the racehorse at the starting block.
the excited traveler about to board the plane.
the loyal dog eagerly anticipating the boy’s arrival.
all at the gate.
at some point in your journey, you will also find yourself at the gate.
awaiting.
beginning.
and you’ll have to decide.
whether to go through at that moment.
or to hang back and delay your trip.
imagine what walking through the gate to the other side will feel like.
exciting? exhilarating?
or are you fearful of disappointment? disillusionment?
will you take the chance, believe that you are ready?
will you open the gate and go boldly forward?
or will you cower on the other side?
the safe side.
the side where no one or no thing can harm your cozy status.
the side of comforting familiarity.
where you are sheltered from risks.
but still able to plan and dream . . .
for what?
for the image of what could be?
for the idealized version of your life which may never be realized?
what if you allow your dreams to flourish in the light of day?
what if you take the steps that will lead you beyond the gate?
push.
you must push your way through that gate.
and if the latch sticks?
you must find a way to unstick it.
it’s the avenue through which your dreams will shift into reality.
don’t stay at the gate.
don’t wait for perfection.
hold your dream by the hand and run through the gate.
CRASH the gate if you must.
and do it now.
time is not yours to know.
will you be here tomorrow?
next week?
next year?
take a deep breath and open that gate.
then go beyond it.
dreams + movement = a transformed world.
what dreams are you on the verge of awakening?
do you find yourself wavering at the gate?
please share your story in the comments below.
i’d love to hear from you.
Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside.
-Marilyn Ferguson
My dream is to be a back-up singer for Beyonce, but that’s never gonna happen. How do you reconcile dreams with reality; real-life goals with fanciful imaginings?
well, first of all, one must personally distinguish between fantasies and practical dreams.
for example, i would love to appear on the tv show “the voice.”
i imagine myself up on the stage, singing and dancing and impressing the judges.
there’s only one problem.
i can’t sing.
at all.
but i think having a rich imagination enables us to brainstorm endless possibilities.
i am able to apply some of the valuable insight the actual “voice” contestants gain in going after their ambitions to my own life and my own dreams.
i am inspired by the singers, even though the path they are following is not a realistic goal for me.
you must decide for yourself what constitutes fanciful imaginings and what makes up real-life goals.
only you know the best fit for you.
the bottom line is this . . .
if you never go through the gate, how will you ever know what is attainable?
and, if you do step through, who might you inspire along the way?
I am a walking piece of art every day, with my dreams and my ambitions forward at all times in an effort to inspire my fans to lead their life in that way.
-Lady Gaga
practical dreaming … I like that!
one caution with the phrase “practical dreaming” –
employing that mindset, we may never push ourselves beyond what we see as current limits.
we are almost always capable of far more than we imagine.
and breaking through those self-imposed limits may enable us to soar.
Great post, April! I think at the moment I’m wavering at the gate just because I see more than one and I’m not sure which one to go through, but it’ll all become clear eventually. 🙂
good point, amy.
wavering may very well mean taking a deeper look at the different paths open to us.
then proceeding through the gate when we’ve chosen our best option.
I really like your insight here, April:
Applying the valuable insights of others who are going after their ambitions to my own life and my own dreams.
Being inspired by their accomplishments, even though the path they are following is not a realistic goal for me.