The Power of Dreams: Navigating Life with Direction and Inspiration

And since that day, I've learned a lot about life, a lot about living, and a lot about myself.

And here on this podcast, I want to share those insights with you.

Because, friend, if you are still searching for your purpose, still trying to understand why, or still left searching for that next right path to take, well, consider this to be your stepping stone to get you from where you are to where you want to be.

What's happening, my friend, and welcome back to the podcast.

I'm your host, Kevin Lowe, and you are joining me today for what is episode number 203.

Hopefully, you enjoyed our last episode.

That was episode 202 with featured guest Deidri Shin, a woman who let her dreams lead the way, taking her from Australia all the way to New York City, all in pursuit of her dreams.

And that honestly is what inspired today's episode is helping you to understand that dreams are important.

Dreams are vital.

And matter of fact, if you don't have dreams, then chances are you're probably not headed in the right direction.

Because your dreams should always be the thing that directs us in life.

Hence the title of today's episode: A Life Without Dreams is a life without direction.

Now, as we dive into this topic today, which I'm gonna give you some strategies on how to do this, what this looks like, and where this can go for you.

So you just gotta hold on, and I'm gonna get to the good stuff.

But as you listen to today's episode, if you start thinking to yourself, wow, you know what?

Kevin's right.

Maybe it is time that I stop putting away my dreams.

I get them back out and I really start thinking about them.

And I start putting them in front of me and start going after them.

If that's you, then fantastic.

I have done my job.

But say that you are still a little bit unclear.

You're still trying to figure out how it all works?

How do I make those dreams become my reality?

Well, let's figure it out.

And so I would love to invite you to book a free 30-minute coaching call with me.

And let's just sit down and work this out together.

It's sometimes a lot easier when you can work it out with somebody, much less somebody who is a coach like me.

So check out today's show notes.

You'll find a link to my online calendar.

Find a time.

Let's talk.

Let's figure this out and see if we can't get you going in the direction you dream of going.

With that said, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is episode number 203, and it is time for us to dive in.

So when we start talking about dreams, there's gonna be the people out there.

Maybe it's you, I'm hoping it's not, but that person who says, all right, all right, but what are we talking about with dreams?

Why do dreams even matter anyway?

Well, the thing is, is I'm not talking about the dreams where you show up to work naked, or you're back in high school and you're standing on stage giving a speech in your underwear.

No, I'm not talking about those kind of dreams at all.

I'm talking about the kind of dreams that truly light your way.

The kind of things that you think about, that you daydream about, that you can't help but smile when you think about them.

You can't help but get excited when you have them.

And you can't help but think that, oh my gosh, this could be my reality if I could just figure out how to make it come true.

Those are the kind of dreams I'm talking about today.

The dreams that light your way, the dreams that light you up, those are the dreams.

And so when you ask, but why do dreams matter?

Dreams matter because they are the way forward.

They are your North Star, your guiding light, the way to get you to fulfillment, the way to have you reaching a life that you want to live.

And to be honest with you, a lot of it is in the journey itself, to get to those dreams, to make them come true.

Because if we're headed in the direction that we're supposed to be, then the journey is just as amazing as the destination.

So now here's the thing on the opposite side of the spectrum.

What if you don't have dreams?

What are the consequences?

What is life going to look like for you if you choose to not think about your dreams, to not focus on them, to not make them your North Star?

Well, that's a life where you just go through the motions.

That's a life where you feel like you're stuck.

It's a life when you're floating, constantly just sitting there in place, not moving, not going forward, maybe not necessarily going backwards, but it's just still that's a life without dreams.

The consequence, well, the consequence is that life becomes nothing but a series of tasks, a to-do list.

And to be honest, I don't really want to live my life as a to-do list that repeats week after week.

That sounds a little bit lame, a little bit depressing, if you ask me.

So that's why we're not going to fall into this category.

That's why we're not going to be a person who doesn't have dreams that we're chasing.

No, we are going to be that person who dreams, dreams big and chases them fast, like it matters, like your life depends on it.

And that really leads into this next key element of what we're talking about is dreaming, but dreaming big.

We try to make them a little less lofty.

Why?

Well, because for one thing, we feel like we're never going to reach them.

It's never going to happen.

And so why have this big goal out there that is never going to come true?

Why have to deal with that disappointment?

And, well, I guess I kind of understand that reasoning.

But the fact of the matter is true, is that dreams are supposed to be big.

We're supposed to go after the big stuff.

As I said earlier, a lot of the time it's the journey that's just as important, that's just as magical as the actual destination.

So if we lessen that journey by making the dream smaller, by making it less significant, well, then the journey itself is going to be as well.

So instead, if we make the dream big, if we have big plans for our future, big dreams for our future, well, that means that the journey to get there is going to be big.

