My 7-year-old son was speaking about his dream of traveling to Madagascar. He wants to see the animals he reads about up close and personal. He got out his map and had me Google how long the plane ride is from NYC. When he discovered it would take almost an entire day he quickly lowered his head, frowned and gave up on his dream saying, “I don’t want to be on a plane that long. I guess I will never get to go.” I knew this was an opportunity for a teaching moment, but what I didn’t realize was that I would be the one learning the most that night.

I explained to him that we just don’t give up on a dream. Let’s talk about a work around or some other solution. After some discussion, he came up with a plan to visit 13 places around the world, all shorter flights from one to another. Now in addition to the animals, we would be going to see professional soccer games around the globe, we would be visiting a couple of cities that friends of his have enjoyed and we would complete our adventure seeing parts of our own country. Although I knew this journey would take quite some time to save for, my son’s excitement was palpable and I tried my best to keep his thrill alive.

Now, we most likely won’t be making this specific trip around the world, but I can almost guarantee we will go on some kind of fabulous adventure that we link back to this original dream and it will be infused with our original energy of excitement.

Later that night after he got into his pajamas he said,

“Mama. I learned something tonight. Sometimes when you don’t think a dream can come true – you don’t give up on that dream– you dream bigger!”

And that folks was my son’s teaching moment for his mama.

When did we stop dreaming and when did we stop dreaming bigger? This can be applied to our personal lives, our professional lives and just our way of being in the world. We settle, talk ourselves out of, lose hope, become skeptics and basically give up. Unless something is awakened to bring us back to our dreams and intentions, our lives can pass us by. Perhaps the awakening for you may be reading this blog. For me, my son planted a seed and then particular communities I intentionally place myself in have continued to bring this alive for me. I am committed to focus on what I can create rather than what I lack. I am committed to remembering my dreams and desires, or perhaps having them for the first time.

I work with many entrepreneurs who lose site of their vision and the “why” of what had them begin. They habitually stop themselves from dreaming big because they are aware of all of the “reasons” why things won’t work. I am continually urging them to shut off that part of their brain and allow themselves to dream big and get clear on their intentions. I have no doubt they will have the capacity to scale back if they need to, but it’s such a lost opportunity to be scaling back before you let yourself even feel the excitement, desire, joy and possibility. Create that energy, put it out to the universe and then adjust when necessary to what feels doable. At that point, whatever you create will be instilled with that original energy that you felt when you were dreaming big.

When my son and I were dreaming up his trip around the world, we didn’t just do so from a mental space. We felt how we would feel on the adventure as if we were already on it. The key to creating is to feel the feelings of what you desire. Those feelings will generate the energy that is needed to turn your dreams into your reality.

I don’t ever want my children to stop dreaming big, so that means I can’t either. If you have been following me you may know I’m a big believer in walking the walk. I forget, I get caught in old limiting beliefs and self-doubt, but inevitably the Universe supports me in sending an opportunity to remind me and I settle back into my dreams and my desires.

Bring voice to them and share them. When you hear your dreams aloud they may not sound as crazy as they do in your head – they may even seem possible. Also, when you begin hearing other’s dreams your own creative juices start flowing more effortlessly and dreams you didn’t even know you have may start surfacing.

We live in an abundant Universe that is waiting to hear our wildest dreams and desires.

Don’t give up on your dreams…Dream bigger!