Give Yourself Permission to Dream Again

          Growing up, I wanted to be in the Olympics. I wanted to be an Olympic runner. I used to go to the end of my street and race against cars on the sidewalk and see how long I could keep up with them. I was an Olympian at that moment. I didn't get tired, but in fairness, you don't get tired when you're eight years old and following your dreams. I ran track and cross country in Jr. high and high school. I wasn't the fastest, but I always ran to beat the fastest, and sometimes I did.

          I never became an Olympian, but I followed that dream until it wasn't a dream of mine any more. I was an all state track athlete, walked on to a division 1 track program, and helped my team win our conference championship by scoring points as a freshman. By this time though, I had developed other dreams-- dreams that became more important to me than an athletic career. The dream that took me away from track was to serve an LDS mission. When I got home the goal was to graduate from school, and learn to talk to girls again. I learned to talk to girls, and I made excellent progress towards my degree, but my goal was just a goal. It wasn't a dream.
The Difference Between Goals and Dreams:
          We've all heard of SMART Goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound, Goals. I'm not saying these are bad things, but to often we replace our dreams with what we deem to be Realistic. We only give ourselves permission to Attain so much. We find ourselves in a rut, wondering what drives us to get out of bed in the morning. This is the time that we need to stop looking at what is realistic, attainable, or even measurable or time-bound. SMART Goals are stepping stones to dreams. If we are only looking down at silly stepping stones, we lose sight of the destination. Look up. Dream.
My Dreams:
          I'm going to run a marathon. This might not sound like a crazy dream based on my running history, but from my track days I developed Achilles tendinitis. I couldn't run for a year and a half. If I tried to do 26 miles today I could cripple myself. I also got married in that time. Between those two factors, I'm over 50 lbs heavier than I was when I was a runner. A marathon at my weight would be impossible, or at the very least, miserable. I'm going to train my body to get into marathon shape. That is a dream.
          I am married to the love of my life. It is my dream to see her eyes sparkle that special sparkle that happens when she smiles and giggles, every day of my life. That might sound simple and basic, but if you could see those eyes, you would know what dreams are made of.

Making Money:
          It is not my dream to be a millionaire. Money is just one of those stepping stones to being free to follow my dreams. It's not wrong to dream of the freedom that money can provide. It's not wrong to dream of being able to spoil your spouse with every good thing in the world. Money is a tool, a means to an end. Dreaming for wealth for the sake of wealth will either put you in a rut, or turn you into something you won't like. I try to invest my time into money making projects that will make me money while I sleep. If I'm making money while I sleep, I'm also making money while I do more important things, like following my dreams. That is the kind of freedom I'm after. That is the kind of life I want to live. I want to live the life of a dreamer.

          At the risk of turning this into another verse of the Tangled "I Have a Dream" song, comment your dream below! What gets you out of bed in the morning? Help inspire someone else to dream big.