"Dreams Are The Whispers From The Soul"

A message from Sandy. There are many different aspects that live inside us——-two of them Marcia Wieder depicts as the Dreamer and the Doubter, from her book Dreams Are The Whispers From Our Souls.” When it comes to pursuing our dreams the Dreamer is often gung-ho while the Doubter can provide a laundry list of concerns and issues.

She tells the story of a woman she met in Rome, after a speech she had given, the woman asked her to tell her one of her personal dreams. The author figured she would never see her again–so what the heck. She decided to share a dream that she had never even spoken out loud, one she had kept such a good secret, she was herself beginning to forget it.

“My  dream is to spend the summer writing in the Greek Islands,” she said all in one breath. The woman handed her a card and replied, “I have a villa in Greece. Why don’t you come as my guest?”

Of course, the author was floored and now reminded that amazing things begin to happen when we share our dreams. She was of course elated by the offer—-part of her—-while the other part was busily putting together this exchange:

Dreamer: I am so excited!

Doubter: Not me. I don’t like this at all. It’s far away and could be dangerous.

Dreamer: Nonsense. This is my dream handed to me on a silver platter.

Doubter: (or Realist–I think they are cousins)—Who is going to run your business while you are away?

Dreamer: My fabulous team whom I completely trust.

Doubter: Well, how’s it going to look to your clients if you are out of the country for 3 months?

Dreamer: I think it’s going to look pretty good.

Can you relate to any of this–I will bet you can. Who hasn’t had a similar conversation with ourselves where we have let our Doubter talk of out of something we really dreamed of doing?

When you are stuck, procrastinating or worrying, chances are your Doubter has taken over. If ignored, it can sabotage your dreams. So  how do you deal with it? Turn  the volume down a notch and the Doubter now becomes the Realist, the part that wants to know where the time and the money will come from for your venture.

Before you turn down the Doubter–hear he/she out. It can give you valuable information, such as a list of obstacles that you can develop a plan to manage. Freedom comes as you appreciate its wisdom and insight rather than judging it as the enemy.

If you never deal with you doubt, and you meet another Doubter, their doubt will magnify yours. However, if you have worked on your own doubt, next time a Doubter challenges you, by contrast it will be the opportunity to deepen your commitment and conviction to your dream.