Penny for Your Heart

I want you to stop for a minute.  

Quiet things down. I need your full attention for this minute.

We're going to do some imagining with something very real. And we're starting by taking an inventory of your heart. 

I want you to find the idea that refuses to be shaken, the one that send a little zing through you. It could be anything- backpacking through the Himilayas, starting a nonprofit for schools in third world countries, building your own log cabin in the mountains, creating a line of accessories from thrift shop finds. Whatever it is, it's valid. Look for it. 

When you've got it, hold it out in front of your mind's eye and consciously acknowledge its presence. Now, for one full minute, I want you to trade the situation you are in now- office, home, hotel room, etc.- for the one you have in front of you. Dive in as if it is something you are entirely familiar with. See yourself setting up camp in the Himalayas and drinking tea at the little tea houses along the trek, look at the village children around you as they put their desks in order, inhale the sweet air surrounding the mountain cabin you now live in, envision the shine of the antique brooch you are refinishing. One minute. Go.

Now I must ask you: What's the dollar value of those memories you just imagined? What's the price tag on your dreams?

Take this question to heart. I'm not asking how much it would cost to make something happen. I'm asking for how much you would, if given the chance to live out that long-guarded and much loved fantastic dream of yours, turn around and sell the rich experience of it? How many dollars would you take for the memories and feeling of sheer satisfaction for living what's in your heart?

I assume (and hope) that most of you will answer that they're not for sale... that you would rather retain your remarkable memories than trade them for money. If that's the case, then we must move to the next logical question: 

Are you afraid?

What I believe stops us from pursuing our life is fear. When a dream suddenly becomes possible, we are unprepared for the transition. We’ve kept it at arm’s length for so long, content to some degree to wish on it and think about it for a time and then put it back and continue with the day-to-day.

The day-to-day. Is this really how we are supposed to live our lives? Is the purpose of having a dream simply to fill the gaps between worrying about bills and deadlines? I refuse to believe they are there for anything less than to become our own reality.

Warm up those cold feet by moving; run, walk – even crawl if you must – to the richness of your dreams. You can make it happen. You absolutely can.

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Ready to get going? Check my "Foundational 4;" a nickname I gave to the 4 steps every person must take to achieve living their real life.