12 Days of Winter Meditations: Day 11

dreams

Dreaming: Visualization

I’m a believer in the power of dreaming to create the future you want. I think sometimes people look at my life and think maybe it’s been easy or that I’ve been given everything I need. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single one of us has been given something, and it’s up to each of us to make it ours and take it where we want to go. And where we want to go needs us to dream it to discover it. My life has had the potential to go in so many different directions, but at each year’s end, I take time to dream my future.

Let’s be honest here, does it always work out just how I wanted it to? Hell no. But does it get closer? Yes. The further we push and dream, the closer we get to making it happen. And each year the lessons learned are like blocks that build the future.

Dare to dream. Sounds like a cliché to you? Then you are only living on the shallow surface of your life. Dive in to dream big! This could be the year your dreams come true!

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8 Responses to 12 Days of Winter Meditations: Day 11

  1. Judy C. December 31, 2013 at 8:06 am #

    …… or not, Maria. This COULD be the year that some of our dreams do come true… or NOT. I do believe to some extent in visualization. This helped me during my childhood to win sports’ competitions. It helped me to memorize languages. It helped me learn to play musical instruments. Visualization is a great way to develop skill in a particular area. Consistent visualization can help to shape us…. I do believe that our dreams – alongside the willingness to work in a particular direction can be a great tool. Not to diminish your kind words of wisdom, I noted, however, that there are Scriptural passages that directly conflict with these thoughts.

    “The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

    No amount of planning in our mind is a definite in God’s eyes. He has bigger plans in this world… plans that we are clueless about. And His plans for our lives, and for the world in which we live our lives, are infinitely greater than what we may be dreaming up for ourselves….

    and how does “dreaming the future” fit in with this passage?

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him,
 and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

    I think that the key here is trusting and submitting to God’s plans… no matter where we find ourselves in life.

    Our path can only be straight if we are trusting in God for our future. And that trust exceeds the “mind” It goes to our heart — which only He can see… and all that the goodness that can be stored inside — the love, gratitude, joy, peace, understanding, hope, forgiveness…

    I think if we tend our hearts, our future will be bright no matter where we find ourselves and no matter what our external circumstances. At any rate, none of us, regardless of our circumstances, should consider that we have brought our circumstances upon ourselves because we haven’t properly visualized a better future for ourselves. Ultimately, only so much of our life, and that is actually a very small bit, is under our direct “control” — more of it is in God’s mighty hand – than our modern-day “ethos” acknowledges.

  2. Donna in Delaware December 31, 2013 at 9:00 am #

    There is a Yiddish saying, “Man plans and God laughs.”

  3. maria (farm country kitchen) December 31, 2013 at 9:28 am #

    Oh I agree with both of you. But I also believe God wants us to take an active role in our lives and our dreams. And it’s up to each of us to choose the highest good for everyone as part of our dream for ourselves. There will always be surprises and challenges we don’t expect — that’s life! But it’s also good to imagine our future and dream big! Consider it a prayer (that always starts with gratitude).

  4. Donna in Delaware December 31, 2013 at 11:45 am #

    I’m sorry that I could not finish what I had to say earlier. Interruptions form others. Of course we have to take control of our own life and destiny. Even though there is a plan for us from a higher authority, sitting back and waiting for the higher power to do something for us, is not, I fear what he may desire. Life doesn’t wait for us, we have to make things happen, if and when we can. It may not always go the way that we want, but we must continue to strive and not ‘faint,’ because it doesn’t happen when we want it to. Where in the world would we be if we didn’t strive to make things happen. We’d still be living in trees!

  5. maria (farm country kitchen) December 31, 2013 at 11:47 am #

    I love you, Donna in Deleware! I wish you a very happy and healthy new year and one of my wishes is we finally get to meet in 2014! (God willing, of course!)

  6. Donna in Delaware January 1, 2014 at 1:05 pm #

    Ha! I love you Maria! You are without, one of the most interesting women that I have run across in a long time. I would so love to get together with you (the girls too) this year. Let’s strive to make it happen! Please let me know how to go about doing that. I wish the same for you and all of your household, with all of my heart!

  7. Maria Luci January 2, 2014 at 11:56 am #

    Hi Donna, I’m Maria’s blog manager. You can email this blog at maria@rodale.com and I can get that to Maria Rodale!

  8. Donna in Delaware January 2, 2014 at 12:51 pm #

    Thank you Maria Luci, I will do that, and a very Happy New Year to you too!

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