It's going to be amazing.

It's going to make us having a life that others look at and are like, wow, that person is living all out.

That's what I'm talking about.

Now, I know what you're thinking.

Kev, this is all nice.

Kev's kind of lost it a little bit, talking about dreams, chasing dreams.

I guess Kevin probably doesn't know what my life looks like.

Kevin doesn't understand what it's like to be in my situation.

Kevin doesn't understand that I got bills to pay.

I got a family to feed.

I can't be chasing dreams.

I get you.

Trust me, Kevin gets you that reality is not the dreams.

And before we can get to our dreams, we do have to deal with life, aka reality.

And to be honest, sometimes it's just a little bit annoying, but I understand it.

We have to deal with it.

And that's okay.

We're going to make this work with your reality.

We're not going to give up on dreams.

No.

They're going to fit into your schedule.

We're going to fit them into your routine.

We're going to make it work for you.

Because as I said, I'm not recording this.

I'm not talking about this.

I'm not passionate about this to be like, oh, oh gosh, yeah, you're right.

You have a car payment, a house payment, you got kids and a spouse at home.

Oh man, I forgot about it.

So you know what?

Don't worry about dreams.

None of that matters.

No, no, no.

I already took all that into account.

So don't worry about it.

Trust me on this one.

Right now, you got dreams that are big and dreams that we are focused on making come true.

Even if we got to make some changes, if we gotta alter things a little bit, that's okay.

We're gonna make it work.

Now, what if you're in the camp of I don't really know what my dreams are?

I mean, when we talk about big dreams, I don't really have any.

And that's okay.

And to be honest, that's really normal.

Because maybe life is honestly going pretty good for you.

And that's great.

Maybe you have everything that you ever dreamed you could have, and that's cool too.

But that doesn't mean that you still don't have dreams.

I don't care who you are, what you have or don't have, you always have dreams.

Always have a North Star guiding you.

So if we need to reconnect with what those dreams are, here are a couple of ideas to get you started.

You got to get real with yourself.

Do a little self-reflection exercise.

I'm talking about maybe meditating, maybe journaling, maybe just literally sitting down and saying to yourself, what do I really want out of life?

At the end of the day, when it's all said and done, what do I want people to say about me?

What do I want to have had accomplished in my life?

That's what we're talking about.

The big stuff, the real stuff, the meaningful stuff.

Another question to ask yourself: what is something that I've always wanted to do, but I never did it?

Because, well, life got in the way.

Maybe you got to think back to when you were younger, a kid, a teenager, maybe in college.

What was that wild and crazy thing that you dreamed of doing, but you never actually did it?

Maybe this is the opportunity that you finally do it.

Now, if we're talking about dreams that affect your life, that affect where you are, what you're doing, who you're doing it with, I recommend some visualization exercises.

Start visualizing that you're already there.

Visualize that the dream has already come true and you are living in it.

You are living in your rainbow.

You are living the dream scenario.

Put yourself there.

See it, taste it, smell it, believe it.

Because once you already know it, you feel it.

Well, my goodness, you're already one step closer to actually being there.

And this isn't something that you just want to do once and forget it.

No, you might want to do this every day, every morning when you wake up.

You might want to spend some time reminding yourself about what you're fighting for, about what you're doing this for, what you're chasing after.

We gotta remind ourselves, it's too easy to get sucked right back into the everyday monotony.

No, you got dreams to chase, and you gotta remind yourself why you're chasing them.

Now, dreams, they need some work.

Sometimes they need a little watering.

Sometimes you got to feed them, you got to give them attention.

And it helps them to grow bigger.

It helps them to get stronger.

It helps you to get closer to making them your reality.

So as you visualize it, as you think about it, as you journal it, as you continue to give it life, you continue to breathe life into it.

Well, you're just getting one step closer.

And that's really such an important part in this process.

Because it's one thing to have a dream, but we need a specific dream.

You need to know exactly where you are going based on what exactly you want.

So now we move into the next step of the process.

It's time to take a little bit of forward momentum, baby.

It's time to take a little action because you've spent this time really cultivating your dreams, letting them grow, letting them get big, letting them become a reality that you can see so clearly.

But how do you go from dreaming to doing, from dreaming to having, from a dream to reality?

Well, that's what we're about to get into now.

First step in the process is you got to figure it out.

What is the roadmap that's going to get you to that dream location?

What is the roadmap?

What are the steps?

Break it down.

Because every dream has a ladder to climb to get there, a road to travel down to reach it.

It's your time, your turn to figure out what those steps are.

Think of it literally like a roadmap.

If I asked you, hey, how do I get to the closest Walmart?

You're going to tell me you're going to head on down Nova Road headed south, make a right onto Granada, go about four miles, and then at the traffic light, you're going to make a right-hand turn into the parking lot.

