Life Dreaming

In my last post I showed you the visual montage I created of my Life Dreaming for 2011.

I’ve had some lovely feedback from people and I love looking at it every time I open my computer and see it on the desktop.

It makes my LD’s visible.

Now my fabulous and truly wonderful readers … if that’s all I do with the montage then I’m wasting my time.

Yes … it helps me to see what I want to do and be.

Yes … it acts as an energiser for my ‘E’ factors.

Nope … by itself it sure ain’t going to make the dreams happen.

Now what?

Let me take one of the images as a real example of what I’ve been trying to do.

Restart Tai Chi

About 20 years ago I learnt tai chi 1 to 1 on a beach once a week for about 6 weeks.

Loved it.

On January 3 this year as part of an LD activity I listed a few things I wanted to reclaim from my younger years – tai chi was one of them.

So far so good.

I didn’t expect a tai chi instructor to turn up at my door [don't get me started on Luck] … I need to make it happen.

A few constraints  seriously hampered my search for a class:

• It needs to be in Dublin City centre so I can access it using public transport
• It needs to happen during the day [preferably morning] as I don’t want to travel after dark

I did a good old Google search and also left a note on my Facebook page asking people to recommend Tai Chi classes.

Guess what?

Most of them are at night and out in the suburbs.

Time to give up?

Well folks, that depends on how much this LD means to me … and it appears  it means a lot. Nothing like a teeny bit of adversity to test whether something is really important in my life.

I did another search tonight and found a woman who is running a 6 week course in Dublin city centre at 10am … perfect says you … not totally says I.

It’s on Sunday’s and starts this week.

My inner self talk starts going like this ….

” Lizzy Lizzy … Sunday is your lolling day  … Sunday is too hard … it’s too soon … where will I get the 80 euro … what will I wear … wait until there’s a course starting later … blah blah blah blah”

I decided it was time to GOYA [get off your arse] and make a commitment to action …to  fulfil the promise I made to myself to connect with activities that I loved doing years ago.

I emailed the contact person and booked myself in … and for the next 6 weeks I’ll be getting up at around 8am on Sundays and reconnecting with taichi … reconnecting to the joy I used to feel when I did the different taichi movements and felt time flow in different ways … felt my spirit and body and mind and heart all just relax and ease into a kind of bliss.

It’ll be worth getting up early to feel that good … it’ll be worth the money … it’ll be worth the effort … it’ll be worth the commitment.

Dear reader … living the life you want to live means making yourself act … taking the necessary steps [and stumbles] to make the dream a reality.

I took a reasonably easy LD and I’ve made it a reality … and that gives me the resolve and confidence to tackle the biggies … moving to Bali and launching the Life Dreaming Expedition.

I feel really happy  because I’m keeping promises I made to myself … I’m not just talking … I’m doing.

Life Dreaming Activity

Is there a reasonably simple LD that you have made and can make a reality before the end of January? What’s the next step … information … research … action?

Resolve and commit to taking the next step.

If you found this useful then Share away with your friends by pressing the Like button. I’d also love to hear what your next step might be … leave a comment.

Some words and ideas get really bad press and I felt like championing a few today as they are helping me sort out everything for my move from Ballinamore to Dublin in 3 weeks [and I said that without screaming].

What If is one of the the sad ugly sisters of life’s journey … If Only is another one [and I'll write about her another time].

I don’t know how many people, gurus, self help books keep telling us not to dwell on the past [If Only] and not to think too negatively about the future [What If].

I don’t think life’s that simple … and you don’t either because you’re not only gorgeous … you’re also an aware and thoughtful person.

What If has been wandering around my head at all hours of the day and evening … and early morning … and it’s all to do with my impending move to Dublin [with Coco dog]… and eventual move to Bali at the end of 2011.

Let me share a few What If’s that have whispered [nay shouted] in my ear:

• I can’t get the money I’m owed for work I did before I move to Dublin
• I don’t find accommodation after January 6 for Coco dog and me
• I can’t access my money from Dublin
• I can’t get Coco and me to Dublin [no buses and trains take pets]
• I get kidnapped by monkeys [more likely to happen in Bali so I'll sort that when I get there].

