Should I follow my dreams?

I receive so many letters from readers asking how they can follow their dreams. While the questions/situations vary, here are the two things that are fairly consistent:

1. Most are women
2. Almost all are looking for “someone” to grant them permission to follow their dreams.

I recognize and empathize with that. I have been there and lived in that dark space for a long time.

Here is what I have learned and continue to learn:

1. No one can give us permission to follow our dreams. If the dream truly is your hearts desire, you will follow it. If it’s just a passing fancy that isn’t keeping you up at night, you won’t.

2. The biggest limits we place on our dreams come from us. No one can limit us if we don’t let them. This is the hardest learned lesson in my life.

3. No one can give us the strength to move forward towards a dream. They can be by our side, encourage us, love us, support us. But the path is ours to walk on – the good, the bad, the ugly. It is all ours.

4. The critics, the naysayers only have as much power as we give them. This lesson nearly destroyed me –when a highly visible editor gave me some seriously nasty feedback about my work – I took his words really seriously. His feedback was valid. What I needed to do was use it, fix my work and move forward. Instead, I took his words as law. I began to doubt everything I wrote. I gave him my power.

5. Don’t believe all that you read on social media. People are people and with that comes exaggeration, lies and nonsense.

So now — when you write and ask me if you are should follow your dreams, I say this – I cannot tell you what to do but there is a power that can: The Universe is giving you back YOUR POWER.  The Universe is granting you permission.

Now – my question to you — what are you going to do with it?

#internationawomensday