Hopes and Dreams in the New Year

Journaling – How do you feel about that? I haven’t journaled since high school! I spent years filling up lots of journals and enjoyed it at the time. Then life changed and seasons shifted, and I stopped journaling. At the beginning of this year, I was challenged to journal again – but not for the sake of just journaling, for the sake of dreaming. Dreaming about goals and aspirations, things I’m passionate about, ideas that pop up at random times of the day, good quotes or stories. Little things … but also big things. 

My “journal” isn’t full and it isn’t organized. But it is full of hope and it is authentically me. When was the last time you let yourself write out – like with a real pen and paper – a dream you have? I find so many of us have forgotten how to dream or we tell ourselves there’s no point. Someday … we’ll dream again. Someday … we’ll work toward that big goal. Someday … when my ducks are in a row. The dreaming is squashed by our practicality.  

Friends, someday is today! To quote Red from The Shawshank Redemption, “Hope is a dangerous thing.” Hope is dangerous – dangerously powerful! Hope drives us to step into a more full, probably uncomfortable, and holy space. Someday will come and go. Life will keep moving, because that’s life.

Hope has the power to change your life today. Let yourself go there … feel the feels. Dream the dreams. Take steps toward what’s next (write it out!) and see what happens. Do you feel joy? A little scared? Good – that’s living, friends. Let your hope free and see what happens!

Why not give it a try? Take 3-5 minutes hoping today. Write down one thing you always thought would be a ‘someday’ thing. And then write down something else tomorrow. In a week, go back and see what common themes stand out. Spoiler alert – those are most likely things you’re being called to and have gifts in! And then dream a little more, find a little more hope, and step into what your entire being is excited about. Joy is yours! Hope is yours! Power is yours!