Have you ever turned off your dreams so you could sleep at night?
By nature, I’m a dreamer. Ever since I was a kid, I knew what I wanted to do in life. I had big ideas. I was going to do something major; something unforgettable. I was going to be a famous author at some point and everyone would know my name.
Yeah, the dream’s a bit vague, I know, but it was my dream nontheless. It inspired me to excel in school believing it would bring me one step closer to achieving those dreams of mine.
Then, at some point during my adult life, I realized, those dreams weren’t coming to fruition. Each year I felt more and more disappointed. After I graduated from college, I moved to Atlanta and started teaching. Only people who have ever taught hyper middle school children will fully understand why the experience was so traumatic. A first year teacher should never EVER EVER teach in a high needs school where there has been a break down in the administrative structure.
Everyday drained me of what little energy I had left. The pay made it so I had just enough to pay my bills, but very little left do anything else. Needless to say, I began to feel a bit trapped.
Despite my exhaustion, I had difficulty sleeping. I’d toss and turn thinking about all of the work that still needed to be done. On other nights I’d toss and turn about my dreams that were still unfulfilled. When would I ever have time to write with a hectic life like mine? When would I ever make enough to travel during my summers off? When would I ever be able to afford that new house that I wanted to build? Once I got the house would I even be able to afford to furnish it? Would I only end up becoming a slave to it – having to work just to be able to afford to live in it?
Those questions often plagued my mind so terribly that I remember the day, I decided to just give up on it all and quit my pathetic dreaming. I stopped going to stores to window shop – why tease myself? I couldn’t afford anything in there. I stopped going for Saturday afternoon drives – what for? I’d be only wasting gas. I stopped looking at the new homes as I drove by – why keep teasing myself with things I’d never own?
You can probably guess what that did to me. It made me extremely miserable. Nothing was exciting anymore. It made everything I did feel meaningless – including dragging myself out of bed everyday only to go to work.
Thankfully, I’m also stubborn by nature. Eventually, I came to realize that my dreams were keeping me up at night for a reason. They weren’t there to tease me, they were there to motivate me to do something to change my circumstances. They were there to make me so uncomfortable and miserable that I’d do something drastic to change my life.
My dreams motivated me to evaluate my life and determine what it was I really wanted out of life. Over the course of many brain-wrecking thinking sessions, I came to realize that what I really want is the financial freedom to be able to take the time I needed to write, to travel, to enjoy quality time with my family – something I’d been sacrificing for years so I could get an eduation. I came to realize in order to do that, at some point I was going to have to shift from working for someone else, to working for myself. And no matter how long it takes for me to achieve it, I have no choice but to keep at it. Quitting is not an option.
Now, each night, when those dreams swirl through my mind, instead of getting upset, I grab my bedside notebook and jot them down. Instead of seeing them as teasers, I see them as motivators.
What about you? Have you ever given up on your dreams? What did you do to revive them?
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Kiesha is the author of We Blog Better and Christian Blog: Highly Favored. She’s a technical Writer, former writing instructor, and blogging consultant for small business owners. If you’d like to know more, read her extended bio. Connect with her on Twitter, Google and subscribe to her feed for blogging tips & tricks.
Hey Kiesha,
Interesting Post
. I had never given up my dreams.
!!
And Instead of giving up, you should focus on how you achieve the dreams
Thanks for sharing this great post.
Dev
.-= Dev | Technshare´s last blog ..10 Best Internet Marketing Blogs =-.
Hi Dev,
Thanks for stopping by – glad you enjoyed this post
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..5 Drawbacks of Hosting Guest Posts & 11 Tips for Dealing with them =-.
I really feel what you went through Kiesha cos I’m going through a similar thing now but what I think is that, as you said, you shouldn’t see the dreams as teasers but as motivators and I think that if you see it that way you can be able to hold on and push forward with your dreams and make them a reality
.
Thanks for sharing this inspiring story, Kiesha. Preciate it
.
.-= Shirley Osei-Mensah´s last blog ..How To Change Your Time Zone On Twitter =-.
Hi Shirley,
I encourage you to continue to pursue your dreams. They are there for a reason – to propel you forward. Keep pressing on.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..Planned for God’s Pleasure =-.
Kiesha, thanks for sharing your very personal story. I’m glad you continue to persevere.
