BIG DREAMS, LITTLE DREAMS & BABY STEPS

Last week, our assignment was to share our God-sized dream with the world. My dream is to be a writer. It's my big dream, but I also realized this week that I have a few smaller dreams, too.

I don't think of them as "God dreams" because they are sort of ordinary - a little less interesting than becoming a writer shall we say. The thing that God showed me this past week, though, is that realizing these smaller dreams help me in achieving my big dream. All dreams are important.

All dreams need space and they need to be proclaimed, so I decided today, that in addition to sharing the baby steps I've been taking to realize my BIG dream; I was going to share my small dreams and the steps I've been taking to realize those as well.

Last year, my word was "intentional." I just felt that I was way too willing to let the streams of life carry me as they would, without a lot of intentionality on my part. So, last year, God and I worked on being intentional in my relationships and my work and some other things. God taught me how it was important to stop being reactive because living life in react mode tends to make you feel like a victim of life, rather than a true participant.

It was hard for me to say in words what I wanted my life to look like though. It felt a bit selfish, but God showed me that it isn't selfish to be and live how HE created me to be. It was a process - one I'm still working out.

So, one of my dreams is to redo my house a bit. I know - boring isn't it? But for the past two years, I was so incredibly busy working multiple jobs that things started to slide. It's not that my house is a pig sty - I clean on a fairly regular basis - but it just wasn't the homey, welcoming place I wanted it to be. It has clutter and as my family has grown, some things that worked before just don't anymore.

I am also a somewhat creative person - I like to make things and do things myself. A few years ago, I painted my kitchen terracotta and an accent wall a golden yellow. (it makes me smile every time I go into the kitchen which is a good thing because with 2 growing boys is A LOT!) Even though my husband offered to do it, I did it myself. I also put up curtain rods and curtains myself - using power tools. I felt empowered - in fact, I was looking around to see where else I could use the power drill before I had to return it to my in-laws! lol

So, my dream is to reorganize, de-clutter and decorate my home in a way that reflects my tastes and creativity. I also want to do as much of it myself as possible. (I'm in the midst of fashioning curtains from burlap - hey, in the tutorial, they looked super cute!)

My other dream came about in a rather, um, painful way. I was at a Christmas party and afterwards, my husband's niece put some pictures up on Facebook. I looked and wondered who that heavy woman was in the pictures. I realized she was wearing a sweater I own - then I had the horrible, sinking sensation as I realized that woman - was me!

I knew I was overweight and needed to lose a few pounds, but somehow when I looked in the mirror, it didn't seem all that bad. Those pictures told a different story. It drove home that I needed to change the way I ate so that I could have the energy and strength to do what God has called me to do.

So, maybe because this year I'll be 40 or just because I am tired of hiding from the camera, I am determined that THIS year, I'm going to get healthy and fit. I've always said I don't like extreme dieting, but I am determined to make some big changes in the way I eat. Exercise has never been an issue for me. It's what I put in my mouth that's the problem, so that is going to change - one baby step at a time!

Okay, if you've read all that - thanks! Now, I am ready to share with you the baby steps I've taken to realize my dreams - all of them, both the BIG and the small.

To find out more about learning to dream big but take small steps to get there, check out Holley Gerth's Do What You Can Plan.

I would like to say I got many things done in my quest to become a writer, but I got some kind of virus last week and life just sort of got in the way. Normally, I would have thrown my hands up and said, I'll do it next week. BUT, because I'm doing baby steps, I was able to move a few inches toward my dreams.

One thing I did was to start reading Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal and I also did the first week in the accompanying workbook.

In addition, I blogged a few extra times last week, and started reading Writer for Hire. I've also been sitting down with paper and pen and brainstorming as to what I'd like my writing career to look like - you know, that whole being intentional thing. ;)

It may not sound like a lot; and to be honest, I felt sort of embarrassed about how little I accomplished last week, but it's a start. It's a couple baby steps, so I'm counting it as a victory. :)

For my home, I checked out a couple places for a cabinet for my bathroom. I haven't found what I'm looking for yet, but I did discover where NOT to find it and that's helpful. I also bought an over the door shoe holder so I can get started cleaning out my bedroom.

For my health, I increased my dog's walks - he was getting a little chubby too. I also greatly reduced the amount of soda I usually drink and added a lot more vegetables. I even made a great chicken soup that was loaded with veggies, and I plan to venture into making kale chips this week. I also wrote down everything I ate which for me is a great tool to help me be more mindful about what I am putting in my mouth!

The things I did were all pretty small, but as Ghandi once said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

What small step can you take today that will help you realize your dream or get you started on whatever journey God has called you to?

~ Blessings, Bronte