By Lauren Catanese

When you are a kid it’s easy to dream big. I still have my lists I made from high school all the things I was going to accomplish. 1. Own an island 2. Start a non-profit for children 3. Have a big farm full of horses, dogs and kids. 4. See all 7 continents. The list went on. Some of the things I still want to experience and others have lost their luster and are no longer on my “dream sheet.” What I have noticed as time goes on is that we all have a big dream that lies inside. It sits like a seed waiting to sprout and blossom, a constant nudging we sense from time to time.

The road to your dreams begins with baby steps. Have you heard the greats talk about it? Have a vision, feel it in the now, make a plan, and then break it down into easy actions that you can take on a day to day basis to make it happen. I have done that and continue to, and I am getting closer. But in the moments when I can begin to realize its happening; you know the clouds are parting, the birds are singing and the universe is saying walk this way to your destiny, I freeze. I get scared. All the worries, insecurities, old beliefs and anything negative that has not left the building decides to come out and make me afraid. It tries to tell me that while I feel so close to my dreams, something is eventually all going to get screwed up and it will fail. Hello fear, where have you been?

If you have ever felt this way, then you know how mean fear can be. It will pull out any and everything it can to make you not want to take one more step towards that dream. So now what?  This is where my new rule for my life comes in: Let your dreams be bigger than your fears.

Here are three steps to take to let your dreams win:

1. Power it out. Pull up your big pants and don’t give into that fear. Its negative talk. Remember who is in charge of your mind- you are. and when the fear starts to talk say to it, “I choose to believe differently. I choose to believe in my dreams.”
2. Create some clarity. Some fears need a different kind of talking to. Some of you need to chew on a little bit and see what is at the root of your fear. You can get there by asking, why? Why am I feeling this way? What is it trying to tell me? Is it really true? When we can ask questions and become conscious we begin to know what to do next.
3. Take the leap. You can always go back so why not take a chance on your dreams. If you don’t try you will never know. Whatever the lesson the experience brings you happens for a reason, so be open and flexible to life’s ways and see where it takes you. Your dreams deserve a chance to become reality. Its part of your soul’s purpose so trust and believe in it. Let your Dreams be bigger than your fears.

Happy July SoWal!!! Dream big and as always…Hug a tree!

By Lauren Catanese

When you are a kid it’s easy to dream big. I still have my lists I made from high school all the things I was going to accomplish. 1. Own an island 2. Start a non-profit for children 3. Have a big farm full of horses, dogs and kids. 4. See all 7 continents. The list went on. Some of the things I still want to experience and others have lost their luster and are no longer on my “dream sheet.” What I have noticed as time goes on is that we all have a big dream that lies inside. It sits like a seed waiting to sprout and blossom, a constant nudging we sense from time to time.

The road to your dreams begins with baby steps. Have you heard the greats talk about it? Have a vision, feel it in the now, make a plan, and then break it down into easy actions that you can take on a day to day basis to make it happen. I have done that and continue to, and I am getting closer. But in the moments when I can begin to realize its happening; you know the clouds are parting, the birds are singing and the universe is saying walk this way to your destiny, I freeze. I get scared. All the worries, insecurities, old beliefs and anything negative that has not left the building decides to come out and make me afraid. It tries to tell me that while I feel so close to my dreams, something is eventually all going to get screwed up and it will fail. Hello fear, where have you been?

If you have ever felt this way, then you know how mean fear can be. It will pull out any and everything it can to make you not want to take one more step towards that dream. So now what?  This is where my new rule for my life comes in: Let your dreams be bigger than your fears.

Here are three steps to take to let your dreams win:

1. Power it out. Pull up your big pants and don’t give into that fear. Its negative talk. Remember who is in charge of your mind- you are. and when the fear starts to talk say to it, “I choose to believe differently. I choose to believe in my dreams.”
2. Create some clarity. Some fears need a different kind of talking to. Some of you need to chew on a little bit and see what is at the root of your fear. You can get there by asking, why? Why am I feeling this way? What is it trying to tell me? Is it really true? When we can ask questions and become conscious we begin to know what to do next.
3. Take the leap. You can always go back so why not take a chance on your dreams. If you don’t try you will never know. Whatever the lesson the experience brings you happens for a reason, so be open and flexible to life’s ways and see where it takes you. Your dreams deserve a chance to become reality. Its part of your soul’s purpose so trust and believe in it. Let your Dreams be bigger than your fears.

Happy July SoWal!!! Dream big and as always…Hug a tree!