What's Your Dream? And When is it Enough?

What is your dream? 

Really, what is it? If someone asked you to describe your dream life, what would you tell them?

I love talking about dreams. I love dreaming. I love saying to dream big and chase your dreams no matter what.

Lately, with so much transition happening, it's made me think more about this. And I'm wondering if maybe all the focus we put on chasing our dreams leads us to a place of feeling unfulfilled.  Does putting so much pressure on chasing the dream make us more apt to not feeling content when we should?

If you asked me what my dream was, I'd tell you it's to be an author who gets to write books for a living. I'd tell you I want to pay my rent with my words. That I want to get to write book after book and know that people want to read them. To me, that's the dream. 

But alas, that's not happening right now. My job has nothing to do with writing, but it pays my bills. And I still get to write--I have this blog, and of course, I'm always writing, still chasing that dream. Is that enough? For now, I think yes.

Here's the thing: I think it's possible to enjoy life and be happy exactly where you are while still chasing your dream. Does being happy where you are mean you're settling, or that you're giving up on what you want? No, it doesn't.

We're all where we're at in life. And we can--and should--chase our dreams. But don't let that lead you to a place of being ungrateful and restless. Celebrate the areas where you get to have your dream and your life intersect, and keep looking for those areas. But don't let the desire to chase your dream make you throw away the happiness that your life right now could bring you. Because chances are, it's a pretty good life.

So dream on, dreamers. But be happy today, here and now, too.

The (Im)Perfect Here & Now.

Being present is something that's so hard to do, yet it's gained a lot of popularity lately. Living in the here and now is so important, but it's kind of become a fad, making it seem like it should be easy, or that everything will work out perfectly if you just do it, because so many other people are talking about it.

It's like baggy jogger pants--they became so popular, so surely they must be super flattering on everyone, right?

Nope.

Living in the here and now is not easy. Being present without worrying about everything that needs to get done is actually really hard. Contrary to the popularity of the subject, choosing to live in the present will not take care of all your problems. Everything will not magically fall into place and get done because you choose to put down your cell phone and just live in the moment.

Don't be in the here and now because it's perfect, be in the here and now because it's imperfect. It's full of imperfection--of unfinished to-do lists, of missed deadlines, of messy kitchens--but that's what makes it real. That's what makes it life. A life full of perfectly curated moments wouldn't be a life at all. The imperfection is what makes you really, truly alive.

Be present because it's the best time. Because it's the worst time. Because you are young, because you are old, because you are alive. Because you are here, and that's real.

Your kitchen will still be messy. Your deadlines will still be looming. But if you live here, today, exactly where you are, you will be living your life. You will be getting the most out of your life. It won't be anywhere close to perfect, but it will be real. And that's almost even more beautiful, yes?

Do you struggle with living in the here and now?