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Welcome to Episode 14 of my podcast.  Today I’m going to talk about dreams and wishes.

Because Christmas is a time of dreams.

Not only do we as children believe in the fairy tale of Santa Claus, but as parents, all of us have passed along that myth to our own children. 

There must be something special in dreams…. something special about making a list of what we want and actually writing it down. Yes, that list helps us parents, but I believe there is much more to it.

What is it about this time of year?  Christians celebrate the birth of baby Jesus but non-Christians or those more secular, have also completely embraced the myth of Santa Claus.

I think the reason why, is that it is we love dreams and even more, we love hope.

And although this year has certainly been unusual, it brought us the gift of the time and the space to get clarity on many aspects of our lives.

In all our relationships, the curtains were pulled open and suddenly we saw these relationships for what they really are.

Some became closer. Some revealed flaws that we couldn’t accept. And others, that we thought were close (friends and family alike) we learned were not.

People began to show their real and true selves because all the tools and accessories we use to pretend to ourselves and those around us, disappeared.

In 2020, we had to BE with ourselves all the time with none of the usual distractions. 

In our lifestyles, suddenly we began to question our choices. Do I want to live in this house, in this state, in this neighborhood?

For those of us who live alone, we had to find ways to not feel isolated and lonely. Phone calls were the first step but in walked Zoom to show us that seeing each other helped us to feel a little more connected to the human race.

For those of us that lived with our families, we were ALL there, ALL the time, and we had to relearn boundaries, how to balance work and family when both were happening in the same space.

But we made bread, we cooked meal after meal at home, we learned to exercise without our gyms, listened to music without live performances. Date nights were reinvented as well as how to make our time at home special.

In our work, with no colleagues around us day after day, it really became about the work.

Do I like what I do? Am I using my gifts and talents in the ways I want?

Some of you realized that those annoying colleagues actually ignite your creativity. 

Introverts learned they actually do need time with people and extroverts learned to gain energy from stillness.

And these were just a FEW of the comments I heard from my clients.

My business is focused on the importance of stepping into our real selves, our true selves, and this year certainly provided the opportunity for us to get quiet enough and ask the necessary questions.

When I first asked myself, what do I want for Christmas, my thoughts went to what is NOT on my list this year!

Shoes. I’m home all day and wear tennis shoes in my house. Now they are cute tennis shoes, but they are not ballerina flats or fun boots. Funny, but I no longer find shoes all that interesting.

Frustration with canceled travel plans. I’m almost on a first name basis with any Delta representative because we speak every few months to move my return trip to France forward. Nothing about travel can be certain anymore and this fact alone has taught me patience. The British phrase, “Keep Calm and Carry On” has a whole new meaning for us.

Another request not on my list this year….

More Time for Myself, Time to get quiet.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had an over-abundance of quiet time in 2020. I’m ready to be with people. I have tried to envision myself in Mucha, my neighborhood café in Paris. I try to hear the conversations around me, the street noise, the waiter asking me if I need anything… all that background noise that makes me feel a part of the life around me.

More zoom or anything online. I no longer want the convenience of online wine tastings, museum visits, symphony concerts, cheese tasting, book clubs, council meetings, workshops, church, etc. That was welcomed in March and April, but I’m ready to share my experiences with other people, feel the excitement and energy of others when we gather for the same event.

So, start with writing down what you don’t want…. or a list of what you feel you have accomplished in 2020.

Acknowledging accomplishments if important, especially given the year we’ve had because we’ve all had to stretch, so acknowledge all your accomplished in 2020.

After that, let’s write up our list for Santa. 

Start by closing your eyes and imagining it’s December 2021, and what you really want for the year.

Now create your biggest, most audacious Santa list ever!

None of the…. I want to lose 5 pounds or find time to journal every day or walk 2X a week. These are too small, too incremental and probably have more to do with your habits than your big dreams.

I want BIGGER!! MORE AUDACIOUS, MORE EXTRAORDINARY!! 

The best test of whether or not your wish is big enough? It must scare you even a little!!

When we were kids, we had no problem dreaming BIG, so let’s just pretend we’re kids.

Some examples of BIG wishes for 2021!

• I completed a ½ marathon. (Ladies, this only qualifies as big if your current exercise program consists of walking around your house.)

• For those who are already running, it might be I completed x number of marathons.

• I started that business I have dreamt of starting for a long time. Imagine you did it!

• I finished the book!  Maybe it’s a children’s book, a memoir, or a fabulous mystery you’ve got worked out in your head. Your dream is that it is finished and off to a publisher!

• I moved to wherever it is that I’ve been dreaming about for years. No more dreaming via HGTV- I’m now there.

• I created my cookbook of easy and healthy recipes for working moms and it is selling!

• I am in love. I want to find my someone special and I’m imagining my life and the person beside me in December 2021.

• I now have clarity in my current relationship.  I have worked really, really work on my relationship with whomever, and made my decision whether to stay or go.

So, whatever is your Big, Audacious, and Extraordinary wish, now close your eyes and imagine it is December 2021, and it has come true. It Is now on your list of accomplishments.

Be that woman. How will you feel? How will you be dressed? Where will you be living? Who is in your life? What are your day-to-day activities?

Imagine it all….as though you stepped into the movie of your life at the end of 2021.

For now, don’t worry about how to get there. I want you to embrace your Santa list or BIG dream, with no limitations. Sometime in 2021, we’ll begin to talk about how to make it happen, what’s stopping you, and ways to support that BIG dream,

but for now, just breathe it in and imagine it has happened.

To close out today, I want to read you a poem by the amazing, deep and wise poet, Mary Oliver.

When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it is over, I don’t want to wonder
If I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,
Or full of argument.
I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.

So, to not just be a visitor, start imagining you have stepped into your BIG, Audacious and Extraordinary dream.

Write it on the first page of your 2021 journal.

Have a lovely holiday season. Stay happy and be well.

À bientôt.

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