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The Difference Between Dreaming And Chasing Your Dreams

There’s this game that my wife and I play every now and then that takes us out of the real world and leads us on a journey of unicorns and rivers of pure chocolate.  We often go there when life is stressful and resources are scarce.  It’s our happy place…if you will.

This game is probably the most unhealthy thing in our lives.  It’s completely disconnected from reality and gets our hopes up for things that will probably never come to pass.  But it’s necessary for our sanity.

This game is: What would we do if someone gave us XXXXXXX dollars?

Sometimes it’s a million dollars.  Often it’s 10’s of thousands of dollars.  It can even be a few hundreds or a thousand dollars.  Ever played this game?  Just us?  Ok…

Even if you’ve never played this game, I bet you have dreams.  Dreams like ours.

Dreams of living debt free.

Dreams of taking lavish vacations.

Dreams of starting your own business.

Dreams of owning nice cars.

Dreams of getting paid for doing what you love.

And, for many people, that’s where the dreaming ends…at the dream.  Thinking about the what-if’s of life.  Answering questions like: what would it be like if…?

But, I believe that dreams aren’t meant to stop there.  I believe that dreams are meant to inspire us to more…and better…

Far too many of us settle for a life of predictability and comfortability and we miss achieving our dreams.  And there we sit, in our 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s wondering if this is all there is to life?

In October 2013, I followed one of my dreams – to write.  I launched this blog.  It was a Friday morning as I was sitting in Starbucks.  But there are some truths about following a dream that are always present:

  • Fear is present.  When I launched my blog, I was afraid.  Afraid that no one would read it.  Afraid that no one would like it.  Afraid that I wouldn’t be any good at it.  Fear told me that I wasn’t good enough and that no one would like me.  Sound familiar?
  • Overnight successes are a myth.  When I was chasing after my dream, I wanted it to be easy and successful…immediately.  And because that didn’t happen, I wanted to give up on my dream.  Go back to comfort and predictability. Because that’s so much easier, right?
  • Work is harder.  I work hard at my job.  I put in long hours and I give everything that I have to do a good job.  But, chasing my dream is much harder work then I have ever put into anything else.  There are later nights and earlier mornings.  There’s often no affirmation for a job well done.  Of course, the motivation for chasing your dream is coming from a different place – and that makes a difference.  Ever been at a job and question whether the work you’re doing matters?  Yeah, me too.
  • Nobody cares as much as you.  It’s my dream.  Not my wife’s…not my kids’…not my friends’.  It is mine and I can’t expect others to have the same level of enthusiasm as I have.  I have to find the motivation to keep going within myself.  And the things that excite me about my progress and success will not be the same for those around me.
  • Risk is real.  Chasing your dreams is not for the faint of heart.  There is risk involved.  Sometimes it’s financial risk.  Other times it’s emotional risk.  Still other times it’s relational risk.  And you will never completely eliminate the risk.  Good news, huh?  The good news is that you can manage the risk.  And you can control how you respond to risks and setbacks.
  • Dreaming is easier than chasing.  Too many people have a dream that they do not chase.  And often it’s something that they could do and be quite successful at.  But, they don’t.  Because it’s much easier to not put yourself out there and go for it.  The excuses against chasing your dream are plentiful.  But, my question to you today is “Why not?”

What dream do you have that you’re not chasing right now?  There will always be excuses – not enough time, not enough money, not enough resources, etc.

Now is your time!  Launch out after something great!  Stop dreaming and start doing!

Comment below and let me know the dream that you’re going to begin chasing and I’ll cheer you on…

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4 Comments on “The Difference Between Dreaming And Chasing Your Dreams

  1. Starting in December I will be attending college at Ivy Tech. Majoring in kenisiology(basic terms sports science). My dream is to become a personal trainer. I love seeing other people happy about the way they look. Not to mention fat is the cause of about 70% of all cancers today. Say in the process ill be saving lives. Perhaps. I’ve already taken the initiative of fulfilling my dream of becoming a personal trainer. Great blog pastor Tim keep it up!

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