I’ve talked before about fear and self talk. I feel that it is so important to listen to all the inner chatter that’s happening because if you don’t … you could really miss something.

I realised that those What If’s are all important and not necessarily negative.

I need to do something about all of them [reopen bank account; ask people to help me and go online to find accommodation; email my client about payment; ask a friend or pay a cab to make sure we get to Dublin].

chaos fractal … yup … looks like all the things I will do to move to Dublin.

I’ve put actions and plans in place for all the What If’s … and I’m really thankful for the inner chatter that looks negative and is actually quite helpful.

If I didn’t think about things that could go wrong or awry … if I didn’t anticipate potential difficulties and challenges … then you can bet they’ll creep up behind me and bite my fab arse.

And I am also spending time chatting to myself [do this in a private place!] about the exciting What If’s:

• I end up staying in fab places by the sea [for Coco to run] and close to food markets and bookstores [for moi].
• I end up sharing with really nice people who also have dogs and they become cool friends.
• I run lots of blogsite design workshops and save heaps of money

Can you see how doing What If’s can actually help you achieve what’s important in your life?

You can use What If to creatively explore possibilities and potentials in your life … as well as begin to define the challenges and opportunities ahead.

What If is now a glossy cool new sister in my creative Life Dreaming lexicon.

Hmmmm … what if:

• I went to Bali in February to do LD vids and check out where I’d like to live
• I ran a Life Dreaming Voyage over a weekend in a castle outside Dublin in 2011
• Lots of interesting contract work came along in 2011
• Heaps of people loved LD so much they bought the online LD Expedition
• I found a great villa to live in Bali that was safe for Coco dog and had enough rooms for all the people who want to visit … and a lap pool
• I created quiet space each day when I’m walking Coco or sitting by the fire to let myself be excited about all the new adventures … without making lists or sorting things out or being afraid

[I know it's not relaxing by the fire. I'm projecting into my relaxing in Bali future ... soon ... very soon]

Life Dreaming Activity

1. Think about something you are working towards and list all the What If’s that arise for you.
2. What can you do to deal with the challenging What If’s?
3. Have a play with some exciting What If’s in any area of your life.

Love to hear your thoughts and ideas about this Life Dreaming blog … what are you loving … what would you like to see more of … what’s not working for you?

Thanks

Liz

What if you went to sleep tonight and woke up tomorrow morning to find that:

• all your problems had disappeared

• the negative self talk/chatter had died

• your fears were stilled

• you had all the skills and resources you needed

• you were totally aware of all your strengths and power

• there were so many people who believed in you and wanted to support your dreams

• luck had nothing to do with it

• the way was clear and you were ready

• your dreams spoke to you

• your imagination knew no limits

• you knew what was important in your life right now

• your passions danced

Life Dreaming Activity

What would your day and life look like? How would you know it was different?

Take time this week to really explore this … have fun … no constraints.

Just keep asking yourself ‘what then … and then what … and then …’.

Play the Perfect Day vid as you explore.

I’m going to do it as well … I feel I need to break through some perception and imagination barriers I’ve created in my life.

Let me know what you created. I love hearing about other peoples dreams … they help me expand mine.

Thanks in advance.

Liz

All my life I’ve been deeply fortunate to attract people who are Life Rebels … and as I get older it’s one of my life’s delights.

Like attracts like …  I’ve always been a little LR.

R – Reflect on what’s important in your life … give yourself the gift of time and space to explore what really matters to you.

E – Explore your dreams … use your intuition as well as your brain to help you make decisions … imagine living what matters.

B – Believe in yourself … listen to your fears and be brave enough to live what’s important to you anyway … build on the strengths and power that make you so fab.

E – Engage in actions that will make your dreams real … take a step … make a leap … just do something to honour the power of your dreams. Engage your ‘E’ Factors.

L – Live the promises you make yourself … give yourself permission to leap and learn and love and loll and listen and laugh.

There is so much I could write here … and … I decided to keep is sweet. There’s a whole lot of stuff in those 5 lines.

Life Dreaming Activity

Look at each letter and reflect on how you are living it now … and what you’d like to do to be an even more amazing Life Rebel.

