Monday, January 04, 2010

Dream Big!

Dream Big!

resolutionIn the past, with some ritual on each New Year's Eve, I would create a list of ten or so resolutions for the year. By about noon of January 2, I had ix-nayed most - if not all - of the items on the original list and then I would end up flogging myself for my failure. Year after year, I did this process until I realized that, each year, the list was the same. Although I would make the resolutions less elaborate and seemingly more do-able, it was in essence the same list. Eventually, I got to thinking, if my resolution list is the same every year, am I ever going to keep any of them?

This life can be fast-paced and difficult enough without me knowingly doing anything that will eventually open up ground for self-sabotage. With all that I do on a daily basis to keep my life moving forward, it seems defeating to create a list of more things to do. So I don't do it anymore, mostly because I've learned that one of the tenets of a healthy life is upholding the commitments and agreements that I make. However, knowing which agreements I will keep is the key. The ability to discern if it is a "yes" or a "no" at the time of the agreement is of utmost importance.

Frequently, we tend to make agreements for reasons other than being actually interested in the agreement. The reasons are wide and varied, looking like some of these responses...
I'm SUPPOSED to do this.
She helped me when I was sick, so I should do it for her now.
I have a truck, so I should help them move.
Everyone else is able to support them, I should be able to also.
If I don't do this, what will everyone think of me?


Agreements and commitments made in this vein of thinking are a recipe for disaster and add to the consternation of everyday life. The easiest way to turn around your agreement-making process is to ask yourself one question when making a commitment: Do I WANT to do this? If it's anything but a solid "yes," look for what you are willing to commit to.

So, when it came to my yearend ritual this year, I asked myself what I desired, what commitment was I willing to uphold. Do I even want to do a ritual? Do I want to create a list for 2010? What do I WANT to do? And the result was, this year my yearend ritual was different. I chose to release any remaining strings that I was holding onto from 2009. I released myself from anything I had agreed to complete this year that I did not, rather than drag them into the New Year. I looked at any remaining commitments to discern if they were still applicable, if I still wanted to uphold them or if I needed to renegotiate out of the terms. And, most importantly, I chose to release any anger I was holding onto and release anyone I may have been strangling in my anger.

What I felt happen was I created space so that I could step forward into this year with a clean slate. In that, I provided openness for my dreams to flourish. That clearing gave me the room needed to dream big, dream often and call on the power of dreaming. I'm excited about this because dreaming is limitless. Unlike a list of resolutions and goals, things that I have to do and accomplish by a certain time, dreaming is fluid and there are no rules in the dreaming, no limits, no "have to do's" and no deadline.

opennessWhile some may say that dreaming is dangerous, I say DREAM MORE! It has been scientifically proven that the brain does not know the difference between imagination and reality and it will build upon whatever is present to create "reality." So, if that's the case, why not dream big, luscious dreams that inspire greatness?

That is my only resolution this year: to dream big, vivid dreams full of sensory information as often as I possibly can. My belief is this will be the best year of my life!

© Angie K. Millgate 1/03/10

ps... for more about dreaming big, follow the links below.

Dream Big (lyrics)

When you cry be sure to dry your eyes
'Cause better days are sure to come
And when you smile be sure to smile wide
Don't let them know that they have won
And when you walk, walk with pride
Don't show the hurt inside
Because the pain will soon be gone


And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big


When you laugh be sure to laugh out loud
'Cause it will carry all your cares away
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself
And it'll help you feel okay
And when you pray, pray for strength
To help you carry on
When the troubles come your way


And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big


When you laugh be sure to laugh out loud
'Cause it will carry all your cares away
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself
And it'll help you feel okay
And when you pray, pray for strength
To help you carry on
When the troubles come your way


And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big


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