Mar 10
9
Even women over 50 should rekindle their dreams
“First, say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus, Discourses
Who do your dreams call you to become? How will fulfilling your dreams transform you? If fulfilling a dream will not make you better or stronger is it worth pursuing?
I am convinced that as we reach the second phase of our lives and we are given the gift of a chance to pursue our dreams, we owe it to ourselves to pursue only worthy dreams. The others are probably best left in the memory of the years of our immaturity.
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” – Pamela Vaull Starr
Whether you call them dreams, goals, aspirations or something else, make them big; make them profound; make them worth your best effort. Let them draw you out of your past, away from your fears, and beyond any failures of the past.
Allow your dreams to become big enough to define your goals for every year and even for every day of the rest of your life. Establish for your life a roadmap to your dream, mapping daily steps to accomplishment of the whole. Then pursue the goal of each day with all your heart and all your joy.
Find out just how far you can go – find out what is in you.
When you dare to dream BIG and you dare to stretch yourself to fulfill your big dream, you will find out what you are made of. You will discover the amazing depth of your passion for your dream, the breadth of your courage and the extent to which you can go to make your dream into reality. You might need the help and the support of others, but that is a bit part of what makes the journey so much fun! By daring to dream BIG and pursuing your dream with your greatest determination and strength and courage, you will probably test your limits and discover that there is more in you than you ever thought.
Show yourself a little love.
If you expect to pursue the dream that will guide the next phase of your life, you must take care of yourself. When you are thinking about the people you love and the people who love you, don’t forget to show yourself a little love. Loving yourself involves caring for your mind, your body and your soul. When your mind is working creatively and is fully engaged; when your body is properly nourished, rested and toned; when your soul is at peace – then you are ready to pursue your dream; then you are ready to give back; then you are ready to change the world, or some part of it.
A big dream takes you all the way to where you want to go.
Sometimes we are afraid to dream BIG and to aspire to accomplish BIG results. And sometimes that fear causes us to settle for taking smaller steps toward smaller goals. This can be a good strategy if there is a clear and obvious next step from the first small goal to the next. Achieving small goals can move us gradually in the direction we want to go.
Written by Dr. Cynthia, the Dream Big Mentor
As a Dream Big Mentor, she has pioneered an approach to teaching mid-life women how to learn new skills and mindsets that help them define their purpose, set their goals and take action so they can truly enjoy their lives and their work.
