Empowering Dreams
How do we give meaning, purpose, and action to our dreams?
I internalize meaning as the underlying value of my dreams. Why is this dream so important to me? What life experiences thus far have invigorated this dream in my heart? How is this intricately a part of who I am as a person?
I visualize purpose as a path forward. If meaning correlates to the internal value of a dream, purpose is harnessing that value and giving it vision. There is a way forward in this dream. It isn’t abstract or unreachable.
My favorite of these three is action. As someone with Achiever in my top five strengths, according to Don Clifton and his Strength Finder exploration, I love the notion of taking action. When I’m faced with a challenge, my natural instinct is to take note of what is inside and outside of my control. From those categories, I focus on what I can control and get to work!
When I invite my mind and heart to dream big dreams, here are some ways I give them meaning, purpose, and action:
Meaning: I write down my dream. This may seem obvious or unnecessary, however I believe writing down my dream gives it more power. I’m making physical space for something that had only been in my mind before that moment. This communicates that my dream has value and deserves to take up space in the world in an even bigger way.
Purpose: I do some brainstorming and identify the foundational purpose of my dream. What could this dream look like in the future? As my dad says, “There’s no judgment in brainstorming.” This stage is always messy, fun, and a bit chaotic! Does my dream solve a problem that I feel passionate about addressing? Does it share a piece of myself with the world? Does it connect people together and help others feel seen, known, and valued? Does it test the limits of what I once thought possible? When I find my purpose, I write this down too.
Action: Finally, I write down a game plan. As I consider my purpose and vision, I ask a lot of questions to figure out what steps will need to be taken in order to achieve my dream. My dream is now a goal, and my timeline is being filled with many smaller goals which will build on one another to make my dream a reality. Then I get to work, taking one step at a time. If I don’t know how to complete one step, I ask questions and learn until I figure it out. If someone else’s expertise will make my dream stronger, I widen my circle until I find someone whose voice has always belonged there. No matter what, I keep going because I know my dream could have an unimaginable impact on the world, and it’s worth discovering what’s possible.
