Dream Big

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve:  the fear of failure."

- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

A good friend told me this week to dream big.  I'm not a dreamer.  The quote above describes, very well, why I don't dream.  I fear failure.  I fear defeat.  Similar to not setting goals, which I've talked about in previous posts, I don't dream because I either don't have confidence that I can achieve or I fear the feelings of failure that will come when my dream doesn't work out.  I confessed to a different friend over lunch last week that I've never auditioned for chorus, choir, or any singing part because I'm afraid I won't make it.  I love to sing and I can sing, but I'm so afraid of rejection I don't participate in any activity that requires an audition.

"Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

- Les Brown

I want to be more like this quote.  I want to do better at shooting for the moon and being comfortable landing among stars.  In my last post I talked about my lack of hobbies.  I was encouraged in my conversation last week about hobbies, to think of things I've always wanted to try and work toward learning that skill or trying that activity.  The encouragement has caused me to do a lot of thinking.  What do I want to know how to do?  What do I want to learn?  One of my friends recently posted her bucket list (or a portion of it) on facebook.  Which led me to ask myself, what would be on my bucket list?

I remember as a teenager when my dad shared his list with me.  I don't remember the items on the list, but I remember him pulling the small piece of paper out of his wallet to share his goals and dreams with me.  I've not created a list like that, on paper, although there are a few things that I've decided in my head.  In the spirit of trying to learn to dream, I want to share a few of those items with you.  I'm nervous that some of you will think I'm ridiculous for some of the things on this list.  Those that have shared their dreams with me have shared much deeper desires than the surface level ones you'll find here.  In my search for more self-confidence however I have to start somewhere so I'm considering this a calculated risk.  In no particular order, here are a few of my dreams or part of my bucket list....

Sing the national anthem at a sporting event.

Learn to quilt.

Acquire the skills for camping and fishing.

Hike in the Rockies.

Give a keynote address at a reading conference.

Become a published writer.

I don't know that I'll achieve any of those things, but I can try.  Certainly some of those are achievable with my own work ethic and effort.  I can shoot for the moon and land among stars.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."

- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.