Are there letters that you are doing/living better than others?

If there was an Olympic Gold for finding reasons not to do things … I’d win.

• too busy
• too tired
• too lazy
• too old
• too far away
• too much effort
• too many skills needed
• too much hassle
• too undeserving
• too scary
• too unlovable

And you know something?

There were times when I didn’t even know I was sabotaging myself … when I believed that I didn’t try something … take a risk … develop a dream … because I had rational reasons.

Now … I’m  not advocating jumping off cliffs [although I have done that once into the ocean and it was fab ... go read my I'm not ready yet post] without some kind of preparation.

What I am saying is that there is an enemy within … and it’s name is ME.

The conversations you have with yourself really help or hinder whether and how you achieve your dreams.

A life time of inner chatter creates what I call ruts in our unconscious … a way of seeing and believing in ourselves that affects every decision we make.

Some of the inner chatter is for our own safety … don’t run in front of the truck … I don’t think I’ll give this new boyfriend my life savings … don’t eat that …

And a lot of the inner chatter is so ingrained that you don’t have any idea that it’s stopping you making your dream a reality.

Listening to yourself … to the chatter that follows every idea and action … can be both horrifying and illuminating.

Some of the things we say to ourselves are so dream shrinking that we’d never say them to someone we loved … or even someone we didn’t like.

• you don’t deserve it
• who would ever love you
• you’re so stupid
• why would anyone find you interesting
• you’ll never be able to do it
• you’re useless
• you’ll never get the skills
• that’s just like you
• you have no imagination
• you can’t organise anything
• there’s no way you’ll get people to support and believe in you
• you’re just not worth it
• you’ll fail

And that’s just a small list of the dangerous and destructive inner chat that we have with ourselves every day.

When I’m working to achieve my dreams I pay a lot of attention to my inner chatter … and it goes ballistic. It’s like every fear I ever had … every negative remark about myself … rises in a tumult of voices.

And I listen to them.

Just long enough to write them down and decide what’s valid and what’s ridiculous [check out my post 'Fear ... Friend or Foe?' where I write them down for my new dream].

Not all inner chat is the enemy.

When we have grown into our lives we learn and choose to be kinder to ourselves … to not put ourselves down … to speak gently and thoughtfully about the dreams we have.

I am my own cheer squad these days:

• you’re amazing
• love that idea
• yeh … let’s give it a try
• can’t wait to explore it
• i believe in you
• well done for the effort so far
• people will fall over themselves to help/support you [thank you to readers, family and friends who are doing this as we build Life Dreaming ... BIG THANKS]
• have I told you lately how fab you’re looking … curvy is the new black
• now … what’s the next step … I know you can do it
• you handled that crisis really well
• i’m so glad you’re you

And if you don’t speak kindly to yourself … START NOW [yup ... I just raised my voice].

I believe that our inner chatter is such an important part of helping and hindering us from achieving our dreams that I created a specific module in the Life Dreaming Expedition to explore it.

Enjoy this The Enemy Within and I love Marc’s gorgeous design.

We want to be beautiful and practical.

Bye

Liz

p.s I have been in a small whirlwind of work and serious play in Dublin over the last 2 days and really thought I had posted this yesterday with the morsel link … obviously I didn’t and have had a serious chat with myself [part of me is off sulking as I write this].

Apologies to all you fab readers who rushed to your in boxes yesterday only to be left desolate because there wasn’t a Life Dreaming post … it won’t happen again.

And as it’s late Friday evening in Singapore [and 3pm here in Ireland] I don’t want to bother my dear brother Marc … so for right now I can’t have the pretty banner … but you still can download the LD Morsel activity sheet.

Have a wonderful playful weekend.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this tasty little morsel.

When you were a kid at the swimming pool and you stood at the end of the diving board … did you ever walk back and say ‘I’m not ready yet’.

I did … specially on the high board. I walked off that sucker a few times.

And when you got a bit older and had to write a report for work or school … how often did you say ‘I’m not ready to write it yet … just a bit more research.’ Yup … my hand is in the air.

