When was the last time you took stock of what your dreams are? And when I say dreams I don’t mean goals - I mean dreams. I think most of us are fairly aware of our goals; they are the day to day things we keep in mind as we move through life - saving money, getting regular exercise, spending quality time with family. Dreams are, in my opinion, on another level than goals.

Meriam-Webster defines dream in the following ways:
a visionary creation of the imagination;
something notable for its beauty, excellence, or enjoyable quality;
something that fully satisfies a wish.

Dreams are the things that make us shiver when we think about them. Dreams scare and excite us. Following our dreams stretches us and reveals whole new parts of who we are to us.

So what are your dreams? After all you can’t begin following them until you know what they are. Alan Cohen proposes a brilliant exercise in his article Are You Dreaming Big Enough? that can help us to get down on paper a list of our dreams ranging from the doable to the outlandish.

• On a piece of paper, write the heading, “Know I Can.” Under the heading, write down three goals you are confident you can accomplish, and probably will, within a matter of time.
• Below that section write, “Maybe I Can.” Then number 4 through 6, and write down three projects you would like to do, but wonder if you really can. These are the dreams that stretch you beyond your current boundaries, but seem within the realm of possibility.
• Finally, write the heading, “Outrageous,” and for numbers 7 through 9, record the three most outlandish visions you can think of, the dreams that thrill you to consider, but you don’t see how they could possibly happen.

Cohen goes on to suggest reading the list each day and visualizing each of your dreams becoming reality. By doing so you will send a powerful message to the universe of exactly what you want.

Knowing what our wildest dreams are is our first step to getting them. Treat yourself, and take the time to sit down and make your own dream list. I’d love to hear what you come up with!