This is Jonathan. My sweet, 4 month old nephew. He doesn't seem too excited that I'm giving him lots of kisses, but he'll have to get over it. I live 10 hours away and opportunities to show him how much he is loved are few and far between. Jonathan has a story unlike any other, however, it's not mine to tell. But I can say this: his is the face of dreams.
I spent a recent weekend in Nebraska with another sister helping her manifest her own dreams. For as long as she could walk she wanted to play with hair. It did not matter if you were a boy or girl as long as you had hair, she could curl it or put it in ponies. By the time she was in high school, she was doing prom hair for all her friends. Today, she is a successful stylist and is about to cash in on one of her biggest dreams; opening her own hair salon.
I went to help with research and detail. We took the giant puzzle of a business plan and broke it down into all its spare parts. It was exhausting, but there were moments when I looked in her eyes and could see that this is exactly what she wants.
To tell you the truth, I'm envious of my sisters. One got the baby she always wanted and the other is getting her salon. I really couldn't be happier for both of them. A lot of time and effort have been spent as well as endless wondering if any of it would ever happen. They have certainly put in the work.
How do you look at fear in the face and see through it to the other side? Where does that faith come from to just keep moving forward with no idea what or how it's going to happen?
I can't help but wonder what I'm sitting on because fear is just a little too scary to look at right now. Am I busying myself with the piddly parts of life as a cover up? I have not always wanted to be a mother and certainly not a hair stylist so what is my dream to manifest? Since I've been back I haven't been able to shake this thought.
After realizing that both of their dreams have been manifested they inspired me to go back to my old journals and lists and a dig a little deeper. When I look at Jonathan's face I feel like he is cheering me on. He's telling me to get off my butt and do something. Ok, maybe that was his aunt when she said, "Abby, I'm tired of hearing about it until you actually do something about it." Ouch, but she's right, and her proof is in the pudding.
What dreams need manifested in your life?
I freaking love your transparent honesty, Ab.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a cop out to quote Zig Ziglar, but my favorite quote of his is "You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."
I once did a speaking engagement at a conference called "Rethinking Everything," in which I spent 3 hours telling a testimony-style story about how I found my calling as an Empowerer - my function in this life is to do exactly what you've written about here: helping other people turn their dreams into reality.
Maybe that's your calling too - maybe the footprints you leave on this earth will not be your own, but rather the footsteps of everyone who reached their dreams because of you.
Ryan, I have been meditating on your words for days and you might just be right. You have a way with words...
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