When has the ‘I’m not ready yet‘ been a valid reason … and when has it been an excuse.

An excuse … to stay in your comfort zone … to not take a risk.

I’m all for great planning and preparation … I’m the PP Queen. I can research and prepare and make lists and … do some more research and planning … and tell people about it … and and …

Eventually you just have to uncurl your toes from the diving board and jump. I never did dive from the high up board … but I did jump and loved it.

A few years ago I was asked by some guys I know if I wanted to jump of a cliff with them into the ocean … fab idea says I.

We suited up and walked across the wet stones to the cliff area where there were 2 fishermen chilling out and now wondering who these 3 strange people were.

The guys walked me to the edge of the cliff and explained how to do the jump safely and where to swim to and how to relax with the current. The waves were crashing against the rocks and there was a bit of current action in the water.

Oh yeh … and I’m doing this without my glasses! I am soooo shortsighted that you start to blur when you’re less than a foot away from me.

So there I am squinting down [it's only 60 or so feet but baby ... when you're about to jump it ... it looks like 1000 feet] trying to see which way the current is moving.

not me or Irish water [it was a lot darker and rougher]  but you get a sense of the feeling … and this guy only jumped 30 feet!

One of the guys jumped first to show me how it’s done properly.

The other guy is saying things like ‘If you’re not ready just relax and go when you feel ready.’

He hadn’t even finished that sentence before I just jumped in … he said later that he’s never seen a first timer just jump so quickly… they usually stood for ages looking down … not quite ready to jump.

Standing on the cliff … blind as a bat … waves crashing … fisherman and 2 other men looking on … 60 ish feet up … I realized something.

You’re never going to feel totally ready.

So I just jumped … and it was an amazing feeling … the falling and the landing were fab … and then just going with the movement of the waves was exquisite.

Notice that I didn’t:

• just wander off any cliff
• do this alone … I went with guys who knew what they were doing
• jump in only wearing my swimming costume … I was suited and booted and helmeted .. and the water is too cold in Ireland for me to be jumping without a wetsuit
• just jump … I was shown the safe way to do it

I did do some preparation and planning … and should I ever need major surgery I hope my doctors have had plenty of preparation and experience … and aren’t just winging it for the laughs.

I’m not advocating that you shouldn’t prepare and plan and build your skills.

What I’m saying is that you need to be very honest with yourself when you say ‘I’m not ready yet’.

Really?

Is this something you’ve dreamed of doing?

Is it something you’re passionate about ?

Have you done real preparation, research and planning?

Did you get yourself a support team of people who believe in you?

Ticked a shitload of stuff off your lists?

If you answered yes to any and all of these … then what’s really stopping you?

Are you waiting for perfection?

Pretty sure that’s not gonna happen.

Be willing not to be ready … be willing to take that leap … be willing to live with the confusion and fear and never quite knowing.

Listen to your inner chatter when it blah blahs on about ‘ it’s too soon … I need more time … I’ll stuff it up’. Just don’t let that inner chatter stop you.

Did I ever jump off a cliff again? Nope … some experiences are just one offs. Although I have abseiled off cliffs a dozen times and I single kayaked white water.

And it’s not just about being ready for physical leaps. There are emotional, intellectual, creative … many many different kinds of leaps.

Do I try things even when I don’t feel I’m totally ready? Yup … and they’re the things I really really care about doing and being.

I’ve kind of gotten used to never  feeling ready … to feeling a little confused and off kilter.

And I still allow myself to take time to prepare and plan and dream … as long as I eventually GOYA [get of your arse] and take the leap.

That’s the difference between the Dreamers who act and the Dreamers who don’t.

Life Dreaming Activity

Think about something you’ve really wanted to do/be … and haven’t done because you felt you weren’t ready.

1. What have you done to move towards achieving the dream?

2. List all the reasons why you aren’t ready

3. Go thru and tick the ones that are really valid [e.g want to be a doctor ... need to go to medical school]

4. Now cross the ones that are just excuses not to take a risk and stay in your comfort zone

5. What are the next steps you will take to achieve your dream?

I’d love to hear what you wrote. I always learn from other people and you could help me and other readers.

Leave a comment below.