Navigate reality to reach your dreams

When it comes to looking at the future, there seems to be two big ways people get stuck...

Lost in the dream: This one is a pie-in-the-sky wishfulness. Lots of big dreams, but not much happening to make them happen. This is the track that gives dreamers a bad name.

Trapped in reality: The basic message of this one is, "Forget all that dream crap. You're living in reality. Suck it up and accept it - this ain't no dream world." The horizon tends to be full of obstacles that get in the way of anything but the reasonable, pragmatic and dull.

It's probably no great surprise that I'm not a big fan of either of those modes of thinking. Like much black and white thinking, each of those paints you into a corner and keeps you from living a rich, vibrant, meaningful life.

Instead of one or the other, my vote is for both. Would it be nice if you could just snap your fingers and have your dreams fall in your lap? Sure. Is it likely? No. But that doesn't mean they're out of reach.

Navigate your reality

Rather than looking at reality as an impenetrable barrier between you and your dreams, look at it as simply the landscape you have to navigate on the way there. If you're hiking out in the mountains, just because there's a big boulder in the path doesn't mean there's not a beautiful glacial lake to enjoy on the other  side. The existence of one has nothing to do with the existence of the other. It just means you need to find a way around the boulder.

It's the same with your dreams. Just because you encounter obstacles doesn't mean that the dream isn't still possible.

Get off your butt cheeks and onto your feet

On the flip side, sitting on your butt thinking about how nice it would be to someday bask in the sun next to a pristine mountain lake isn't going to get you very far either. You have to actually find the trailhead and start walking. Your butt cheeks will never carry you to your dream destination. You have to use your feet and start taking steps.

Are you navigating reality on the path to your dreams? Are you taking the action you need to make it happen? If not, ask yourself, "What one step can I take today? What one step can I take tomorrow?"

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Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM