Is your life anywhere close to what you thought it would be? For most Americans as they move further into their adult lives, they too often come to the painful conclusion that their lives do not look at all like they thought it would be. This realization can often produce emotions like disappointment, regret and resentment. Life gets busy and dreams are often put on hold, but you know what, no matter how old you are or what life has thrown at you, it is never too late to pursue the dreams God has laid on your heart. Consider Colonel Sanders (KFC founder) and President Ronald Reagan. They accomplished their greatest achievements in life when they were older. Here are a few ways you can begin to revive your dreams within the context of the life you are living right now.
I believe you would agree that career decisions can lead us in an unexpected direction…or to an unexpected location! I cannot tell you the number of people who have said to me, “I never thought I would be doing “X” at this point in my life.” Family dynamics can also change our plans. We may end up providing long-term care for our parents as they age, have a child with a disability, or have a marriage that ends prematurely. You may feel disillusioned, and believe that because you did not do or get what you planned for, you are doing something wrong. You may also harbor resentment, the feeling that someone has taken something from you. These are very common reactions, but they can become unhealthy fixations and prevent you from ever reaching your dreams.
The truth is, when we are younger, we often have good instincts, and big dreams, but we also construct very specific and sometimes limiting scenarios for our lives. Is it really so surprising that they do not play out exactly as we imagined them? All we had to go on at the time was our limited frame of reference and life experiences. When we tie our sense of success to this, we are being unfair to ourselves and limiting in our minds what is actually playing out in our lives.
When we consider what it means to be on the “right” or “best” path, often something surprising happens. We discover that we are actually much closer to our youthful hopes & intentions than we realized. Our goal was not wrong—our story was. The question is not whether we are being true to our plans, but whether we are being true to who God is helping us become. The question we must keep asking ourselves is this: how are we being true to be the kind of person we wanted to be? For example, if you wanted to go off and have grand adventures, have you found ways to honor that intention where you are right now? Do you explore the great outdoors near your home, take your spouse on spontaneous day trips, or try international foods you have never had? If you wanted to be a musician, have you kept up on those skills? Have you sought out opportunities to play with other local musicians, or at your church? Said another way, are you blooming where you are planted?
What I have learned is that in this life, our plans may not always turn out the way we thought it would. However, the life we were not expecting can actually turn out to be a rich and satisfying one when we look for the good in every situation and seek out opportunities to make the most of where we are. For I believe that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him.” Never stop dreaming and remember that just because your life did not turn out the way you thought it would at this point in your life, does not mean that your dreams are dead. Rather, it means that it was just not the right time and a few things had to happen first in order to get you prepared for what is yet to come.
God Bless,
Doug Hedrick