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There is nothing quite as empowering as the moment you realize you have reached your dreams.
Sometimes we can allow excuses and self-limiting beliefs to prevent us from setting our dreams and goals as high as we truly desire in our hearts.
There are hundreds of things we can tell ourselves about why we will never actually achieve what it is we are yearning for. It could be we feel we don't have the time, money, strength, or support. Perhaps we believe we aren't smart enough, talented enough, or good enough to have what we dream about, or we believe that it's an impossible undertaking.
When we live life believing we can't reach our goals, we will prove ourselves right every time. Not only will we lose that sense of accomplishment, over time we may stop dreaming altogether.
We are all deserving of success and happiness. We owe it to ourselves to aim high in life and to go after what we truly want. We are meant to live fully and experience what life has to offer.
On the journey to pursue our goals and dreams, we have the opportunity to learn valuable life lessons that help us to see anything is possible.
Years ago, I dreamed of being a part of something that would help empower others to believe in who they are. I knew and felt firsthand how debilitating it could be to not believe in yourself, so I wanted to help people see their potential and true essence. I wanted to create a resource that parents and educators could use to help instill a sense of empowerment in children. That was my initial goal.
It turned out that this dream involved countless goals. Over the course of seven years I published ten books in the hope that they would help others believe in themselves. Each of these projects was an enormous undertaking. The creative process involved many months of dedication and patience. Some of the projects took well over a year to create. I had to meet thousands of small goals on the journey to reach my original dream.
I had no idea how much time, effort, and perseverance it would require to reach my initial goal. I'm pretty sure that if I had known it all before I put my dream in motion, I would have been too overwhelmed to take that first step.
When we look at all of the steps and unknowns involved in reaching our dream, we can very quickly lose focus. The bigger the dream, the more daunting it can feel. Often this sense of being overwhelmed can prevent us from ever taking that initial step.
Over time, I have come to see how my dreams and goals enrich my life journey. I have learned that being willing to show up consistently and take a step forward, goes a long way. Here are the 7 simple strategies I draw on to transform my invisible dreams and goals into reality.
#1 Focus on taking baby steps in the direction of a goal. Instead of worrying about how many steps it will take, give yourself permission to simply take one step at a time.
#2 Write your goals down, talk about them with others, and create visual reminders of what they are.
#3 Commit to doing one thing per day (or however often it works for you) that is in line with these goals.
#4 Have fun setting your goals. Remember to make them BIG, and create visual reminders of what they are.
#5 Talk about your dreams with the special people in your life to create lots of energy around what it is you are doing.
#6 Each day commit to doing something that will bring you closer to your dream and to remind yourself that it is not a race--it is a journey.
#7 Remember to celebrate the achievement of each mini-goal along the way. This will create momentum, and confidence that you can and will reach your dream.
I had the opportunity to be in the same room with five of the children who inspired the characters in my books. It was a surreal experience. The children were gathered together to take part in an esteem-building workshop, and the books they inspired were resources in the program. In that moment I suddenly realized I had actually reached my dream!
I now believe in my heart that the sky is the limit. I've even discovered that it's exciting to make new goals that are big, bold, and in line with my passions and dreams. It was also equally eye-opening to realize that the journey is what ends up being the most memorable part, so enjoy each step as much as possible.
On the journey to reach the goals you set, you build yourself up. When you experience what you are capable of first hand, you continue to create dreams that will ensure a full, happy, and satisfying life journey.
When you turn your "impossibles" around, it has a way of opening up the world and allowing you to see your limitless potential.
How might you move closer to the infinite possibilities in your amazing life adventure?
This is an adapted article from Emily Madill's newest book, 'Fall In Love With Your Life, One Week at a Time'.
Emily Madill is the author of 11 books in the area of self-development and empowerment, both for children and adults. Her newest title 'Fall in Love with Your Life, One Week at a Time' is now being offered as an E-Course. 
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