Chasing the Dream vs. Living a Nightmare
“Livin’ The Dream, baby!”
Yep, living the dream. Seems it once was not just a popular phrase but a more common approach to life.
This came up for me in a coaching session today. I was dealing out my list of crap that’s not working in my life, the nice version of complaining, when my coach told me a story–as he’s prone to do.
He spoke of his own recent dance with the ridiculous, an exploration into things and aspirational goals that turn his crank, so to speak. In this case, it was building out a new Porsche, with all the fixings, in the Porsche web site.
Now, mind you, he’s not even a car guy. It’s not about the car–it’s about the idea of aiming high, of generating some enthusiasm. To call it a “goal” would be to miss the point. It’s not a goal, it’s an ideal.
He and I talked about how as men in the prime of life (meaning less young than we used to be) we have tended, like many men, to put away “childish things” and take on the weight and responsibility of the world. How easy, even natural, it is at this time in our lives to let go of dreams, to stop “playing” with the aspirational things.
As a result, we’ve become burdened, weighted, heavy–not light and fun. We’re simple living to “get ‘er done” and “wisely” not aspiring or striving. It’s like we try to hard to be “grown ups” and we put away the fast cars and fun…
And while this life is not a “nightmare” in the sense of a scary dark dream, it’s got a theme which could make it much more frightening long term.
For it’s a mode that is not fun and thus, not fun to be around and devastatingly draining of life force and joy.
And while this is not true for everyone, I do a much better when I’m aiming for crazy, fun, silly, big things, even if I don’t take them all too serious, than when I’m trying to hold the ground down.
Hence, when you lack the “dreams” (said will great caution and care) we end up dealing with an uninspired struggle… because we’re aiming for “health” as in Survival rather than thriving.
One very effective, self-prescribed, path to a solution is to engage yourself in Chapter 6 of Strength for LIFE: Your Blueprint for Brilliance.
This often overlooked chapter in Strength for LIFE is one of the hidden gems. It’s an heart opening, mind expanding Vision and Goal setting process that can carve some clarity like few processes I’ve ever seen. (and believe me, I’ve done more than a few.)
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