‘Don’t die with your music still inside you.’ – Wayne Dyer

We are all told to dream. Dream big, never give up. I agree 100% with this, in theory! 

But, I’ve been thinking about Dreams and what exactly that looks like up against Ambition. Is there a subtle negativity to the term ‘to dream’? Before you get upset with me, know that I am not here to dampen down your dreams, I am merely trying to understand the tone that is used in our heads when we think about our ‘dreams’.  

Why not call it Dreambition?

I want us to get away from the tone in our heads that talks of Dreams in an unattainable kind of way. That voice, the dreamer, that only goes so far as to be, but not to do! That well intentioned place inside us that hopes for more but doesn’t really believe in it. I feel a little bit the same way about the word Hope, if I’m honest! Stop hoping, start believing!

When you are Ambitious there is no stopping you! Dreamers dream, but ambition is fluid. Ambition is moving constantly towards a goal, it cannot be stopped. Which one are you? A dreamer or a doer? I am in the metamorphosis phase, moving from dreamer to doer, and it’s exhilarating!  

So, that means, my Dreambition is no longer just stuck in my head. It is a beautiful mixture of dreaming and doing. I am taking life into my own hands! There are so many steps and processes to be uncovered, but dreams and hopes were never quite enough. I needed confidence, self belief and ambition to turn my dreams into a reality.  

My Dream got lost along the way.

I have had a dream inside my heart for so long, since I was just a little girl. But, the dream’s voice was a whisper and could not be heard. It was only when the dream found its voice, that it started to nag and eventually to shout, that I sat up and paid attention. You see, I didn’t realize my dream could become a reality. My dream was being here, right now, sharing my thoughts with you. My dream was wrapped up in words, beautiful words that have more power than any ink spots should.  

My dream is to write, to let my spirit communicate through these pages. It is my fuel and my passion. But, I listened to the naysayer, the English teachers with their negative remarks. I doubted my ability, and eventually my love, but I have found my way back. I know that dream was meant for me. Now that I know, I am taking that first brave step, learning to unlock the goodness that is inside me. Every day I get stronger in my conviction, every day I learn to know myself better. I have come to realize that to dream is wonderful, but to bring the dream to life is magical.

Ambition is Unattractive.

What about the ugly, pushiness of Ambition? Who wants to be ‘that person’? The same thing applies here, change the tone of the word Ambition, take away the negative connotations. Instead, attach it to the word dream and view it as a force of nature, bigger than ourselves. Following your inner guidance and trusting the process makes ambition a much less intimidating (and more attractive) trait. Replace ambition with flow, with trust, with surrender.  

I definitely fell into the trap of holding myself back for fear of what others would think. Fear that I wasn’t good enough, that I would make a fool of myself. What I have realized is that none of that matters, at all! What matters is striving to be the best version of yourself. Feeding your soul and creating a life that you love, a life you can be proud of. You are not here to make anyone else’s dream a reality.

Don’t be ambitious for ‘them’.

Ambition has nothing to do with anyone else. It is 100% for you, and by you. Making something out of a dream is a commitment to yourself. It is a gift to the authentic self, an acknowledgement of your worth. Turning your small whisper of a dream into a reality is a worthy ambition. A year ago, I would have been burying my head at the thought of people reading these intimate thoughts. I certainly would not be putting them out into the world for people to read. And this from someone who has always wanted to write!  

Yes, you can write just for yourself, there is plenty of joy to be found there. But, I want to write for the purpose of sharing. And I was afraid!

I have come down a bumpy, rollercoaster of a year (haven’t we all!) and it turns out it has been molding me. Baby steps outside of my comfort zone have ended up in giant transformations. I have completely let go of my fear of ‘giving it a go’. If they don’t like my writing, that’s okay, because someone else will.You don’t have to be good enough for everybody, you just have to be good enough for yourself.  

Let your ambition be to live out that dream that is living inside you. Let it be a bold ambition!  There is nothing more worth chasing after than a true, authentic dream. I have realized that my voice may be small, but it exists! I added the quote from Wayne Dyer at the start because it really resonated with me. 

‘Don’t die with your music still inside you.’  

These words impacted me because life is too short not to be true to who you really are. Forget society’s expectations and push for the life you were born to live. Honour your true identity and your authentic life path. When we find the courage to be truly ourselves, we learn to flourish. Life becomes a journey of discovery, of unlocking new doors and charting new territory. You find yourself ambitious when you didn’t think you had it in you. Life opens up before you with endless possibilities! Dreams, ambition and the exciting mash up that comes from realizing that you do, indeed, have so much to offer the world! Take that dreambition and show it to the world!