Living the Life You Have Imagined
“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. ~ Henry David Thoreau
This quote by American author, poet and philosopher, Thoreau, is familiar to most of us. I believe I read it for the first time back in high school. These words of inspiration can be found on plaques, posters, cups and all variety of memorabilia. We include them in graduation and encouragement cards as a hopeful reminder that if we “advance confidently” towards our dreams we will “meet with success.”
The implication is that if we don’t lose focus, or confidence; give up; settle for less or get lost along the way we will achieve “the life which we have imagined.”
Sounds simple enough, right?
If I just keep my eye on the ball; keep the faith; put one foot after another; keep my nose to the grindstone; advance confidently with dogged determination – I will “get there.” I will experience surprising levels of success.
Simple, but not necessarily easy.
But I have learned this, at least, by my experiment; that most profound truths are. We start out with such optimism. Ready for change; determined to rise to the challenge. So what happens?
The road is longer than we expect.
Especially when it comes to changing our life, our behavior, or our thoughts. “Endeavoring to live the life that we imagine,” implies effort. It requires focused attention to create change; to create dreams; to create the life we imagine. And it requires effort over time. It is human nature to want things to happen now and this is especially true if the dream is to be free from pain or conflict. Big dreams often require big patience.
The advancements may seem small.
Impatience to get there can result in missing small successes along the way. “Advancing in the direction of our dreams” is usually more of a marathon than a sprint. Dedication to the long-term process and appreciation of steps toward success are essential. It’s easy to minimize what we are achieving, whether it’s a small shift in thinking or nicking away at a pile of debt. Advancing confidently means focusing on one’s progress, not on the finish line.
Cheerleaders are lacking.
If you have witnessed any kind of endurance sport, whether a marathon, triathalon, or cycling road race, you know how critical the crowd support is. There is often live music; cow bells and noise makers of all kinds. There are fans with signs, water, food and loving words to encourage and inspire.
I’ve had the privilege of supporting my kids in some endurance events; cheering them at start line, then hurrying to the next point of support to cheer again. Targeting the most difficult parts of the race when they would need to hear familiar voices and then sharing in the joy of crossing the finish line.
Achieving life dreams is not an individual journey. Support for the long haul is essential. We all hit points in the journey where we feel tired, discouraged and think about calling it quits. We all need cheerleaders; people who believe in us; people who believe in our dream; and people who will stay the course and share the journey. If you don’t have cheerleaders within your family (everyone doesn’t), then find a supportive community to connect with that aligns with your dream.
The Three Keys to living the life that you imagine are:
Be prepared for an extended journey
Celebrate your successes along the way
Organize and utilize your cheerleaders
May you find “success unexpected in common hours” and the life of your dreams.
Pam