“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success.” ~ Lao Tzu Stop waiting. Dreams are changeable and also renewable. What you imagined at one life-stage to be your dream, may no longer be interesting. Revisit the dream. Some ideas do not stand the test of time while others continue to grow and command your attention.

What is your dream? Is your dream feasible? Can it become a career, a hobby or business? Are there any issues, medical/physical, that would make pursuing your dream unfeasible? Does following this dream require more education, time and/or money to achieve? Are any of your current skillsets transferable to your dream job? Are you financially able to pursue the dream using personal finances or student loans? Can you achieve this dream on a part-time basis while still working at

Many times I have been on the edge and many times I have sat on the ledge. Sitting for the short term, like the downhill skier briefly resting, provides that space in which to regain one’s composure or gain a new perspective before continuing. Think of it as the scenic view, designed for a quick stop rather than a long term lease. • What’s behind door #1 or #2 or #3? • What if you had access to the answer keys in advance? Would you use it? • What if you always knew the righ

• Slow down • Breathe • Review For many of us, and I speak from personal experience, we hunker down and keep going, which is not always the best solution. Others micro-manage, experience excessive anxiety and/or give up. We all have our defaults and these are the telling times to stop and recall past successes, how you can ask for help and even re-evaluate your direction. Is it still a workable idea? Once you invest time and money it’s not easy to walk away, so where do you

The most direct approach is to start somewhere; almost anywhere. So often we get caught up in what it will take to get to the end, that we are paralyzed before we even begin. “Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew.” ~ Guillaime Apollinaire Are you looking for the push, the shove, or the kick in the pants for permission to pursue your dream? Or are you too fearful of even playing with the notion

A young woman steps into the elevator moments before her boss does. Earlier that day, she had delivered what she thought was a well received presentation to her team. No acknowledgement is made on the ride to the lobby. Our junior executive jump-starts the following silent dialogue as the car descends: • I blew the talk • I embarrassed myself and my team • I shouldn’t have volunteered to present • I’ll never be promoted • I hate this job • I should have gone to medical s