm living by faith. If you don't have faith, nothing's worth believing.

I was reminded of my resolution today as I read my friend's awesome thoughts on allowing yourself to want things. After all, if you don't know what you want, how do you know which direction to go in life? So I decided I wanted to make a list of my own. And I did it. Here are the first few items that came to mind:

* I want to be the kind of Mom that my kids WANT to talk to when something's on their mind

* I want to be the kind of Mother-in-Law that my kids-in-law really enjoy being around without feeling like they have to hide who they really are

* I want to get a graduate degree someday. MBA? Creative writing? Social work? Who knows. Maybe one of each.

* I want to learn how to do quilling. Maybe I'll learn this week. Why not?

* I want to learn calligraphy. I spent a few hours once trying it out and loved it. It's been about 15 years and I've never gotten back to it.

* I want to learn to be a not-rotten cake decorator. I don't have to do anything fancy, but I still can't handle crumb control, so I'd like to at least figure that much out.

* I love making homemade cards, but they are SO SO homemade. I want to learn some cool paper crafting stuff so I can enjoy making cards, invitations, and other little doo dads when the mood hits me.

* I want to cruise the Mediterranean for a few weeks and see Greece, Italy, the French Riviera, and Egypt.

* I want to have a family cabin someday up in the mountains--a place where my family can go to just get away together and relax. It may not happen, but I can still want it, right?

* I want to build another new house someday with better use of space, cool architectural features and lots of classic style. And lots of awesome finish carpentry work. And a lot more acreage so I have a little privacy.

* I want to have a really cozy, comfortable guest bedroom where people love to come and stay: a place where people feel loved and welcome because they see all the little details that say "I Love You and I'm glad you're here." 

* I want to spend time doing ballroom dancing, just because I love it, and not in any competitive way.

* I want to spend lots of time singing and feel like I'm good at it.

* I want to get a novel published. Why not?

So what do you want from your life? What do you dream of doing someday? Go ahead and let yourself dream. It may not be feasible to make the dreams come true, but if you don't let yourself decide what you want, they won't come true anyway, will they?

DREAM BIG!