Last updated on June 20th, 2012 at 04:33 pm
If you pay attention, life will teach you everything you need to know about dream success.
Have you ever noticed that when you meditate on being open to forward movement with your dream, the universe brings change, and you conger up all kinds of negative thoughts counter-productive to your impending metamorphosis?
Let’s say, your dream is to live a healthier life. You surround yourself with healthy images, place affirmations on your bathroom mirror; you set your goal; you check your resolve and meditate on the vision of your new healthy life; then, as if by magic, the universe brings a torrential rainstorm of mishaps into your life. Your car breaks down; your checking account is suddenly overdrawn; your best friend announces she is moving away; and you end up feeling like eating pasta smothered in a butter-cream sauce . . . and so you do.
You ponder why the universe isn’t in alignment with your healthy intentions. You feel completely defeated.
But what if the universe is in alignment with your intention?
What if instead of letting the crisis derail your healthy plan, you decide to stick with your resolve — despite the obstacles, despite the apparent setbacks — and you end up encountering someone who is able to help you workout? Or maybe, by just be doing what you promised to yourself, it creates the momentum and drive you needed to stick it out and permanently change your eating habits.
What if the obstacles are the path? What if the crisis is your sign that good things are about to happen if you just stay with your dream a bit longer?
But you have those feelings.
Feelings that are making you anxious, angry or overwhelmed because your morning hasn’t gone as you had planned.
You don’t know everything there is to know about the direction your life is about to take. Have you ever experienced a setback, felt it was terrible, thus leading you to think the most devastating of thoughts — only to months later feel it was the greatest thing to ever happen to you in your life — because of where you ended up?
Your original anxious feelings were wrong.
What would that obstacle-filled morning be like if you choose to look at it as if everything happens exactly as it should for your dream to come true? Maybe the universe, wanting to know that you are serious about your dream, cast a few pebbles — or boulders in the manner of obstacles in your path, just to see how serious you are about your dream.
Or what if the obstacles are there to help you change your path slightly so you move closer to your dream?
You know what I am saying here — it’s those times when it seems like you are finally going to reach your goal, change your life, overcome a bad habit — when something shows up that seems to put it out of reach, or or makes you feel like it’s just not worth the effort anymore.
There’s a little known secret to success, this setback place is actually when you are closer to your dream than ever before. This place that seems to be threatening to push you further away from your dream than ever before, is actually a sign that you are just about to gain what it is you really want.
You have what it takes, or the universe wouldn’t be presenting you with obstacles.
That is — you have what it takes if you don’t quit — or don’t allow your feelings to derail your efforts.
It’s in the quitting that we allow our feelings to crush our dreams.
The only way you push through your obstacles is to examine carefully your feelings of resistance — your feelings of defeat. The reason we resist (and want to give up) is that our ego fears we will self-destruct. It is at this exact moment in our dream path that we must go against our own fear-based inclinations.
We must resist our negative feelings.
In my hometown of Santa Rosa, California, there’s a story I’d like to share as proof.
The company is The Engine is Red, and the owner is Chris Denny.
Back in 2008, Chris and his partner Dan planned to start an event-marketing and production company while they were both working at corporate jobs. The day before they launched their new business, Chris was laid off from his job.
Now how do you think Chris looked at this setback? Did he freak out, get emotional, take it as a sign to quit, and decide not to move forward?
NO!
To quote Chris,
We decided it was a sign to move forward faster!
This was at the height of the recession — September 2008 — just when the financial industry collapsed, and the corporate event business moved underground! No company wanted to look ostentatious by throwing lavish parties or celebratory events.
By that Thanksgiving of that year, Chris’ savings was completely gone and the company was within 30 days of shutting down. But a funny thing was occurring as they were not panicking — businesses were approaching them for branding and advertising work, so they decided to change their business idea.
Chris felt that if they allowed their emotions to get the best of them, they would fail. So Chris and his partner gave themselves just 10 days to come up with a new business model. They launched The Engine is Red as an advertising agency.
The rest is history. At the beginning of this November their company is on track to report $250,000.00 in revenue.
Why is Chris and his partner different? Because somewhere inside of them they learned that persistence is crucial to attaining your dreams. They resisted the urge to give up despite the obstacles that showed up. Instead, they came up with a solution and a quick adjustment to their business model. They also paid attention to what kept coming in their direction: businesses asking them over and over again for something they were naturally good at.
Many people would have given up just before the break-through and missed out on the opportunity hidden in the obstacle.
Can you see that it’s our feelings about these obstacles that get in the way of our dream success?
Instead of allowing a setback to interfere with your healthy lifestyle dream, you could just resolve to re-plan your day, and allow yourself the opportunity to get back on track right away. You can tell your feelings to chill and come up with an alternate game plan.
You should treat your dream like a boat drifting comfortably downstream, letting the river take it in the direction it wishes. Drift with your dream in security, regardless of the turns or speed of the water. A willingness to go where life takes you is the true spirit of the successful dreamer. You will be amazed where you will end up.
If you just don’t let your feelings build a brick wall in front of that dream river.
Catherine
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Catherine Hughes is an accomplished magazine columnist, content creator, and published writer with a background as an award-winning mom blogger. She partners with companies to create captivating web content and social media stories and writes compelling human interest pieces for both small and large print publications. Her writing, which celebrates the resilience and achievements of Northern California’s residents, is featured in several magazines. Beyond her professional life, Catherine is passionate about motherhood, her son, close friendships, rugby, and her love for animals.
Note: Articles by Catherine may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.
