I love quotes. They’re great when they come from someone famous that I don’t know, but there’s a sense of aliveness when words uttered by me or someone I’m with are quote-worthy. Time freezes for a moment and the words with their profundity, beauty and zen kōan quality hang in the air, framed, golden. I call it a “quotable quote,” and file it for future use. Like the one that just spouted spontaneously from a friend’s mouth:

“Live in the reality of your dream life.”

Whoa. What does that even mean? The amazing thing is, I often say that my life, since following my visions and heart to Mexico thirteen years ago, is better than anything I could have dreamed up. That’s true. If someone told me to write the most amazing, beautiful, fulfilling story of my dream life, I never could have come up with anything as incredible, magnificent and satisfying as the life I’m having here, now.

So where does that leave creative visualizations or exercises that try to get us to imagine our dream life as a first step to making them a reality? Are they null and void? Is it even worth the effort if what’s going to happen doesn’t even resemble, necessarily what we’d spent time cultivating? Read on.

Practically perfect was still not IT

My life in the States was practically perfect. I had a great job, close and large community, a spiritual teacher and practice, and the perfect home. But then I started having these visions. I will say that underneath my seemingly complete life there were a few stragglers: longings I’d had for most of my life which had not been satisfied. And they were big ones. Foundational to my true happiness. I write all about them, my visions and the story of what happened in my book, “Calling Myself Home.”

For now, I’ll share that I longed to live where I loved and felt deeply connected to the nature, a place where I could step outside my door and easily walk to be in the woods. A place where the grannies knew the medicinal herbs that grew on the hillside. Where we would pick berries and pies would cool on the window sill. Where grandpas would tell stories and play mandolin on the porch at night.

This was my dream.

As a teen I decided Appalachia was the model of that place. Years later, I actually lived there! But guess what? Many of the hill people were leaving for the nearby city where I lived wanting better pay and to be able to afford more of modern society’s luxuries. While it was pretty there, I didn’t feel the connection with nature that I needed. So, it appeared I had arrived at the reality of my dream life, but it wasn’t.

Then the visions.

They were specific and I followed the calling, feeling specially chosen. I arrived, and guess what? This place did have the grannies who knew the medicinal herbs that grew all around. Even more and better, the village had ancient traditions that were living.

I felt I had been transported to an earlier time where people shared the connection to and relationship with the nature around them and one another – the way I had always known existed in my sad heart and wise bones. 

Did I make my dream life reality?

Great question. I believe knowing and holding onto my values counted, somehow. I saw a sign today (in Spanish,) that said:

“What comes out of you comes back to you.”

It makes sense to me that holding onto my values I projected them into the world, the world received their “frequency,” and sent it back to me. At the same time, I did take actual steps that made it happen.

Did I know where I was going and what it would be like?

No. I didn’t even do research! And yet, on some undercurrent of my soul’s connection to the universe, I got exactly what I wanted.

Here’s another quotable quote:

“Don’t be attached to the form.”

I put out there what I wanted, my dream of a happy, fulfilling life, and I got it. Good thing, though, that I had this quote filed away, or else I might have missed realizing that I was indeed “living in the reality of my dream life.” It sure isn’t Appalachia!

Pieces that made living my dream life possible included:

Happiness, desire, feeling, heart-connection, 
and a non-negotiable commitment to living my life fully.

With so much gratitude for all I have received and learned, I have been moved to give back and help others find and live their happiest most fulfilling life through intentional living coaching, my writing, retreats and courses.

I have taken the above five pieces and designed an intentional living “Be Happy” course to help you find your way to living the reality of your dream life. It’s a gentle dive into the undercurrents of your soul, where you can collect hidden gems, your wise knowing, what makes you sparkle and giggle and be overcome with gratitude.

May who you really are and what really makes you happy…be what you really (finally, actually) do.

The five-week course starts October 25. Discounted price till cart closes Oct 23

Get details and sign up at
https://www.takegoodcareofyouwellness.com/behappy.html

#dreamlife #intentionalliving #liveyourdreams