“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I have spent long hours pondering the tension between dreaming and living. I spent the first two decades of my life too scared to dream. I lived vicariously through my world of books, thinking that might be enough.
And then I woke up and tried those wings and I haven't looked back since. (Okay, I look back weekly, simply because I'm nostalgic.)
My dream list grows by the year and I make it a point to actually do a thing or two on the list too.
And on this topic,
Two things that felt pretty special happened last week-
1. I returned from my trip to Paraguay, which was the 33rd country I've visited
and
2. I was tagged in a Facebook post where someone was quoting notes from a teaching I'd done on dreaming. (How very humbling!)
Cherie's post:
How to accomplish your dreams: The best advice I've ever received.
1. Find a mentor (the ones who believe in you) , be a mentor (the ones you believe in)
2. Study the Greats (google: people who have changed the world)
3. Be faithful in the little things (and He will entrust you with many things)
4. Take a risk (what would you try if you knew you wouldn’t fail?)
5. Embrace your season (be where you are when you’re there, be content, but still dream)
6. Know God, and know yourself (denying the lies of the enemy, and embracing God’s truths) “do not wish to be anything but who you are and to be that perfectly”
7. Hold your dreams and goals with open hands to God (remember there are seasons of death and seasons of life)
It meant to much to me that years after I'd taught her, Cherie remembered even a little of what I'd shared.
And it reminded me to pull out my own dream list, which I published a few days ago-see below. I have so many ideas and dreams-big, small, shallow, far out. I'm amazed at what I've gotten to see and do so far.
This rather bland-looking map shows that I've been to
1. Mexico 2. Canada 3. England 4. Scotland 5. Austria 6. Italy 7. Germany 8. France 9. Czech Republic 10. Russia 11. Panama 12. South Africa 13. Namibia 14. Egypt 15. Hungary 16. Israel 17. Greece 18. Turkey 19. India 20. South Korea 21. Switzerland 22. Brasil 23. Thailand 24. Dominican Republic 25. Argentina 26. Finland 27. The Netherlands 28. Tawain 29. Ireland 30. Australia 31. New Zealand 32. Jordan 33. Paraguay
So whether you feel as if you'er dreaming or simply living this week, pause here for a moment and remember the other.
That's my two cents on the topic.
xo.