Written by Adrian Bennett
This is a subject that has been a cornerstone of my whole life and career thus far.
Let's start from the beginning! What is a dream? When was it created, and how do we achieve it?
As children, we're profoundly influenced by the world around us, soaking up inspiration like little sponges. Whether it's the sounds we hear, the music that excites us, or the vivid colours and textures that captivate us, we're drawn to different aspects of life that resonate with our souls. We're inspired not only by our surroundings but also by the people who cross our paths, whether it's someone on TV, a figure in real life, or something we witness that deeply touches us, igniting a spark within us that begins to shape our dreams.
This inner world, where our deepest desires and secrets reside, remains largely hidden from others. Over time, as we absorb more of life's experiences and knowledge, we find ourselves gravitating towards certain passions and aspirations. It's as if we're on a seesaw, with more and more weight tipping towards the things that truly resonate with us until we reach a moment of clarity: "Yes, that's what I want to pursue in life."
Conversely, life also throws challenges our way—times when we feel disheartened, our courage faltering, and our dreams seemingly out of reach. People may discourage us, and obstacles may block our path, casting doubt on the journey we've embarked upon. Yet, even in these moments of adversity, a fragment of our dream takes shape. Amidst the turmoil, a flicker of clarity emerges, revealing what we truly desire. In the midst of what we don't want, we find solace in what we do, nurturing the seed of our dream within the depths of our soul.
This dream is then reinforced by things in the outside world. For me, it was watching a stadium tour of a famous person singing with those incredible backup dancers! For me, seeing these dancers ignited in my soul a fire! And I knew that's what I wanted to achieve, and who I wanted to be. At this time, this version of yourself you see in your mind is a totally different person, doing something totally different from what you are doing now, and can almost fill you with the feeling of separation from who you are now and the version of yourself living that dream.
I've learned this separation does not serve you whatsoever and can actually hold you in an energy that doesn't allow your dreams to be realized.
Following your dreams will be some of the scariest, most unpredictable, and unknowing times of your life. It's throwing reckless abandon to your talents and strengths, with faith being your guiding light.
Dale has a tattoo that says, "Leap of faith".
Honestly, that's what it takes to follow your dreams, leaping off the cliff in faith. But in faith of what? Faith that the situation will work out exactly how you've planned it in your mind? NO. Faith in other people helping you out and making it happen for yourself? NO. Faith in other people believing in you? NO. But faith within YOURSELF. Faith in your ability, faith in your resilience, faith that no matter what happens you have your own back, faith that if you come crashing down to the floor, you will be there to pick yourself up.
Self-belief is something that needs to be cultivated to truly go for your dreams. If not, the darkness of self-sabotaging thoughts will get the better of you.
Following those dreams may not even be about the dreams we create in our minds, but a journey to oneself. A journey to find who you are and what you are capable of, a journey to truly be there for yourself, show up for yourself, and come to fully love yourself.
As a 35-year-old male dancer, there are lots of ideas and beliefs the world holds about me. I'm too old, I should be doing this or that, I need to settle down, I need to be this amount of successful. Yet when I turn inward and feel the passion I have inside, all these outer beliefs fade away, and I'm filled with the energy of my own story. Being strong and resilient enough to write your own story is pivotal to following your dreams. If you allow the world to determine what you should and shouldn't be doing, your life is going to look a lot different from what you've imagined.
If I believed all of the ideas and opinions out there, I would most certainly not be doing what I'm doing. I've finally come to terms that the only person I need to make happy in my life is myself because if I am truly happy, then I do more for those that are around me, I help others more, I'm more enjoyable to be around. It's a very outdated belief that one must sacrifice themselves to allow others to thrive. We are all meant to thrive in this world; each and every single one of us deserves happiness and success, not only a select few.
Most of the time, these "Dreams" we create for ourselves are massive and can sometimes feel unattainable. YET, they were planted in your soul for a reason. You have no choice but to follow them. Their silent whisper will always be there until you chase them with all your might.
Because these dreams are large, in a sense, they will require different aspects of your character and soul to develop. They are going to require you to step out of your comfort zone; they are going to ask you to face your fears of rejection, they will force you to develop resilience and commitment, they will also require you to push beyond any negative beliefs you have about yourself in your human form.