A suggestion about capturing those dreams while you are in bed: use a digital recorder. You can use it in the dark and with much less interruption and moving around — which means you can get back to sleep sooner.
.-= John Soares´s last blog ..Why I Left Godaddy Hosting =-.
Hi John,
Oh yes, I use the voice recorder on my cell phone all the time.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Simplest Guest Post Contest II =-.
Great post Kiesha. I am also a dreamer. I also want to write a book. It’s what most of the time keeps me blogging. Even if I won’t be able to write a book the thought of wanting to do it keeps me motivated to keep on writing and creating content.
I hope our dreams will eventually come true.
Hi Julius,
I encourage you to just start writing, before you know it that book will be done.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Simplest Guest Post Contest II =-.
I know what you mean about middle schoolers. I teach 7th and 8th grade, and they can drive you crazy at times. I think a lot of writers make the mistake of becoming teachers.
Teaching requires a lot of creative energy, not to mention all the time spent grading papers and making plans. It’s an art form in its own right and is not an easy day job for people more interested in following a different artistic path.
Hi Russell,
I really and truly hated grading papers – so I got creative and had them do projects instead. That’s so much more engaging. I miss teaching at the college level sometimes, that’s probably the only age group I’ll ever teach again.
.-= Kiesha @ WeBlogBetter´s last blog ..The Reason for Everything =-.
In my young adulthood years, I not only abandoned my dream of earning an income as a writer, I also abandoned the practice of writing itself. Small wonder then that I got into all sorts of trouble and made quite a mess of my life
Later, when I was at a real low point, I picked up the pen again, and the dreams started flooding back. Things didn’t happen overnight, and my life is still a work in progress, but my reality is matching up quite closely with my dreams these days.
.-= Jean Sarauer´s last blog ..How to Kick Your Blog into Summer Gear =-.
Hi Jean,
I’m so glad you decide to pursue your dreams again – I’ve got a feeling you’re going to make it big one day. Just keep pressing on.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Reason for Everything =-.
Nope never gave up on my dreams, I think as long as you act in alignment with what i call “value” driven goals, your always going to have the feeling of hope and fulfilment.
.-= IamDavid´s last blog ..Life is Absurd? Yes, Yes It IS =-.
Hi David,
You’re right – I just can’t do it any other way.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..Life is a Temporary Assignment =-.
This isn’t really the type of blog i generally read, but i have to say… Great Job! I found this post to be very motivating, and I agree — you must never give up on your dreams!
Hi Dominic,
Glad you enjoyed it!
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Reason for Everything =-.
Oh, Kiesha, did I ever need to read this post this morning! Thank you so much for articulating what I’ve been feeling and have felt in the past and for giving me the kick in the butt to not give up on my dreams.
This is so true: ‘Nothing was exciting anymore. It made everything I did feel meaningless – including dragging myself out of bed everyday only to go to work.” Without our dreams and believing that we can accomplish them, then what’s the use of living?
Never, never, never give up!
Thanks,
Karen
.-= Karen´s last blog ..Two Inspirational Videos – Failure and Imagination =-.
Hi Karen!
I’m truly glad you enjoyed and found it to be useful. I think at some point in everyone’s life, they have to make a choice about their dreams. I’ve found out that I can’t live without ‘em.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Simplest Guest Post Contest II =-.
Hi Keisha,
Thanks for sharing such a personal story and I love the insight that dreams keeping you awake are there to cajole you into action. I like that alot.
On not being able to sleep, one of the things that I find is that if my mind is racing and keeping me from falling asleep it tends to manifest itself in tension in my face. So, if I focus on relaxing my face and not on trying to get to sleep I find that this really helps.
Thanks again for sharing your story,
Adrian
.-= Adrian Swinscoe´s last blog ..Video: Customer Retention can be Improved by How You Handle Customer Complaints – Delight From Dissatisfaction =-.
Hi Adrian,
I’m glad you enjoyed it – thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m gonna have to try that face relaxation tip.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Simplest Guest Post Contest II =-.
“I came to realize that my dreams were keeping me up at night for a reason. ”
I love the way you worded that, such a good reminder to keep an open ear and listen up when the universe is trying to tell you something.
Hi Jillian,
Glad you stopped by – thanks for sharing your thoughts.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Reason for Everything =-.
