I’m posting weekly about the dream theory I’ve incorporated into Dark Legacy (more fun dream science tidbits later this week, plus a new excerpt from a Dark Legacy dream sequence!). But today I want to zero in on the realization that started my fascination with dreams–my belief that our dreams and how we deal with them defines the success we invite into our lives.
My Dark Legacy posts illustrate the cool ways my imagination fantasizes about dreams. On the othe hand, I’d like to think my life is an example of how to let your dreams lead, even when (especially when) they seem unattainable. Not that following your heart is always a sure-fire path to success. But owning your dreams is key, whether they ever come true or not. Dreams should be your motivation, just as much as the day-to-day practicalities of life. Your dreams are part of who you are–an important part that the world needs to see, so other people can understand you. YOU need to see them. Dreams are the most important motivators to success you’ll ever have.
Seven years ago, I left my corporate job and my corporate pay to work, self-employed, as a freelance writer. That change allowed me to pursue a career in commercial fiction, and to have more flexible hours as my son started kindergarten. I had two dreams: 1) to pursue my passions for being a writer and a mother; 2) to lay the groundwork for becoming a best selling fiction writer. Both of which I’ve achieved to various degrees.
Did I always have the full support of my immediate family? Yes, otherwise my dreams would have died before I took the first huge step of giving up half our guaranteed income. From our extended network of family and friends? Not so much at first, until my successes became something tangible they could see.
It’s hard for others to see our dreams clearly at first–but it’s important for us to put our dreams out there, anyway. As dreamers, we have to go out on that limb every day. We have to be committed to keep fighting, knowing that the whole world’s watching and not always approving. We have to accept that our dreams are a real part of who we are–a part we’re not willing to give up.
Did I achieve instant success at every turn? Hardly. But have I embraced the part of my spirit that feeds on sharing my view of the world through the written word? Absolutely. And the seeds that I’ve planted (publishing 11 novels so far, winning national awards, hitting a national best seller list, and signing with a new publisher that is excited to take me to the next level in my career) are a firm foundation I can build on. And look–seven years later, my son is thriving and my “mom” time is freeing up, leaving me more resources to focus on my growing career. One dream coming true is feeding the next one. Funny how that happened…
Owning and following my dreams allowed me to reinvent my professional life to be exactly what I’d always hoped it could be.
However…keep reading for some dream-spinning tough love…
Confuse dream-chasing with lottery-winning, and you’re hopping aboard a frustration treadmill that will ground you into the dirt. Owning your dream isn’t about sitting around and waiting for Lotto to change your life. It’s about realizing how hard YOU’RE willing to work to change your life. It’s about taking small steps at first, usually with no pay off. It’s about believing in yourself when you’re not sure how anyone else ever could. It’s about sweating out the fear and doubt. Facing your decision to live the life you want, whatever it takes. Day after day after day after day, until the dream starts to feel like the only reality you know.
How hard are you willing to work for your dream? If the answer is “not THAT hard”–if you can’t see yourself dedicating everything you are to pursuing it–then my advice is, don’t quit your day job to follow a dream you’re not so sure you want. Since I gave up my corporate career for a future in commercial fiction, my husband’s lost his job (and subsequently changed careers himself), credit and retirement and financial markets have dried up, and publishing (some warn) has become a dying industry. Not for the faint of heart, this dream-following thing. But am I going to quit–not on your life!
Because if your desire is strong enough, you’ll find a way through the difficult times and the doubt and the criticism from others who don’t understand your dream. And once you find a way to work even harder on on your dream, the harder things get, something surprising starts to happen. Success.
My now-teenager is a great kid: successful in school despite the challenges he’s faced; living an exciting life beyond anything we would have hoped for him; and starting to dream of his own future. And me? I just contracted to write my ”Legacy” novels, a series I hope to be writing into for many years to come–a new genre for me that I sold in a time when no one can seem to sell anything to New York.
What are your dreams? What do you want to be doing next year? Five year’s from now? Ten? How hard are you willing to work, no matter the obstacles, to get there???
Tags: anna's world, writing articles
I like what Lawrence of Arabia said about dreams: “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.”
My dream is to be a writer as well. My daily life is so busy that it is hard to find the time to work on my writing. Yet I’ve decided to set small attainable goals. This summer I am hoping to submit several short mystery stories to Woman’s World Magazine and also a children’s story to Highlights magazine. Those are my goals this summer. Those are goals I can still attain through the chaos.
Your story is inspiring!
In the past year I have lost my job, got divorced and moved back to my hometown to start a new life for myself. In the back of my mind I have always wanted to write but never given it the driving force that it needed to be a reality. All of that is changing for me and doors are continuing to open that never had before. It is my dream and I am realizing for the first time in my life how important that it is. Thanks for writing to remind all of us that it is never easy but it is always worth it.
I used to hear conversations in my dreams. At the time they made no sense, but later I would be in a situation where I knew what was going to be said next because I had already hear this conversation. Since I was young at the time I thought all I had to do was dream to make things come true. However…….
My dream is to translate books.
next year I want to be back at my job as a Personal Care Worker in a level 1 & 2 Personal Care Home. The reason I’m not there right now is I found out I have breast cancer and am going in for my 2nd surgery on Thurs. I will need treatments so don’t know how long I will be off. This is my dream right now.
As I grow older my dreams have changed dramatically – now I dream for my children – that all their dreams will come true.
Good Luck, Robyn, with your upcoming surgery. I’ll be thinking of
you on Thursday – Hang in there!!
Pat Cochran
P.S. I think that’s why I am here, to be a friend to all I meet!
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