dreams come true Archives - Debra Kasowski

Everyone has a choice to create the happiness and the life of their dreams. Yet, few will take the initiative to actually make things happen. They come up with all the reasons they can not have what they want.

There are many excuses everything from: the dog to the kids, to my spouse or partner, to heap load of debt or no money, to I have a headache or I need to wash my hair. Think about your excuses.

How committed are you to your dream of creating a lifestyle of your dreams?

How committed are you to growing a booming well established business?

The top dream stealing excuses I have heard are:

I have no money. You have gotten to where you are right now by the choices you have made. You also have the ability to make a new choice that will empower you to make even better choices. Can you make more money? Can you spend less in other places and invest what you can into your new priorities? Yes, there may be some sacrifices along the way. Here is the deal breaker. You may not like sacrifice. People tend to lower the standard of their dreams based on the amount of sacrifice they are willing to make. Are you willing to sacrifice for the short term to get the long term gain?

2. It’s too much work or It’s too hard. It is great to share a pipe dream or look at someone and say “Wow, they just have all the luck.” I can guarantee in most cases, luck had nothing to do with it. The work did. Strong work ethic, discipline, and determination got them to where they are. No one has died from hard work. I am sure you can not only work hard but you can also work smarter than the next person. You need to create a plan. Get a mentor or hire a coach to help you. Any person who has faced great challenges knows that it takes work and a “never give up attitude” to make ideas happen. Don’t listen to the people who say you can or say “Do you really want to do that? This is your dream. This is your goal. When you decide that your commitment to your dream is stronger than your excuses, you will make your ideas and dream happen.

3. I have a spouse/partner and kids. Yes, so do I. So do many people. Does that mean you push aside your dreams and goals? Can you share your dream with your spouse/partner about your commitment and what you plan to do to make it happen? My guess is that you would probably support theirs – why not yours? Can you be a role model for your children as you chase your passions and teach them about making key decisions? It is an injustice to the world for you to hold back on your dreams. You need to show up in the world. You have a purpose and you are here to make an impact.

There can be many excuses that are holding you back from living the life of your dreams. Make a shift. Debunk the myths about what society implies you must do. Do what you know feels right. Make a decision – What is your why? What do you really want for your life or business? By making a choice to commit to what you feel you are here to do, the “how” often sorts itself out. Don’t steal your own dreams with your excuses. Choose to make the commitment to yourself. Choose to be happy and you will prosper!

How have you challenged your excuses? Please share to help others from stealing their dreams!

Someone said something to me today that took me by surprise. I had shared with a colleague that my goal of giving out 1000 shoeboxes for The Spirit of Christmas Shoebox Campaign filled with treasures would probably be met 1 year in advance and also be met by almost 150%. She looked at me and said, “You know, I thought your goal was too low.”

Wow, when I started with 120 boxes 3 years ago 1000 seemed like a huge accomplishment and it still is. What amazes me most is when people see the bigger vision – the vision of being part of something bigger than another person ever thought possible. Her comment reminded me that people see things in you that you cannot yet see. I know this because I see qualities and potential in others all the time but sometimes I fail to look at me for the same. Maybe we cannot see it because we live it and we are so close to see ourselves for who we really are. They know what you are capable of and they feel your passion and desire to achieve your goal. Even though, I consider myself a big dreamer – I often get reminded that I could be dreaming a bigger dream.

Maybe my dream was too small. Yet at the same time it is as large as life. That is where the fun begins. When you set your goal, write it down. Now, what if you stretched your goal just a little bit bigger, what could you really accomplish? One of my favorite things to do is brainstorming the “how”. How can you accomplish what you set out to do? For me and maybe for you, it is all about setting goals that can be manageable not only in resources but also the time it takes to achieve it. Having milestones along the process is like have a self check in, to see where you are at. Be careful not to limit yourself from dreaming bigger and achieving bigger.Find out how much your dream really costs. You may be surprised to find out it may not cost as much as you think.

My friend Kim and her family rent a yacht for 2 weeks every summer. I had never even thought about renting one. Yet how cool is that? When I shared with others that they too could rent a yacht, they said, “Yah, right. When I win the lottery!” I cannot remember the price she paid but I remember that it was a lot more reasonable than I originally thought. Isn’t funny in how we can trick our minds into thinking something is unattainable? Many people may talk about their dreams, never write them down, and dismiss them as being in impossible. The people who actually take the impossible and turn it into possible find out what it takes to achieve their dream, write down their goals, and make manageable actions steps. The action steps are the key to unlocking your dream. The greatest way to achieve you dreams is to S.H.A.R.E.

S– Stretch into a bigger dream

H – Help others dream a bigger dream from what you see in them

A– Ask others to help support your dream and let them know how they can help you

R-Recognize your milestones or accomplishments along the way

E-Enjoy the journey!

In following these steps, my family, friends, and colleagues and even members of the public have made this dream explode into something bigger and better. Dreams come true when you engage others in the process. I am so impressed by the generous spirit of the people in our community. Families, teams, businesses, and schools are gathering together like a chain to help build a stronger community. Amazing what happens when we all work together in making dreams come true. In just a couple weeks, children’s faces with be filled with happiness and joy by a simple gift of a shoebox placed before them. Start dreaming a bigger dream, you could be dreaming small. Dream do come true!