How Dreams and Inspiration Can Lead You to a More Fulfilling Life

A woman trying to choose between dreams

Dream big, because dreams do happen. ~ Alex Morgan

Imagine a significant volume of water flowing over a rough terrain. It will take the easy paths and fill whatever crevices, gaps, pores, and holes are available first. There is no intentional selection or thought.

If this same volume of water is released onto a field with neat rows of saplings, it will flow through the intentionally dug-up channels. The water will fulfill some predefined purpose. The saplings will grow into healthy plants and enrich the ecosystem.

The difference is meaning, direction, and intention.

Everyone needs their North Star

Dreams and inspirations guide us to intentionally channel our energy, focus, and efforts to achieve meaningful goals and objectives in life. These achievements make our lives happier, relevant, and deeply fulfilling.

You will need a compass and a roadmap to succeed in life. But success has a different meaning for each one of us. Dreams and inspirations are our North Star.

There will be routines and distractions on the way. You might be fumbling with decisions in some instances. In those moments, it is your dream that will inspire you to choose the right path, make the right moves, and make progress.

Inspiration to overcome adversity

Dreams and inspiration go hand in hand. The former gives direction the latter fuels the passion to succeed.

You may want to be a Michelin-star chef. It is a nice dream to have. How will you drive yourself to excel without a role model or an inspiring person or thought to push you forward?

Inspiration not only teaches you great things but also how to survive setbacks, and overcome obstacles. These are realities of life. Things will go wrong. Your inspiration will help you build resilience to surmount them. If you have strong inspiring figures in your life, you will have the determination to overcome any challenge.

A life well-lived

What do you want to look back at when you are in the last stages of your life?

Do you want to live with regrets or leave the world with positive impacts?

Do you want to die thinking "what - if"?

You do not want to leave this planet with regrets.

The fundamental reason why dreams are important is to live a well-lived life. To discover your potential and push the boundaries created by our limiting mindset.

Manifest dreams to reality

You might be wondering how can I manifest my dreams into reality. What should I do?

Here is a small action plan that you might find handy.

1. Define Your Dreams

• Think and write about your dreams. Don't just say it. Go into the details. You can't define your dream in a day.

• It is not a race. It is a process of self-discovery.

• Categorize your dreams - life, relationship, career, health, wealth.

• Give yourself time to think it through. It is fine if you take a week, a month, or even two months. Reflect on it. Ruminate. Write. Rewrite. Crystallize it.

2. Visualize your dream

• I want to be a chef is not a dream. It is just a thought.

• Visualize it holistically with words, images, objects, feelings, smell, and touch. Everything. Imagine you are living your dream. What will it be like?

• What will your life be like if you achieve your dream? Write it down and read it every day till it's ingrained in your subconscious mind.

3. Hunt for inspiration

• I always wanted to write and write well. My dream is to have a solopreneur business. What Paul Jarvis called - A company of one. I am still in pursuit of the same. What helps me move forward is inspiration from people who have walked this path and reached somewhere.

• When you have a dream you need certain inspiring figures to act as overt or covert mentors, coaches, or guides. I identified people who are already doing what I want to do and succeeding at it.

• I began following their stories, thoughts, and concepts to learn from them, and to draw inspiration to achieve what I want.

4. Get to the top by setting SMART goals

• One of the earliest lessons was - it always takes more time. If you wish to become what you dreamt of you should have razor-sharp clarity and set SMART goals.

• Set many micro SMART goals so that you move forward inch by inch. No one moves forward in leaps and bounds. At least, not always. Everyone goes through a snail's pace of progress.

• Create a timetable. Set deadlines and keep at it.

5. Consistent daily action

• If you are trying to lose weight, running a mile one day and then resting for the next five days won't produce any results.

• The people who have succeeded have one thing in common - they act on their goals every day come rain or sunshine.

• Consistency is way better than sudden bursts of success. Even in the stock market, traders prefer companies showing consistent performance.

• It means if you are going somewhere, the consistency will ensure you reach your destination.

6. Continuously refine your dreams and inspiration

• When kids are small they want to become a teacher, doctor, or firefighter. As they grow older, that dream changes. Now it could be a social media influencer or an entrepreneur.

• One thing that I believe today more than ever is our capability to change and the role of the environment in changing us, and our world views either intentionally or by chance.

• All of us change in life for better or for worse. As you grow and evolve, your dreams and sources of inspiration will change. There is no harm in refining your dreams.

• Be true to yourself. If your dream was to own a food truck and somewhere down the road your dream is to be a voice-over artist, follow that dream.

• You should think about your dreams from time to time. Tweak them to keep your dreams and inspiration aligned with who you want to be,

Don't drift, find purpose

It is one life. This is all you have got. Don't drift through it. Find your purpose.

Each one of us has the potential to leave a tiny bit of something as our legacy. Something that some people will remember us beyond our lifetime. You will notice that all those you remember are people who have left a positive impact on you, or the community through their dedicated actions.

Without dreams, you may drift aimlessly, lacking a sense of purpose. Be realistic and honest. Keep a positive mindset. Believe that you can achieve your dreams and you will with your concentrated efforts.

Setbacks will happen. You have no choice but to remain resilient.

Think about your dreams to have a meaningful existence. You will have inspirational figures who will give you ideas on how to achieve what you are seeking. How they did it and how you can do it.

Do you think about your dreams?

If you can dream it, you can do it. Your limits are all within yourself. ~ Brian Tracy

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