The Art of Dreaming

"Dream a little dream of me"

When I was planning my dream life I had no idea where to start.  

I came to the realization that I had forgotten how to dream as well as what it meant to dream. 

If you ask someone how they're doing at work you'll likely get, "I'm living the dream" as a sarcastic reply but what if the response we gave wasn't sarcastic and we meant it, truly. 

I once ranted about the pressure we put on young kids asking them constantly, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" but maybe we should ask ourselves now that we're adults, or at least as close to adulthood as we're going to get (I refuse to fully grow up).

When I was a child, I wanted to be a ballerina or a princess and have enough money to buy my mom a house and a maid so she wouldn't have to clean houses anymore. Well, I put in the work and helped her buy her dream home and I pitched in for the cleaning lady we had for a while. Eventually I moved out as one does. But I did it! I'm not a princess or a ballerina, but I did get to take dance classes and I still enjoy dancing. I'm not sure if you know this, but the New York Ballet posts their rehearsals on TikTok, just so  you know!

Dreams do not have to be as specific as they once were. My dream of being a ballerina is never going to come true and I'm okay with that. Sometimes we have to shift our focus to the core of the dream. In my personal example, the core of my dream as a little girl was to buy my mom a house and a maid. I got pretty close! I wasn't able to afford the whole thing, but I got the part that was important. 

Today, I'm asking myself what do I want to be when I grow up and my answer is a little more ambiguous than I would like. But hey! It's what I've got. I want to be a resource for people like me as well as people who are doing their best to either care for or understand people like us. I want to a beacon of hope where people can look at me and say well heck, if she can do it so can I. I'm not trying to be egotistical or boastful, but I want people to know and understand a diagnosis is not the end of the world nor does it mean that you can't do things non-diagnosed people can do. That if you know how to take care of yourself there is nothing you can't do. 

What does my career look like for now? 

Being a part-time phlebotomist so I can grow my own business and pursue my passion for helping others. 

So now, I'm asking you, what do you want to be when you grow up?

It doesn't have to be practical immediately. And bear with me, let's do an exercise: 

1. Think of something that makes you happy on a regular basis. 

2. I'd bet $10 Monopoly that you can monetize it. 

3. Go read The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman

4. Put your own plan together. 

It is never too late and you are never too old. There is immense amount of pressure to do everything as young as possible, but the reality is you can do things at any age. Don't believe me? Here's proof: 

A friend and classmate of mine at Florida State University was in her 50's getting her bachelors degree. Her children were grown and also had children of their own. Her ambition was to get her dual degree and start her own chain of fabric stores and teach sewing. Naturally, all the design kids in my class were her best friends as she had experience as a seamstress.

My mom went back to school in her 40s to get her Masters in English Education and became a college professor in her 50s. She just started traveling the world not long ago. 

So dream big, don't hold back. And to the people who tell you that's not practical, break it down to bite size information so they understand it. I believe in you! And if no one else does, you've at least got me. 

Love, 

E