"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
I was having a conversation the other day with someone debating what the most important denominator behind success is. We focused initially on two things, hard work and luck.
It is probably fair to say that anyone looking to achieve anything needs to work hard and have their share of luck along the way.
As we discussed this topic it became more and more clear to me that the most important denominator for me was having a dream or vision to go after.
Without this, you don't have direction and you don't have the goals to chase and achieve.
I’m not sure how many of you would agree with me about this though, and it wasn’t agreed upon with the person I was debating this topic with because of the negative connotations they felt linked with the ever-popular world of manifesting.
But fundamentally, as said by Jim Rohn, “if you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan.”
If you don't set a dream you won't have a direction and therefore no opportunity to work hard for it and no opportunity to receive and take advantage of luck along the way.
Whether we realise it or not we all visualise daily, even the smallest events in our lives. Even if it's imagining what we might eat or planning what workout we will do in the gym. We just don't recognise it as much because it is so common and normal. So, why should it be any different when thinking longer-term about our lives?
Below I’ll cover a couple of the points as to why I think dreaming and visualising are so important.
Direction:
Without an end point or goal you’ll be pedalling into the darkness without any idea of when to stop.
The first and probably most important point around this topic is that if you don’t dream or visualise achieving something in the future you’ll probably end up wasting a lot of time. Setting a direction will allow you to find a focus and cut through all the noise.
No one wants to be a hamster aimlessly running on their wheel, you should want to be like a marathon runner or sprinting with a finish line. Our dreams are our finish lines because they set a point of achievement.
Dreaming and setting a direction gives you a marker in your life, something to go after, something to focus on, something to bring you fulfilment.
As young adults, we are usually forced into making serious life decisions without realising how important these decisions are. We want to go to university because it seems like the right thing to do, but some choose courses that don’t necessarily interest them. Some just want to use university as an opportunity to have fun and delay big life decisions.
Aimlessly following the path of others might seem like the easiest option but it can be a very dangerous move because you are not proactively figuring out what you want to do and how you want to live. This is how many people end up doing things they hate leading to a plethora of other issues later on in life.
If you can find some that you love and that you’d be willing to do for free then you’ll never work a day in your life because work will feel like play. To find these things you need to connect to your inner self and the dreams and visions you hold. Most of them will take you on a journey you wouldn't expect.
Ambition:
The most important thing about dreaming or visualising is the fact that when you do it, usually it is about things which are extremely ambitious and hard to achieve.
No one dreams about something realistic to achieve. Dreams are supposed to feel scary, be bat shit crazy and most people aren’t supposed to think you are capable of achieving them.
Ignore the opinions of realists in these scenarios. Realists are pessimists in disguise who don't realise they are stunting their ability to achieve amazing things too.
Realists respond only by what they can see and know is possible for them. If they haven't experienced it then they would struggle to believe it is possible.
The truth is, anything is possible, you are the creator.
You need to let your mind run wild with the dreams that come to you and you need to allow it to feel so crazy that you want to keep them to yourself.
The beauty of dreaming is that in your current situation, it probably isn't realistic, but because you visualised it and saw a version of it, it becomes possible.
Having dreams gives you a pathway for progression and evolution. Humanity has only moved forward because some people thought of something that seemed impossible and they made it possible.
Having the ambition and the courage to follow your dreams will push you further than you thought you could go.
Instinct:
Most successful people follow a dream which isn't completely clear to them but they have an idea of what it could be and could feel like and they follow it.
No one has all the answers to their dreams, their journey isn't suddenly mapped out for them, they are solely moving forward off feeling.
Those who take action successfully move forward slowly reacting to the world around them and in trust that the right answer will appear.
Following your instincts with dreams is essential. You need to be able to listen to your instincts and hear them. You need to believe there’s always an answer.
Once you can hear your instincts you start to build trust in yourself and the decisions you need to make. You'll know whats right for you and what's not.
Being able to follow your instincts will change your life.
I am Will Flindall, host of the Valley of Outlaws Podcast where I speak to those who have decided to take control of their life and follow a passion or instinct.
If you feel like you could be getting more from your life, then maybe one of the conversations I’ve had with the Outlaws might help you kickstart a change.
Peace x
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