A few weeks ago I took a step to turn a dream I've had for awhile into reality. After I took that step, I felt like I should have had a band playing some kind of celebration song or a group of people singing hip hip hooray or something. Doesn't my big moment like this deserve all the pomp and circumstance?
Instead I hung up the phone as the cursor on the blank screen of my computer blinked back at me, reminding me that grants won't write themselves.
I used to think I wasn't much of a dreamer. I guess I was living in denial of the fact that I spend most of my time in my own head. I constantly live in this tension of my dreams for my life and where I may be going and where I am right now. It's a delicate balance.
I've also always been someone who is guilty of wishing my life away. I get really excited about things that I want to do and I want them to happen right now.
I am totally an instant gratification person.
This makes it hard when I have an idea or a dream because I want it to happen as soon as I think of it. And then when it doesn't, I often dismiss it or move on to something else...I'm not always the most patient person.
I'm realizing big dreams come to fruition and ideas are realized when we're willing to take those faithful steps. When we're willing to do the work. Unfortunately, magic wands don't exist and instant gratification doesn't build much character.
It's easy to get caught up in the big shining moments, to only think about when your dream actually comes true or your idea is fully realized, but I think the real beauty comes in the small moments before that.
Those moments that lead us to our big dream. The moments that lead us to accomplishing something we've worked really hard at. The moments we look back on and see how that little faithful step and that little decision all worked together to get us here.
I'm not great at appreciating those small moments.
But when I look back on my life and the times I have been patient, where I've been able to see those small moments and faithful steps, that's where I see so much beauty. It's where I see myself come alive, where I see myself inching towards wholeness.
Sometimes in the waiting is when the real transformation happens. Usually it's the process of doing something that makes it worth it. What dreams are worth dreaming or goals worth attaining if it didn't take some work or sacrifice? Would we appreciate it as much?
I'm not sure we would.
This year has been one of appreciating the small moments, discerning the next step and taking it...even if it's just inch by inch. It's been a year of trusting in the waiting space and being patient. It's been a year of learning to do the work and remembering most things worth doing aren't usually easy.
So here's to me and here's to you - dreamers, goal-setters, idea generators:
May we dream big dreams and have grand ideas.
May we stay faithful in the small moments as those are the puzzle pieces that create the bigger picture.
May be realize sometimes the right progress isn't always taken in leaps and bounds, but inch by inch.
May we have the courage to take that step and know that sometimes all we can do is the next right thing.
May we trust the time of waiting, knowing it has significance.
May we remember that we can do hard things and sometimes we just need to do the work.
Dream your dreams, set those goals, have your ideas.
Because the world needs more dreamers.
Be a dreamer that has the courage to do the work, to cherish the small moments and don't forget it's totally okay to celebrate when you see those dreams come true.
May we not forget to celebrate even the small moments.
