In our youth, we all had dreams. At age five, I remember hearing boys say they wanted to be policemen, firemen, or pilots. Many of the girls wanted to be nurses (or like me), schoolteachers, or homemakers. As we grew older, our dreams also expanded. We learned how to develop our natural talents, and the level of education and training needed to achieve more advanced goals. How many of us actually fulfilled those childhood aspirations?
I recently came across a quote by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She said, “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” She had plenty of reasons to be afraid, having faced exiles, imprisonments, and threats of execution. Despite having to flee to the United States and later return to her homeland, she became the first female President of Libya and made her country a freer, more prosperous, and safer place. She ultimately received the Nobel Peace Prize.[1] This is what you call a life well-lived.
Most of us don’t face dreams involving life-or-death situations. Unlike Sirleaf, our fears that hold us back from pursuing our dreams are more internal than external. I remember feeling scared when my college advisor said I didn’t have good enough grades or SAT scores to earn a psychology degree. He was wrong about that. Even though I’d dropped out of high school and obtained my degree through Adult Education, when I applied myself fully, I made the grades. I was also frightened many times in my life when it was time to take a risk or step outside my comfort zone. Sometimes, I pushed myself too thin or in the wrong direction. However, looking back, I realize it was all part of the process of learning and growing.
Is fear stopping you from dreaming big enough? It’s never too late to reclaim those childhood fantasies and turn your dreams into reality.
This week, I encourage you to think about a dream you have. Do you want to go somewhere? Accomplish something? Learn something new? Change careers? Build something new? Imagine yourself fulfilling that dream, despite any jitters or uneasiness. Then ask yourself, ‘Am I willing to take a leap of faith even if it’s scary?’ If the answer is yes, then you are ready to make that big enough dream come true.
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Donna Marks is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and addictions counselor in Palm Beach, Florida. She has worked with over 6,000 clients. Donna’s struggle with addiction brought her to a worldwide search for healing. She became licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in 1987. In 1989, she earned a Doctorate Degree in Adult Education, then became Certified in Addictions, Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Hypnosis, and Sex Therapy. Donna developed an award-winning addiction training program at Palm Beach Community College. She co-owns an outpatient treatment program and serves as a consultant to treatment centers. For 36 years, she has taught A Course in Miracles.
Donna is the author of three books: the multi-award-winning title Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure, and Learn, Grow, Forgive: A Path to Spiritual Success, The Healing Moment: Seven Paths to Turn Messes into Miracles of Love, and her latest fiction, Fortis & Sapiente – A Tale of Two Lovers Who Successfully Navigate the Murky Waters of Love. Donna is a public speaker and has shared her methods with millions of listeners on podcasts and radio shows.
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