It’s Time to Act on Our Biggest Dreams
Little boat, big dream. Photo by Quinn Corte, Niagara Falls, 2020.
“What are 27 things you want to do before you die?”
A coach recently asked me this question. She offered it as homework, to help me zoom out and name what really matters. Lists and daydreaming are my two favorite things, so I was in. I invited my partner to join me.
We had fun making our lists together. There were surprises and laughs and interesting discussions. He also made a list of things that he’s already crossed off his bucket list, which I loved.
One of the most intriguing questions during the process was: do we list things that might not happen? Things we long for but don’t have control over? The Big Dreams? Yes. I decided especially those dreams go on the list.
I don’t think the point of the exercise was the list itself. The point was seeing how it felt to name our biggest dreams out loud. To notice the vulnerability of allotting each dream a coveted spot on that short list. To experience the thrill and tenderness of naming everything we want most.
The list left me feeling excited, but also antsy. When would I finally act on those big “someday” dreams? When should I give life and energy to my dreams that have been waiting in the wings?
How about…now?
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There’s glitter in the air right now.
Something sparkly is beckoning us forward. The universe is asking us to act on our biggest dreams.
It’s powerful to say, “I want it all.” But it’s even more powerful to say, “I’m going for it. Now.”
I feel a strong pull to act, and I know it’s not just me. Certain “someday” dreams—our deepest, achiest, truest, wildest longings—feel urgent, present, and accessible. What we want is stepping from the background to the foreground. Long-slumbering identities and desires are waking up, unlocking the door, and stepping out into the material world.
Many of us have been dreaming privately for awhile now. Dreaming is a safe sanctuary state. It’s curling up with a candle and journal and whispering, “I want this,” to the wind. It’s indulging our imagination, nursing a longing, watering a seed.
Acting happens out loud, in the world. Sharing a creation, applying for a thing, calling yourself something new, putting out feelers, and using your strongest voice to say to other humans, “I’m going for it.”
Dreams ripen and need to be harvested during a particular window of time. That time makes itself known when we get a feeling of restless urgency—when acting is less agonizing than waiting. When all we need is a little nudge to help us over the threshold.
Let this essay be your nudge.
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The hardest part of acting is knowing it might not happen.
Anything is possible, but things don’t always go our way. Hearts get broken. The net doesn't always appear after we leap.
It’s important to stay grounded in reality. Until things change, we live in a society where taking risks is safer and easier when you have white skin, a college degree, and a safety net. And it's not possible to act on certain dreams when we don’t have the energy, means, or opportunity. I reject the silken-haired New Age manifestation gurus that preach how we can have it all if our hearts our open—or if we follow our bliss, money will just show up. It's hooey, and it's harmful.
Our dreams might not happen, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn't try.
Our desires are our birthright. Our dreams weave together who we are and why we’re here. The answer isn’t to deny our dreams—or to shrink them to a watered-down, acceptable size. The answer is to relentlessly, compassionately go for what we truly want, even if (especially if) it’s not possible or expected.
If we lay down our dreams at the foot of patriarchal, capitalist, oppressive culture, we are the ones who lose. If we give in to the way things are, nothing changes.
The world needs more dreams to come true. Especially the big ones.
If we don’t dream big, and if we don’t act on our dreams, we’ll never create a new world. We’ll never have a chance at the life we deserve. The wonderful things we dream up will never be realized.
Most importantly, we'll miss out on who we become as we walk towards a braver, bolder vision for our lives.
Dreamwork is urgent work. We must let ourselves want it all, and we must go for it.
It's time to open the floodgates, close our eyes, and jump into the current.
Our “someday” dreams are calling.
Your turn:
What are 27 things you want to do before you die?
What dream feels ripe and ready for action, even if it’s scary?
What would it look like to act on your dream today? What’s stopping you?