That's why previously I've mentioned that following your dreams is a journey towards yourself. It's about letting go of all those limiting beliefs you hold about yourself and coming into contact with your true magnificent soul.
I don't believe that chasing your dreams is just for the outside gratification and gain of achieving it, but in the inspiration it offers the world. It's in the journey and light you bring to the world and those around you, who then in turn start on their journey towards themselves.
When we allow ourselves to let go of these limiting beliefs, we feel a sense of knowing, a knowing that we are on the right track and this crazy dream we are following is the guiding light of our life's purpose.
And we must follow this dream, for it bears the fruit of life's gift to you and others. On this path, you'll come into contact with people that light your fire and in turn light theirs. So if we reflect and view this dream from a large and deeper perspective, it serves the whole and all of us. That's why it is so important we follow it.
A lot of the time, this dream that we hold so close to our heart and cherish, we view as sensitive, and if anyone says anything negative towards it, or says you can't achieve it, or you're shooting too high, we immediately feel diminished and incapable of achieving it. PLEASE remember other people can only ever view your dream and goal from their limited perspective they view their own life through. Remember this dream is yours and yours alone. It's a fire that only you know, it's a truth that you share between your soul and yourself, it's a knowing between you and the creative powers of the universe. Learning to hold the courage of your dreams when faced with disbelief from others is a skill that will set you on the journey to success.
Recently delving deeper into manifestation and the powers we hold to create our own reality. Something I've found with dreams/goals and visualization is that we get so set on this dream exactly how we have created it in our mind, that if we slightly deviated from the course we think we should be following we get despondent and feel like we are not good enough. WHY is it that we focus so intently on this ONE image of what our lives should look like and not allowing the organizing power of the universe to steer us on a course towards these dreams, gaining knowledge along the way, gaining experience, gathering useful info and influential people that will blow your original dream out of the park.
I’ve recently watched a video from BASHAR talking about visualization, and he mentioned that visualization enables us to get into the energy or vibration of what it is that we want to achieve, but then we need to let go of the image completely and just hold onto the energy. Because the energy will attract to it the necessary components it needs to fully manifest your dream. BUT if we keep on comparing our life situation and this dream image we have in our mind it will always disappoint and throw you off course.
Following one's dreams is not just a pipe dream, an idea that sounds fun, or something that is kept for a rare few. Following your dreams is connecting to your true self. Following your dreams opens yourself up to aspects of your soul that have been trapped by imposed limiting beliefs of the world around you. Following your dreams is connecting the dots of your life's story and intertwining your life energy with the world around you. It's more of a journey of the soul than it is an outward gaining of something. It's allowing your deepest fears to be seen and your innermost thoughts to be expressed. It's scary, yes! BUT it's the only journey that will truly fulfill your soul and life's purpose. I can promise you now that a job to just pay the bills will have nothing for your soul.
Let's turn our gaze to growth and view chasing your dreams as chasing growth. Viewing every step we take towards our goal as gaining knowledge, gaining strength, courage, persistence. It's all about growth at the end of the day. Growing towards the person who has attained this goal already. To me, it's a poetic dance following your dreams, on one side it's learning to deal with the dark sides of yourself while allowing your light to fully shine at the same time. We need this for spiritual and mental fulfilment.
In closing, following your dreams is a choice you must make for yourself. And for the generations to come. Think about the impact your loved ones have had on your life and the dreams and goals they went for and how that has affected yourself. Following your dreams is a tough decision to make, to go against what the world thinks you should be doing, sometimes going against what your families determine successful for you. It's standing in your own belief with utter certainty that you are the guiding force behind your life, not someone else. And it's not a choice you make once, it's a choice you are going to have to make a million times over. Because it's not easy, it's not an easy road to follow, you are choosing to go down the path less travelled again and again. But my friend, I believe in you, and you should believe in yourself. The world needs your voice, the world needs your energy, the world is desperate for your ideas, other souls need to come across the magnificence of who you are and what you have to share.
This journey is not just yours but one we share with each other. A journey that connects us all, connects us to the whole and benefits the whole.
My friend, will you choose to follow your dreams today?
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