Very inspiring post Kiesha. I’ve kind of forgotten my dreams, actually I need some new ones. I was going to play professional baseball but ever since that didn’t work out, I just realized I don’t really have too many dreams now. I’m just happy to get through each day.
.-= Mike Roosa´s last blog ..My First Attempt At A Guest Post =-.
Hi Mike,
I can see how a disappointment might leave you feeling a bit “now-what-ish” – but I encourage you to dig deep. If you still love baseball, there’s something you can do in that field even if it’s not pro. You could become a coach – maybe eventually a coach of a pro- team – you never know really. The sky is the limit – think about it.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Simplest Guest Post Contest II =-.
Hey Kiesha,
Great post! I believe most people give up on their dreams at some point or another but through providence they are reawakened, reestablished and remain to motivate us to reach higher heights. There has been times where I have been extremely discouraged and the little hope I had seemed like it was fading quickly but then a dream from days past was reaffirmed within me. I believe dreams are invitations to pursue the greatness invested deep within us.
All the Best,
PJ
Hi PJ!
Thanks for your thoughts. My encouragement comes in waves, just when I’m about empty – something happens to re-energize my efforts. Someone will leave a kind comment, I’ll earn a commission or some other small success – that seems to fuel me along until the next slump.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..Blogging that’s better for the body =-.
Every day I actually wonder if I’ll be able to achieve my dreams and every day I also tell myself that if I care enough to do what it takes to make them reality then they will be reality.
No one can care about making my dreams come true than me, after all!
.-= Eric´s last blog ..How To Manage Blogging, Baby, Daily Activities, And More =-.
Hi Eric,
I encourage you to continue – that’s the only way it will even be possible. Giving up is absolute certainty that dreams won’t come to fruition.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..10 Blogger Must Reads – Weekly Link List =-.
To be perfectly honest I’m not much of a dreamer. Or at least, where I do have dreams, they are rather vague and don’t occupy me much, I tend to focus on the little things each day which at times is a good thing, but at times is a bad thing, because I find it harder to drive towards the things I really want.
My wife is the opposite, a huge dreamer and someone who will always be trying new things out to attain them. I’ve learnt a lot from her and having read this post, I know it would be a good thing to focus on my own dreams a bit more, and I should probably start by actually writing them down!
.-= Mo “Mad Dog” Stoneskin´s last blog ..Curing hiccups and preventing alien invasions can easily go hand in hand =-.
Hi Mo,
Vague dreams are still dreams. I encourage you to think about them a little deeper and go ahead and start writing them down and making a plan for them.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..Blogging that’s better for the body =-.
Dreams helped me look at the world in a beautiful light. It’s crucial when I was young but as I lived more in reality, the dreams began to conflict and thus irrationality seemed probable. The best way for me to get all those dreams out of my system is to instill it into some medium where I can creatively work and mold it into process. This helps me make it more real to work with and live in.
Take blogging for instance. It’s been a dream for a long time, however I’ve finally took the plunge these last few months and it’s giving me a vehicle to experiment with. I like that there are many variables to play with and not any one in particular that is specifically right. Overall, the art of dreaming is creatively letting your words craft reality.
Thanks for the discussion.
.-= Thu Nguyen´s last blog ..Breaking Through the Wires Online – Some Tips For Blogging =-.
Hi Thu,
I’m glad you took the step to bringing your blogging dream to reality. The blogosphere is one of those places where really anything is possible.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Simplest Guest Post Contest II =-.
Definitely. It had also been great mingling with bloggers who break all barriers to voicing themselves. That’s kind of refreshing.
.-= Thu Nguyen´s last blog ..More File Sharing Sites You Might Come Across =-.
I think we have all given up on dreams but it’s great to see that people tend to revisit childhood dreams in their 3rd or 4th career act, when they have more money and experience and ultimately more confidence!
.-= Jorgen @ Personal Branding´s last blog ..How to Land a New Gig with Twitter =-.
Hi Jorgen,
Yeah, I believe I’m write on schedule with that 3rd and 4th career timeline.
.-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..Becoming Best Friends with God =-.
Hello Kiesha,
Very insightful article. Thank you so much for selecting my picture to be included with your well-written work. I’m honored!
Sincerely,
Ian Sane