STEP 1
DREAM
Have a dream. Find a dream.
Choose to be a Dreamweaver.
It is important that you choose to have a dream or be open to finding your dream. You must be a willing participant. The definition of dream I am using in this book is the one found in my quick Google search, the noun, “a cherished aspiration, ambition or ideal.” The verb is “indulge in daydreams or fantasies about something greatly desired.” The word “Dreamweaver” is used by combining the concept of dream with the (yep, you guessed it,) the Googled definition of weaver. I chose the definition of weaver by Merriam-Webster, “one that weaves, especially as an occupation.” Is that not perfect? Smiling my big, half crooked smile, I admit I am proud of this word Dreamweaver as a one-word descriptor for the 7 Steps to Delivering on Your Dreams.
This is where we, as Dreamweavers, get to choose. If we do not have a dream, we get to have a dream, and by “get” I mean, it is our privilege and joy as a human to have dreams. Thus, we get to have a dream. I remember thinking this language is so weird. Trust me, it will begin to make sense as to why it is important to the 7 Steps to Delivering on Your Dreams. In Step 1 of the Dreamweaver process we get to narrow our list down to one dream and choose to work on it. Yep, finding your dream is a dream. Wink-wink. There are no wrong answers.
I was born into dreamweaving. As mentioned in my personal thank you note, my Grandma Kathryn is who I proclaim as the original Dreamweaver. She was always creating something. She had a sewing room where she would produce beautiful clothing, quilts, wall hangings, and afghans.
Heck, she even went to beauty school in her 50s and received her cosmetology license. Add making people beautiful by styling their hair to her list of creative talents that she taught me.
Grandma always had a beautiful yard full of peonies, irises, and geraniums. Her garden was bountiful and famous for the carpeted rows between the produce. Yes, I mentioned this earlier, and it is worthy to note again, because she loved carpet everywhere! She loved to be in her bare feet. I guess she was grounding herself to Mother Earth before it was cool.
If she wanted to take a trip, which I always got to go on with her, she would dream up a way to craft something that was beautiful and had value. She would sell her gifts and save up until she could pay for the trip. This is a perfect example of being a Dreamweaver, taking something you are good at (or want to be good at), harnessing it and weaving it, so that you can have what you want.
As a kid I saw many places from the passenger seat of her car. I can still feel the joy in my heart as I sat next to her with the window down and the sunshine on my face. She loved a good road trip, and to this day, so do I.
Enter the story about Jake. First you should know, I will be sharing a parallel story of a kid named Jake to show the power of dreaming, declaring, and delivering. Jake always had a dream. Jake was a good kid. She was born into a family that was, from the outside looking in, seemingly very normal. Small town USA, mother and father, dogs, and cats. Eventually, and what is very typical today, a divorced family. Lots of extended relatives and immediate family around to support Jake in growing up in a single parent household. On the outside, Jake seemed incredibly happy. What was not seen was that Jake was being sexualized. She was witnessing inappropriate sexual activity, being spoken to in inappropriate ways, and being touched. Jake experienced incest as well as violence in the home, both verbal and physical. There was much disruption and despair.
Still, Jake was a good kid, thrived in school, loved the teachers, had lots of friends, and was popular. One of the remarkably interesting facts in Jake’s story is she never really thought that this life was any different than anyone else's. Jake eventually learned this was not necessarily the case, not very quickly though. She was surrounded by families that lived in the same type of conditions, so chaos was the norm.
Jake, not being one to back away from challenges and conflict, was considered ornery and defiant by most. Here is the thing though, looking from the outside in at Jake’s life, it is clear that this fighting spirit, the will to persevere, and personal grit is the foundation for getting it done in the face of adversity – in other words, becoming a Dreamweaver and delivering on your dreams.
And so, it is with the closing of Chapter One, that Step 1, choosing to dream is one of the most important concepts in moving forward. You must embrace your story no matter what it is, as part of your history, an important part of your life journey and ultimately your purpose in this world.
As a young person, Jake knew nothing else but to embrace the story. In her mind all kids are going through the same experience of violence in the home – yelling, fear, and disrupted sleep. Jake’s belief was reinforced by a close friend, who was also living a remarkably similar life. It felt like everybody in this small town was experiencing the same things, so it was very natural for Jake to fully embrace this life and its normalcy.
STEP 1 TOOL:
EMBRACE YOUR STORY
With each step required for evolving into a Dreamweaver, take the time to journal the answers in this book or purchase a journal to document your process. It is my powerful request that you answer the questions at the end of each chapter to get the most out of this experience and engage in the process fully. Each tool will be short, and all steps will build on each other. At the end of the 7 Step process, you will have discovered your unique zone of genius for living the life of your dreams.
(Picture that half crooked smile again, and me saying, trust the process. And then really, trust the process.)
When you were little, maybe five or so, what did you tell people you wanted to be when you grew up? Don’t overthink this; write from your heart, what comes to mind right away?
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Now, with that same mindset, that same wide-eyed little person confidence, what do you dream of doing today? Don’t overthink this one either; write from your heart. What comes to mind right away? You will notice that I ask you to do this often during the Dreamweaver process.
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There are seven more steps! Get them all right here in the book! https://a.co/d/fdR49N1