How to Kill a Dream in 3 Steps or Less...

I have a confession, it's been close to 18 months since my last blog post. What can I say ... sometimes desire and action do not correlate. "That which I desire to do, I do not do..." I've been trying to figure out why someone who verbalises a desire to become a writer would indeed come to a place where they feel paralysed to write. Can you relate? Is there an unfulfilled desire that you keep hidden in the deep, dark recesses of your heart? Your one day dream... I wonder how many people come to the end of their life with that dream still unfulfilled? Whoa, what a depro intro. But reader, I want you to feel the tension I feel when I write about this. Don't get me wrong, some dreams should probably never see the light of day. Tik Tok is evidence of this. Some people should never be dancers, some should never sing, some should never write. At least not publicly. Some of these pursuits are better left to showers and bedrooms and diaries. That doesn't mean we can't do it, or shouldn't do it. In fact, I would hazard to say that every person should give that lurking dream a good chance at life. Even if it's just to say: "I tried, I failed, and in failing I discovered something new about myself. Now on to the next dream..."

The reason I share this is because sometimes it's easier to ignore the dreams we have, and not fail, than to lose the dream... Am I making sense? We convince ourselves that the dream – even the unfulfilled dream – is still better than no dream at all. But what if... What if you don't fail? What if God has placed within you the seed for the next , , , or . (Insert your own hero's name here...). And what if by giving into fear, no one will ever know the fruit that that tree would bring? Fear robs the world of beauty and creativity and wonder, of wholesome creation every single day... So let me ask you: What is one thing, one step you can take today (or at the latest tomorrow) that will move you even a microcosm of an inch closer to your dream? And will you do it? Will you find one other person you can tell, and ask them to keep you accountable so that you keep taking your microcosmic steps bit by bit, until you've walked a mile, ten miles, 100 miles towards that thing you've been carrying for far too long?

I have. You're reading it now. It's small, but it's a start...

And what if you don't? What if you just leave the dream where it is? There's a passage in Scripture which reads: I've known the heartsickness that comes from unfulfilled desire, the growing sadness. The longing for something you never had, for what could have been. And I refuse to live life dragging behind me a series of sadnesses, stuck to me and weighing me down from the joy and fulfilment that my life should bring. And so should you. A mentor of mine always asks, what is one small way in which you can realise a small piece of your dream today? And I would ask the same of you. Maybe you can't study the full degree you want to go study for but you can study a short course, or do one of a myriad number of courses available for free online in your field. Maybe you can't record your songs professionally, but you can start to piece together a makeshift mini studio to start getting your music out there. Whatever it is you dream to do, I can guarantee there IS something you can do now to take you one step closer to it...

So in closing friends, my dream for you is that you will be filled with creativity as you search for your next step. That you would be brave enough to include others in the journey – because who knows, they may just be the ones to unlock some of the answers for you – after all, life lived in Community is ALWAYS richer. And finally, that your heart would be filled with the life that comes from taking chances, win or lose, because I would much rather be a loser in search of a new dream, than be a dreamer who never took his chance.

'Til next time (feel free to keep me accountable on this...)