Can you really live your dream life right now?
I submit that you can.
That, in fact, quite possibly you already are, in ways you may not be giving yourself credit for.
Watch the video and let me know what you think.
And here are some questions to get you going:
1) What would you be in your dream life? Example: I’d be a professional dancer.
2) What most appeals to you about that? Why would you love that? Example: I love performing, and moving to music.
3) How are you already incorporating (or how could you incorporate) the part you would love about your dream life into your life right now? Example: I take classes at a dance school where we have a yearly recital, so I get to dance twice a week, and I get to experience performing.
It’s true your Right Now Life may not be as big or glamorous or impressive as your Dream Life (though I’ll also point out that it doesn’t carry the pains and challenges, either!), but it’s a good exercise to stop and take stock of where you already have what you’re seeking.
I may not be a world-famous, Grammy-winning jazz singer, but I perform locally for appreciative fans. Over the years, I’ve gone from wishing I could sing jazz and dreaming about being a performing singer, to performing at cafes, restaurants and private parties. (For pay, even!)
In other words, in a small way (which has gotten increasingly larger over the years), I’m living that dream life already.
Now post in the comments: How are you already living your dream life? Inquiring minds want to know!
After many years of pushing my dream life aside, telling myself I didn’t really want it, I’m just now giving myself permission to live it. It’s scary, but in a good way, to ‘come out’ as a… OMG, I can’t believe I’m gonna say this… memoirist. I have so many stories to tell from my life, that I’m afraid I won’t live long enough to tell them all. Gotta get to work!
LaVonne, I LOVE this! You are already living that in the stories I’ve read of yours on the CustomerLove blog – amazing, and beautifully-written.
I am SO glad you are finally giving yourself permission to live it!! Yay you!
You are a MEMOIRIST!
Wow LaVonne that’s amazing! Too cool! In my dream life I’d be some sort of coach… what’s appealing about that is the joy I get from seeing my students or clients do great! I already do this a little in the dancing biz. I love when I get called to put on a large show b/c it means taking in dozens of dancers and getting to work with them, push them, train them, really mentor them… And that’s the most amazing thing ever- to see potential in people and support them through the challenges to reach it. Ah. I just. Die. (with emotion.) (good emotion, that is.)
Ah yes, a girl after my own heart. 🙂 No matter what yumminess I create on my own, my dream life always also includes coaching/teaching/inspiring others. That (to borrow from the delightful Sally Penley [in the sidebar at the right]) really makes my socks roll up and down!
I can totally see this in you, too, Nicole. You’re a natural leader and mentor. 🙂
I like the term ‘multipassionate person’ WOW!! 🙂
Have you checked puttylike.com yet? 🙂
Or Barbara Sher’s books or sites?
I’m definitely ‘multipassionate’ too, or ‘multipotentialite’ or ‘scanner’ (as B.Sher says)
so just coordinating it all has been definitely a challenge 🙂
soo… how am I living it ‘now’? I’ve got a bunch of songs that I occasionally play (and want to get recorded) I really enjoy it even if it’s mostly for myself right now…
Sis asked me to draw (and copy) some animals for her teaching handouts lol! So that’s the art part.. and I made up some songs for her too – in Japoanese! The kiddies loved it! lol!
(I’m a total newbie, so beginners’ Japanese is all I can handle! :))
I changed my ‘biorhythm’ (I’m more of a morning person now, shock shock) so I can get in some writing in the morning… (another novel started! yikes, none of them have been finished yet but this one is exciting to write, lol!)
I like what you wrote about not starting earlier too… and you’re VERY inspiring about performing locally etc!! 🙂 (I’ve performed a bit in the past, not recently though)
Hi Layla!
I borrowed “multipassionate” from Marie Forleo. I like Emily Wapnick’s “mulitpotentialite” and Barbara Sher’s “scanner” too. All interchangeable. 🙂
I love that you enjoy your music, whether it’s merely for yourself, or for an audience. That’s what it’s all about.
Sounds like you’re doing a wonderful job figuring out how to incorporate all of your Blisses. It’s extra challenging for those of us with lots of them, but hey, it’s important to us, so we make it work, right? 🙂
xom
Hey Melissa — thanks for the gentle, spiritual reminder to be grateful for the ways in which we’re already “living the dream.” Jazz Camp West was incredibly inspirational, living the dream, and getting motivated to set some goals and begin a plan to achieve them. Living the dream is daily practice with unstructured time at the end and being happily surprised at some of the stuff that comes from me. Oh, it’s not ready for prime-time, but somethin’s goin’ on when your partner says, “that was nice…what was that?” And it’s my neighbor, Doug, an accomplish pianist, laying a book of Oscar Peterson exercises on me — as I was thinking, “what can I do to develop technique and not be bored.” Living the dream, in small steps, moving inexorably forward. Yeah!! Viva la musica!
Hey Wil! So great to hear from you! Jazz Camp West was — and always is — inspirational for me, too. I’m so glad to hear how you’re living the dream! Not-ready-for-prime-time doesn’t matter — it’s all about just doing it, right? Kudos on the comments from your partner, and YES, when your neighbor lays a book like that on you, you know the Universe is telling you something! 🙂 Keep on keeping on!
This is such a great reminder, Melissa. Although we often want more, I think most of us are living our dream lives in some way. I am selling some photography online and locally, and writing about what inspires me and, hopefully, getting others to think about what inspires them, so I do feel as if I’m living my dream life.
As part of the Playing Big program with Tara Sophia Mohr, I notices at the beginning that many of the women were already playing big, but didn’t necessarily recognize that in themselves.
That’s so interesting that you noticed that many of the women in Playing Big are already playing big, but not recognizing that! I think we all have a tendency to undervalue our own accomplishments, rather than really recognizing and celebrating them before moving on to the next big thing.
Thanks for sharing the ways you’re already living your dream life! You’re an inspiration, Kim. 🙂