As a full grown adult, nothing can feel quite as vulnerable as acknowledging your dreams. Nothing can fulfill you more, and, ironically, nothing can scare you more.  

For most of us, our dreams have been tucked away for a very long time. 

For some of us, we might even say our dreams are long-forgotten. 

But just because something has been covered up doesn't mean it deserves to be hidden — we simply haven’t found a way to bring it to the light yet!

It’s a disheartening fact that 70% of Americans hate their jobs. That statistic shows what settling looks like. When you outgrow dreaming, you outgrow valuing that part of you that is invaluable: your individuality. 

Anytime we suppress a part of ourselves, we become miserable. 

What’s more, anytime you feel as though you have to hide a part of yourself from someone, you begin to lose trust in that person. 

Dear Maker, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you on this journey is to trust yourself enough to acknowledge who you are as a creative individual, and don’t hide it.

HOW DOES YOUR DREAM FIT INTO YOUR LIFE NOW?

Dreaming as an adult means dreaming on a practical level, as much as it does on a visionary level. As children, our dreams consisted of big picture successes piggy-backed on the most prodigious adventures our mind could conjure. The sky was the limit, and the details of how to get there—pshhhhh! What details?!

As an adult, however, when you dream of your future, your plans automatically consist of the big questions: 

“HOW WILL I EVER GET THERE?”

“HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?” 

“WHAT IF I FAIL?”

Start-up expenses, budget planning, market share, continuing education, and training all have to be considered when you think about one day achieving your dream. But for now, you are still dreaming… and you allow the thoughts of how you’ll get there distract you from actually trying. 

Acknowledging your dream is one thing, but valuing it so that you don’t find yourself burying it again is an entirely different level in your entrepreneurial growth. 

Think of it this way: When you realize your dream is not only a part of who you are, but who you have always been, you’ll be convinced that this part of your individuality is not just inescapable, it’s more than likely one of the key factors that make you, YOU!

But how do you get there, and what do you need to work on so that you can commit to realizing that dream you’ve held inside?

HOW TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR DREAM (AND YOURSELF)

Close your eyes and ask yourself these questions: 

1) What fulfilled you more than anything when you were a child?

2) What are your fondest, most fulfilled memories as an adolescent?

3) What are you doing when you are happiest as an adult? 

4) What work has fulfilled you more than any other?

You see, dear Maker, you are still that same person. You have always held the same arena of passions and talents. Over the years, they have just grown up and taken on new forms as you’ve matured. 

THIS STAGE OF YOUR JOURNEY IS ABOUT GOING BACK TO YOUR FIRST LOVE. 

You were born with everything you need to be fulfilled as an adult because you were made to be the person you have always been. Nothing fulfills us like working in our passions: unhidden, uncompromised, and ever-evolving.