Tasting The Dream

Ever have a dream you wanted so bad you could literally taste it?

Taste it like freshly rinsed and patted dry rounded on a leaf perfectly dotted and fragrant ripe meaty strawberries straight off the Florida farm {if you have never had these you are soooo missing out...}.  Or like a Kir Royale.  Some dream of fruit, others the fruits of champagne...

You saw the dream.  You tasted the dream.  

You knew whatever your dream was - it was if God or the Universe or whatever you believe so deeply planted it within you, that unless it was watered and blessed to grow at some point in your life...  Well you might shrivel up, wither, and die a little.

When one has a dream of this magnitude {as Holiday and I did with our book} 

and then it comes true...  

Well sometimes although your dream was so vividly clear, 

you just can't ever know or see with as much clarity 
what your ACTUAL outcome will be. 

Besides the fact that your dream actually came true,

Most times you don't know what that, well, actually means in the end.

More specifically not only what it will mean to you, but will mean to others as well.

And I think it's safe to say THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF US.

LIKE IF Your dream is to be Senior Manager, but once your dream came true it came with added responsibilities and well feelings of both endless flight and outright fright you just couldn't have predicted.

With this comes the really good days you feel like you can justifiably {safely perhaps?!?} declare "My dream came true!!!  Woo hoo!!!"  Days for example that it feels good to be a voice on behalf of others who need your help or humor or forthrightness or talent or whatever you have they need to share if only a moment with you {it might actually make you forget all of the struggle}.

And I'm here to remind you there will be really rough days.  Days you feel like a hand is permanently pinning you down despite all the work, and time/energy, and best efforts, and open hearted love and care you have poured into making the divine seed planted within you grow.  They'll question your purpose and question you, which in-turn leads you to question yourself a little {sometimes a lot}.  

But you get back up, weak in the knees and with a cracked rib or two {but tape in hand}, and you get ready to fight the good fight again.   
Kir Royale in the other hand with fresh Florida strawberry floating {obviously...}. 
Again.  
And again.  

Because we all know dreams come at a high price 

and you didn't just expect to be handed anything, patted on the back, 

and told "WELL DONE!" while they golf clap for you...  Did you?

Maybe your dream is writing a book, or having a child, or landing the corner office of the 17th floor, or going back to school, or getting in the shape of your life, or finding love again after the despair of divorce....

And no matter what your dream is, I'm hear to tell you the obvious - IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE IT - IF YOU PUT IN THE WORK AND STAY ALIGNED WITH THE RIGHT REASONS...  Yes I said RIGHT reasons there.

Fear not though, I'm here to shed a little light Now That The Dust Of Media Tour Frenzy Has Settled {soon copywriting that}.  I'm willing to share some tidbits I've accumulated over the past 3 months on said media tour.  Tidbits I wished somebody would have told me before climbing the goal ladder got realllll.  {Besides advice like just because you are in a different town every week doesn't mean you are technically on vacation and allowed to eat dessert at every meal... My pants would have appreciated that advice...}

Advice not just about the dream of our particular book, 

BUT HOW IN THE END MAYBE IT'S ALL ABOUT JUST TRUSTING ALL OF OUR COLLECTIVE DREAMS ARE THERE NOT ONLY FOR US... BUT {MOSTLY} FOR OTHERS.

Remember...
When you are fighting for your dream, you will be dependent on others as well as yourself.  Especially because your dream is not just for you.  

There will be lovely people who help your dream catch flight along the way.  When you have a strong vision lit by love and compassion, the right gardeners will be put in your life to help your seeds grow.  It's important to show gratitude and thanks to these people and help water them some in return, these people are invaluable to not only you, but the wonderful world we live in.   Sincere and genuine gratitude, not just in the "Oh my gosh let's connect on Instagram and I'll soooo promote you too!" kind of way.  In the "This is how much your kindness has meant to me, and what can I genuinely do to help your dream, job, life grow a little taller towards where the sun shines brightly."  And most of these gardners are disguised in the every day people and every day moments kind of way, not the grandiose pinch me kind of moments.  That is KEY...  

There will also be some jerks along the way.  Not that they are purposely trying to be a jerk to you, or your dream, or your vision...  They won't care or try to understand the way you do, and you can't expect them too.  For some people it's easier to just not care what effect their words and actions and energy have on others {akin to certain of my divorce memories}.  So don't take it personally, and don't let it ruin, or stop the climb.  Because luckily these people are mostly few and far between {and will someday be long forgotten}.

AND...  Last but not least...  Once you can officially shout from the hilltop
 "I DID IT / WE DID IT / WE ALL DID IT!!!" 
the view will be different than anything you could have ever imagined.
And this might be just fine, or not quite right, or better than best.  
Because again, your dream might be there to serve others.  

And your voice might echo so loud it will start an avalanche {which can be good or bad - either way there will be lost sheep guaranteed}.   

You might belt it out like perfectly pitched Maria in The Sound of Music and the hills will indeed be alive with the sound of music.

Or you might gasp it out in a half-breath curled into a ball on the barren earth like after the 3 hour Tough Mudder you just barely endured {covered in mud in crevices you didn't even know existed on your body} shaking from dehydration.   

Either way you will have done it.  You achieved the dream.

And if you only remember one thing remember this...  You don't walk away un-changed. 

WHETHER IT'S ACTUALLY ACHIEVING SOMETHING,

OR GOING THROUGH SOMETHING TOUGH 

SO YOU CAN REACH YOUR DREAMS...

{LIKE A NEVER-ENDING DIVORCE,

OR SWITCHING JOBS,
OR OVERCOMING ANY TYPE OF ADVERSITY}

I can promise you you'll remember the people who helped.

Whether your seed of a dream was to just simply survive or thrive by growing a little 

or turning into the biggest damn sunflower Kansas has ever seen...

You will walk away wanting more, or possibly less, 

or possibly more but in a less kind of way do you? 

{So channeled Yoda there...}

You just won't know until you get there.

What we do know?  We soooo know you'll get there...

xo, Valerie {of Valerie and Holiday - The Ex-Wives}