Say Your Dreams Out Loud
You need to say your dreams out loud. That’s a scary and sometimes intimidating request, isn’t it? We hold those things that we desire most close to our chest, afraid that if anyone found out, we would be embarrassed. What if we fail? Do we think more highly of our talents than we should? What if, for some reason out of our control, it just doesn’t happen?
Saying something out loud means that it is said vocally loud enough to be heard. This idea of voicing our dreams came across my mind last week when an adult asked my youngest daughter what she was planning for college. My daughter hemmed and hawed, not really giving an answer…but I know what she wants, and it’s a lofty dream. There’s no guarantee that its going to come true. And, she doesn’t want others to think she’s arrogant, prideful, or thinking higher of herself than she really should. But I know her, and she doesn’t think more highly than she should. She works hard for everything she gets. It’s not like she was going around bragging about what she wanted…she was asked, and she refused to say it. The truth is, we are no better as adults. There’s probably a few reasons that we all do this.
- We don’t want others to think that we think more highly of ourselves than we should. No bragging allowed!
- What if we are just not good enough?
- We are afraid that our dreams won’t come true, so there’s no use letting others know about what we want. Oh boy…that’s loaded one.
So what are the remedies that can help us?
In our family, we have a group text that’s ongoing. When one of us achieves something, we share it, we brag. It’s a safe place and all of us rejoice with the one bragging. Maybe that’s what we need, to create small communities where we can brag a little bit. More than any other social media, Instagram is a great community where we can all brag a little bit. And it’s supportive of our accomplishments and dreams.
So, why should we say our dreams out loud? I’m not a mystical person, so I don’t necessarily believe that saying something magically makes it come true. But saying it out loud does do something magical…overtime it helps us believe in ourselves. Saying something enough gives us the confidence to go for it…not matter what the outcome. One trick I use is this self talk: “At least I had the guts enough to try.”
Many of you know that I’m in the process of manufacturing a line of antique inspired dining chairs. The picture at the very top of this post shows one of the three designs that’s coming along with a fresh pick of fabrics. This is my dream for right now and I’ve been saying it out loud for a couple of years. Who knows what the future will bring? Will this be successful? I hope so. But when you give something everything you’ve got, the outcome is not the most important thing. The inner transformation is. The pride that you build in your work…the work that you work so hard for…is the reward.
Say those dreams out loud in the comments—I dare you. You’ll find a supportive audience here…And start building your confidence right now.
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