“As we pursue our dreams, we must not forget to live our present life.”
—Nancy Salmeron
Sorry I missed posting my blog last Monday. I had a very difficult week. A lot has been going on with my home, my siblings, and my finances. I live on a ranch, and recently the pump to my well went out. We were without water for a couple of days. It’s amazing how your perspective on the small details of life changes when basic, human necessities such as water are eliminated. All of a sudden you become paralyzed because you can’t wash your hands. The expense of fixing the water situation put a drain on our finances. These minor setbacks, along with other family issues, caused me so much stress that eventually my body gave out. I got sick and was in bed for a couple of days. Bed rest was a good remedy for my current life situation. We fixed the water well problem and got water back on the ranch, but fears and doubts started to creep into my soul. As I tried to connect with my soul, I realized that my ego voice had started to ask questions, such as, “What if you don’t accomplish all of your dreams? What if where you are now is as far as you will go?” My eternally optimistic views disappeared. Doubts appeared. I started to wonder if I had been wrong. What if dreams don’t really come true? What if where I am now is all there is? This made me sad for a moment, but then I realized that my life was not bad. I have a pretty authentic life. I have a husband and family who love me, friends who support and guide me, and a quaint home that I have learned to love. I have water (I am very grateful for water!) and food that sustains me and a business that inspires me. What else could I ask for? As I answered these fear-based questions, I concluded that as we pursue our dreams, we must not forget to value and live our present lives. We must act as if the life we are living in this moment is preparing us for the life of our dreams. We must be grateful for all the good, bad, and ugly of life. Here three tips on how to love all parts of your life despite it not yet being the life you are dreaming about.
Embrace—don’t fight—the situation you are in.
When bad situations show up, don’t fight them—embrace them! Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this? How can I grow from this situation? What is the lesson that I must learn?” With my water situation, I learned to value the small things in life. Not having running water put my dreams and life goals into perspective. It humbled me into realizing how blessed I am to live in a part of the world where water is not a luxury, but is readily available. It made me think about those parts of the world where water is part of the dream. My dreams are valid, but so is the life I am living right now. This life is transforming me into the woman that I must become to see my dreams become a reality. The only thing I must remember is that as I embark on my journey, I must not forget to live and embrace the good, bad, and ugly of life. Because the good, bad and ugly of life make for fascinating stories to someday tell your grandchildren. Embrace and love where you are right now. I promise you that within time you will be where you always wanted to be in your life.
Practice gratitude for the good and the bad.
We all know about practicing gratitude for the good in our lives, but do we ever practice gratitude for the bad? When setbacks appear in my life, I am reminded of all my blessings. So, I have concluded that maybe the bad things in our lives remind us of how good we actually have it. For example, I became grateful for getting sick because it reminded me to value my health. As we encounter death in our lives, don’t we value life more? Let’s not give the negative events of our life a bad rap. Let’s put a positive light on these events so that we can see how great life is.
Work toward your dreams, but don’t get lost in them.
The biggest problem I see with following our dreams is that we can get lost in our dreams and forget to live our lives. To follow our dreams is a lofty ideal. We exist to execute and live our dreams, yet we must remember that life is but a dream. As I imagine my future self, I am reminded that my present self is alive and well. I am reminded that the woman I am now is amazing. Yes, I have a lot of learning and growing to do before I fulfill my destiny, but I love who I am and where I am now. This life I am living right now could be the dream life for many others. I am in love with my dreams, but I am also in love with the life I have right now. Love where you are because one day this, too, will become but a dream.
As we work toward our life dreams and goals, please remember to love and live your present life. Dedicate time and effort to your purpose and passion, but don’t forget to find gratitude where you are now. As my life changes and realizing my dreams gets closer, I am reminded that life is what is happening right now! Life is not what will happen five or ten years from now. Be dedicated to and believe in your dreams, but immerse yourself in the present moment. Enjoy your life by celebrating the fact that you are alive and thriving. Until next time, Believe. Change. Become.
Sending many blessings and love your way!
Nancy😊
P.S. My book, Believe. Change. Become.: Remembering Who You Were Destined to Be, is out. Check it out! https://www.balboapress.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=749140.