never give up on a dream

Laura rockin' full wheel in Tulum, Mexico

 Enjoy this guest post by Laura Whitaker and I imagine you'll end up like me....inspired to dream a new dream. Or two.

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

-Earl Nightingale

With the start of the new year, we've all been hearing, talking, and dreaming about goals and resolutions. Things we want to do, habits we want to break, and lifestyles we want to cultivate. Maybe they aren't even resolutions but dreams we've had since last month. Or even years ago. 

 

Dreams of something small, something big, or something so freaking huge it's completely overwhelming. When our goals feel so huge and out of reach, we tend to shy away, save them for later, or think of excuses that they're not for us. 

 

Believe me, I'm the first to admit I have issues with this. I have definitely allowed myself to be be completely overwhelmed by my dreams and my goals - fearful of the big picture - so that's precisely why this has been on my mind and why I've been exploring it through my yoga practice. 

One of my recent classes focused on those small steps we can take to make our big goals actually happen. Those individual mindful breaths that add up to a full day of awareness. Those small adjustments we can take to make a pose more accessible or more comfortable. Those few breaths in downward-facing dog that eventually guide you toward a complete at-home yoga practice. 

 

Really, each small step toward that dream is an accomplishment in itself, right? We don't always have to look with anxiety and apprehension toward the end goal; rather, we can appreciate and applaud ourselves on each step of the journey that gets us there. 

 

Then, whether or not we actually accomplish that dream in the way we initially envisioned it, we are still doing inspiring and positive things for ourselves along the way. Pretty cool, huh? 

As Earl Nightingale says, "the time will pass anyway." The world didn't end as in 2012, and I'm willing to bet it won't come to an end anytime soon. There are too many beautiful things that have yet to happen. 

 

So 2013 will become 2014, and the years will continue to come and go, ebb and flow. We can either spend that time being idle and fearful of not reaching our end goals. Or we can just take small steps toward our big dreams and see what happens. 

 

So what are your 2013 goals? Your big dreams? And what are you doing to help yourself reach them? Remember, each little milestone is an accomplishment, so reward yourself with a few breaths in your favorite pose every step of the way :)