When you decide to dream big, you must also understand how to deal with loss. You must prepare yourself for the likelihood of loss.
I know that it’s hard prepare for loss — it sounds like I am asking you to expect negative events to happen. But we must always give up something to make way for the new. It’s the key to living a full and rich life. Every time we start something new, there is loss involved.
Think about it. If your dream is to go back to college, then you know that you would have to make time to attend classes, find the funds, and find time to study. There would be sacrifices involved and the loss of things like spare time, going out with friends, or watching TV as much as you do. You might even have to temporarily give up a hobby.
Loss is most difficult when you are caught off-guard. It’s as if the universe reaches out and slaps you hard across the face to see if you are paying attention to this precious gift of life.
And there is no loss like the loss of a loved one. It leaves you numb, confused, angry, and overwhelmed. Life’s difficulties will still happen while you are pursuing your dream. Just because you have taken a giant dream step in your life, it does not now mean that you will be insulated against loss.
But I do believe that dreaming big can help you better deal with major loss and remind you to keeping looking to the future. It’s not good to let sorrow last forever.
Eleanor Roosevelt once wisely said,
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
When things go bad in your life, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s difficult to remain positive about your future and live fully in the moment. These will be the times that test your dedication to your dream and to yourself. From experience, I know that grieving is important, but too much grieving is not good too. You need to understand that challenges happen to everyone and it’s how you handle the times of crisis that will shape your future.
Challenges can make you strong and build your character — if you let them.
Sometimes loss brings you closer to others, as you bond and reach out to one-another. Sometimes you repair old friendships and relationships that you once let go of. You can reflect with others on the importance of this life you have been given and explore the legacy that you want to leave behind. You can share why your dream is important to you. You can dedicate achieving your dream in honor of someone you have lost.
Turn tragedy into triumph.
Be open to the fact that you can’t experience true happiness without understanding what pain feels like. You can’t excel if you haven’t failed, and you can’t contribute to others if you don’t understand their pain and how you can help. All experiences create who you are — it’s how you label and treat these experiences that determine the course of your life.
Yes life (for lack of a better word) can seem to suck at times, especially when everything feels bad. It can engulf you in a bubble of negative energy if you let it. You must break through the negativity, and work towards building something new so that you can find the positive lesson and understand that all situations are temporary. No one gets out of this world alive.
It was Jean de la Fontaine who said, “Sadness flies away on the wings of time.”
Continue to pursue your dream while going through your rough patches in life. Look for the wisdom that is there in your difficult experiences. Just don’t give up. Scale back on your dream goals and lighten your load if you must, but do not let go of your dream. Sometimes just making yourself go for short 10 minute walks every day, while you are going through what seems impossible, is enough to remind you that there is still good in this world and so much to still be grateful for in this life.
I believe it with all my heart and soul that when you move out of a bad place in your life, you won’t be the same person that you were when you started.
You can overcome anything.
You can still dream big. I believe in you.
Just Pursue It.
-Sue
Sue Levy is the founder of the South African Just Pursue It Blog and Inspirational Women Initiative. She’s a motivational writer and media designer, who is obsessed with everything inspirational with a hint of geek. She thrives on teaching women how to be brave and take big chances on themselves. You can find Sue on her Twitter page @Sue_Levy.
Note: Articles by Sue may contain affiliate links and 8WD will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.
