Overcoming the Death of a Dream: The Journey to Finding Peace, Hope, and Joy.
My Dream
It was my vision. My north star. My innermost desire that led the way. Days and nights were spent dreaming while goals and decisions were made. Years passed, but the dream was still my guide, until one day when I had to face the reality that my dream was no longer alive.
I carried a dream for 38 years. As a teen my dream defined me. It gave me purpose. I made decisions, career goals all based on the dream. In my 20’s and 30’s I still held on to the dream blinded by my need to see it come true. I held so tightly that the dream almost destroyed my marriage. Even after the turmoil it brought, I held tightly to the disappearing tendrils of that dream.
The Death
Then, only recently, in a moment of meditation I realized the dream had phased away. The dream was dead. The thing I had chased my entire life had disappeared long ago and all that remained was an attachment to an idea that no longer served me.
Breathe... Release. Breathe… Release. Breathe in Freedom. Release the attachment.
Breathe in the possibility. Breathe out the dream’s last remaining grip.
“The truth is that what we want or dream of doesn’t always last. It tends to serve its purpose in our development and then fades away, losing its relevance. And we can do enormous damage to ourselves by insisting on carrying that which has died.””
The Birth
I had two choices. I could either despair that my dream was dead or I could recognize the gift that my dream had given me. I choose life after death. Choosing life required that I see the beauty in the death of my dream. My dream had given me hope, purpose, connection, and a vision. It shaped the woman I am today and I am proud of the life I have created for myself. This life was carved out of the dream, and like the landscape of a melting glacier, I have been carved out by its power. I find joy in what remains.
“We evolve rather than fail the way a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis becomes a butterfly, and the succession of life’s trials is precisely the unfolding we need to find our bliss and rightful place in the order of things.”
The life I choose is fertile for a new dream. I look to my future and wonder what’s in store. I don’t know, but I relish in the new feelings of freedom and lightness. The death of a dream isn't really a death. Rather it’s an opportunity to celebrate the gift of the dream and an opportunity to allow the universe to work through me to create something new. How do you begin to rebuild a dream? I’ve explored this process in my blog The Keys to Rebuilding a Dream.
If you find yourself at a crossroads like I was, I urge you to see the beauty in your journey and acknowledge what your dream has taught you. While you celebrate its gift, embrace the potential and possibilities a new dream will hold.
Blessing and love, Michelle
For more information about Michelle and how she can help you create a new dream for your life contact her today.