"She Believed"

"She believed she could, so she did"

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Do you dream big at night, when your head hits that pillow? Or do you dream in the middle of the day, when you are stuck in the grind of life? Do you entertain thoughts of that big vacation, job promotion, or chucking it all to live the life you truly imagine?

The first step in fulfilling a dream, I believe, is actually believing it can happen.  I have done some amazing things in my life, and some of them I couldn't have imagined until the opportunity presented itself.  But once it did, and I knew it was right for me, in that moment, I clung to the belief that it was going to happen.  Even when things got right down to the wire.

Belief is a big word, with many definitions.  But to me, it is the security that I serve a big God, with the capabilities and abilities to see me through anything.  It may seem silly to say, in this day and age, but it is the very core of who I am. 

See, I have a list.  People may call it a wish list, or a bucket list; it may take on many names, but it's a list of over-the-top things I want to do in my lifetime. Someday I'm going to do them. But someday is not a far off time that doesn't really exist; someday means it will happen, if at all possible.  I don't dream dreams just to entertain myself - if it's in me to do, it's going to get done.  I don't know when, I don't know how, but it's going to happen.  And I'm going to have an incredible story to tell when it's finished!

One of those such stories is how I ended up at the Grand Canyon, and before that riding in a hot air balloon in Arizona.  I had just finished attending an amazing, life-changing weekend conference, that pushed us to the max, showing us our strengths and weaknesses, among other things.  At this point in my life, I wasn't too adventurous, and I was really timid about much of my life.

But I decided I'd had enough of timidity and fear holding me back.  I was built for me.  I craved more.  And I was the only one who could step out in boldness and make the change.  So I did.  But you will laugh at me at how I did it.

I decided to put my dreams into pictures. I printed out four 8x10 pictures of things I wanted to do in this next phase of my life. These pictures were dear to me: The Grand Canyon, a hot air balloon, my passport, and Alaska. These were places I wanted to go, and things I wanted to do. It lit me up inside thinking about them.

I hung them up on the wall above my desk, so I'd have to look up at them.  I had no words on the pictures, or around them. This way, when people asked me what the pictures were about, I had to give voice to my desires.  I had to speak out what I wanted.  Words are powerful, and hearing your words is even more powerful still.  I was creating my future by speaking out into my today.  It was awkward at first, and felt funny.  But the more I spoke out, the more questions people asked, the more fuel was added to my fire of making my dreams reality.

And then a very interesting thing happened.  One day, my sister asked me if I wanted to take an adult sister's vacation with her to see the Grand Canyon! It was unexpected and out of the blue for me.  At this point in our lives, we didn't really travel together. She had her life and career in another state, and I had mine in another. But here it was, the opportunity door wide open.  And you bet I skipped right through it!

We planned.  We prepared.  We researched.  And we got on our separate planes and met up for the time of our lives! And the bigger surprise was that not only were we going to stand at the precipice of the Grand Canyon, but before that, we were going to ride in a hot air balloon in Sedona, Arizona! Cross two things off that grand old list!! It was almost too good to be true! I almost couldn't believe it!

But believe it I did. I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to turn out, but all those months of speaking out those four pictures actually created a reality I once thought I could only dream about! And the time in Arizona with my sister I will treasure always!

Whether you have a huge dream or a small task, your belief will help bring it to life. Even if no one else believes it will happen, protect your vision.  Nurture it with faith.  Water it with powerful words. And watch, before your eyes, your dream blossom and grow into a reality you almost won't be able to believe. 

Side Note: After riding in the hot air balloon and visiting the Grand Canyon, I also used my passport for the first time by visiting Belize twice in one year! I have added and crossed off many things on that list, but I'm still speaking out and believing in my trip to Alaska :)

Photo taken with iPhone 4, October 2012, Arizona.  
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