Thoughtful Tuesday - Dream

Dreaming is so important. Whether it's having an actual dream while you're sleeping, day dreaming while you're awake, or having a dream of one day doing something specific (or somethings). I teach my kids to dream, to believe in something. I encourage them daily to imagine things and play and know that dreaming is simply your imagination at work, expanding and preparing for something great.

Being a writer is all about dreaming. It's what we do. We imagine things that are impossible and make them happen in books, chapters, paragraphs...words. We dream of words. Things that are so impossible to a non-writer, but there real for us. And our dreams are so important because we give those non-writer people something to dream about.

I'm not saying that our stories alone give people dreams, but that stories are one of the things that do. We bend reality to our will and lead a reader into the impossible and we do it in a way that makes them believe. That's our job and it's a tough job.

Tough because we have personal dreams that go along with the leading. We must first get our words out there for people to read. And so we dream of the day when that will happen. From ideas, to WIPs, to MSs, and then to published novel. It's a rough journey and one that takes a lot of dreaming. I dream constantly of the day my name will be in print. And yes, I believe in that dream.

It may take many years, lots of stress, hard work, determination, sweat, and tears-but it will happen. Because my dream is to be an author. I'm already a writer. But I want to do more than put some words to paper (well, words to .docs). I want to share my imagination, my dreams, with other people. I want others to get to learn about the dreams that become my completed manuscripts. And therefore, I hold tight to my dream and I work at it...And it's worth it.

I've immersed myself in a world of other writers, other dreamers who share my dream, and I've seen some of their success. It's a wonderful feeling to watch other's dreams come true and it's inspiring.

Now that I've focused on writers, I want to bring it back to dreams in general. No matter the dream, no matter how impossible or hard the journey to achieve that dream-go for it. Whether your dream is to be a doctor or a teacher, go for it. If you're a writer with a dream to be a published author-go for it. Regardless of how unobtainable a dream may seem, you'll never know if you don't try. Embrace your dreams, your kids' dreams, your family and friends'. Encourage them to hold tight to that dream.

I'm holding tight to mine, because as a writer I know anything is possible. Anything...So dream and know that if you want it, work for it, try your hardest-it will happen. Even if you dream a little too big and it doesn't come true, at least you believed in something.

Happy Dreaming :)