JAY OAKES
turning ideas into words.
Uncovering the Dream2/10/2018 Dreaming seems to be a dying art form, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Over the last few years, my wife and I have noticed a trend among people. What we started noticing in our time working with students between their middle and high school years is a lack of desire, interest or understanding of what it means to dream. We have watched that trend progressively bleed into the lives of so many adults that we have spent time with and have talked to. The reason I believe, is simply because culturally we’re encouraged to focus on something more attainable and realistic. dream - an aspiration; goal; aim Dreaming isn’t something that only happens when you sleep, but it’s something that changes the way we think, live and act on a regular basis. The art, if you will, of having a dream is something that permeates your mind and your being and challenges you to work harder, move forward when things get tough and look towards the end goal. When Indya and I started dating, we were attending Skagit Valley College. In between classes as we would have breaks, we would go on a date to home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. What started as a way to spend time together in the moments we had available, turned into the beginning moments of learning to dream about the future. As we would walk down the aisles, we would talk about visions and hopes for our future homes - at the time, we were planning individually, but it became a vision and a dream of our future home together. Fast forward 7+ years to signing papers on our dream property, but logically, we shouldn’t have gotten it. By all calculations and worldly standards, it wasn’t going to work out. The house and the lot were far from perfect as we moved in. There have been countless hours invested already and the end goal and picture of perfection is much too distant to see at this point, but I do see the dream! It’s coming into focus; we are slowly uncovering the future of what our home and property will become. But the dream challenges me to take steps forward, to invest time into my family, to go work out in the rain when I feel like relaxing, to listen to words of insight and wisdom from mentors and coaches, to take constructive criticism and apply it and to work hard. Dreaming is an art. It takes practice. It takes patience. There are moments when your dream will shift. There will be moments when your dream will be completely different because your previous dream isn’t where you want to go anymore. Time will keep moving and days will keep ending, but the dream will keep that passion, fire and energy alive to drive you to move forward each day as you get out of bed, invest into yourself and look ahead to where you want to be. Your dream isn’t impossible to accomplish, it just takes time, effort and dedication. You just have to keep working at it, taking steps to get there and growing continuously so that you know you’re doing what you need to do. Talk to someone who is or has been where you want to go, seek advice, don’t be afraid to fail and dream big. Ultimately, my dream wasn’t just about me. It’s about a home for my family. This home represents a future of connectedness and love surrounding our home. The property represents the countless moments and memories shared with one another whether from stacking firewood or roasting marshmallows around a fire. We’ve achieved one dream of acquiring property we love… And it's far from perfect. This picture isn't the view that I want to show people because it's not tied up in it's package of precision and elegance, but it's real. The dream doesn't happen overnight. It's a process... so now we’re dreaming about what the property will become! What is your dream? My guess is that it’s more obtainable than the majority of people in your life have led you to believe. So go for it.
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