Step-by-step directions.

That's what I'm talking about.

Now, I hope that your goal is bigger and better than a trip to the local Walmart, but I was just using it as an example.

So figure it out.

Map it out.

And let's figure out what exactly you need to do to make it happen.

Now, once we have this map laid out, now we can figure out what we have to do to achieve each step.

We're going to think of those as goals.

And so you figure out okay, step one, I need to accomplish this.

Step two, I need to have this in place.

Perfect.

Those are your goals.

Now figure out what small incremental changes in your everyday life you need to make to get you there.

Maybe they're action items.

Maybe it's a change in identity.

Because it's one thing to want something, but a lot of times we really kind of need to change our identity, how we think about ourselves.

And a lot of that is in the mental work is changing the way we think so that we can change what we have.

It's powerful stuff.

It's stuff that makes dreams come true.

Now, the next step in the process is you got to speak it.

Make it true.

Make it out loud.

Talk it out with somebody.

Let people around you know about your dream.

Now, I don't recommend go posting it on social media or sharing it with the whole world because there's a lot of haters out there.

But you know your circle, you know your crew, the people who got your back, the people who have your best interest in mind, share it with them.

Let them know it.

And ask them to keep you accountable.

Now, I don't mean by beating you up like, oh, Kev, you didn't do this today, loser.

No, I'm not talking about that.

I'm talking about them keeping you accountable in the fact that they are your cheer squad, that they got your back, that they're like, hey, Kev, man, how's it going?

How have you been doing?

How close are you to making that dream reality?

That's what I'm talking about.

Now, along the way, one thing is important for you to know is that dreams are not easy to make come true.

Matter of fact, they're really difficult.

Depending upon how lofty that dream is, depends on how much fight you're gonna have to put into it.

And along that way, chances are you're gonna get knocked down.

Chances are you're gonna stumble and you're gonna feel like quitting.

That's what makes most people never achieve their dreams, is because the road to get there is a little bit too tough, a little bit too rough, and they give up because it's hard.

And I understand, I get it, but you have to remind yourself what you're fighting for.

You have to keep the big picture in mind in order to keep yourself moving forward.

Now, here's a little tool, a little trick.

The five-second rule.

Now, most of us have heard the five-second rule when we drop food on the ground and we're kind of depending, do we pick it back up and eat it or not?

Well, it's the five-second rule.

If it's been on the ground less than five seconds, it's safe.

It's good to eat.

Well, we are going to use the five-second rule for you in this.

When you feel yourself hesitating to take an action towards your goal, I want you to count backwards from five.

Five, four, three, two, one, act.

If it's a positive action that's going to get you to where you want to be, but maybe it's tough.

Maybe it's something that you don't feel like doing.

You're a little bit tired.

Use the five-second rule to make yourself act on it.

Because once you implement the five-second rule, there is no turning back.

The timer does not stop.

Five, four, three, two, one, action.

Use the five-second rule to help you be sure that you never get stalled out, that you never let your mind stop you from achieving your goal.

When we're talking about achieving dreams, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

And what I want to be is that cheerleader who's cheering you on, who's giving you these little tactics that may seem small and insignificant, but in the big picture, they're so vitally important.

As long as you implement them and you keep doing it and you keep putting one foot in front of the other every single day, and I guarantee you, you will reach that dream.

The journey to get there may be tough, but it may be rewarding also.

And that's what it's all about.

As I told you earlier, it's not always just about the dream, it's about the journey to get there.

And if you're on the right path, then I'm telling you that journey is going to be just as fulfilling as the actual dream itself.

Now listen, what are you thinking?

Are you thinking that it's a possibility?

At least thinking that maybe Kev is on to something, but yet you're thinking he doesn't know my situation.

He doesn't know how old I am.

I'm too old to have dreams to be chasing.

And I'm going to tell you nonsense because dreams are for us all.

I don't care how young or old you are.

I don't care how rich or poor you are.

I don't care how many times you have failed or how many times you have succeeded, you deserve to have dreams.

And I'm here to tell you that you are able, you're capable, and you are deserving of making those dreams become your reality.

Now, again, I mentioned at the beginning of today's episode.

If you would like somebody to talk to, somebody to work it out with, somebody to help you figure out what these dreams are and how in the world you're going to make them come true, check out today's show notes and book a free 30-minute call with me.

This is no sales call.

We're not talking about coaching programs.

I'm simply there helping you to figure out what your dreams are and how to make them come true.

It's not too late.

This is your day.

This is your opportunity to finally have the dreams leading your way.

So what do you say?

What do you say?

Come on, check out today's show notes, share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it.

And listen, guys, I just am so happy you're here with me on this podcasting journey.

Get out there and take on the day with grit, grace, and inspiration!