Dusting off my cowboy boots: A vibrant vision

If I have learned anything this year it’s that dreams can come true when you set the right intentions followed by right actions! My husband and I have been dreaming for years about returning to the West Coast. We talked and dreamed and talked and dreamed and talked and dreamed… but we didn’t take action for a long time. We had a vibrant vision for what we wanted life to look like, but we had no action plan to make it happen.

Finally, about two years ago we set the intention to move to Santa Barbara, CA. We didn’t know how we were going to make it happen, how we would pay for the move or if we would find work here… but we were committed to moving. We created a specific action plan, asked for help, followed the steps and voila! Here we are, living in paradise! Yes, it really does feel like paradise and I am incredibly grateful every single day for this amazing place and for all of the people who helped make our vibrant vision a reality.

Redesigning my vibrant vision

Now that I am here, I am rebuilding my personal vibrant vision of how I want to serve the world. I am dusting off those red cowboy boots with my boot dryer. I loved to play dress up (still do) as a girl. One day I was a cowgirl, the next day a ballerina or maybe a veterinarian or a famous artist… like any child, I twirled from one dream to the next, not worried about making one stick.

As a mom, I get to watch my kids do the same thing: engineer, astronaut, chef, fashion designer… it’s something different every day. Right now, my daughter is determined to be 6 feet tall. Given her family genes, it’s highly unlikely but hey, you never know… who am I to squash her dreams?

How many times were your dreams squashed when you were a child? Were you told you would never be a singer, an artist, a dancer, a football player, a magician, a doctor…. when was the last time you dusted off your cowboy boots and allowed yourself to dream again?

What I realized in my journey over the past couple of years is that no one can stomp on my dreams. Watching the Olympics this summer was a great testament to dreams coming true, not just for the superstars like Michael Phelps but for the athletes who simply reveled in representing their country and their sport in the Olympic Games.  I am always in awe of these fierce competitors and dreamers who are such brilliant examples of making dreams reality.

I have mentors, friends and role models who I see making their dreams a reality. Maybe it’s a friend who loses 50 pounds, runs her first half marathon or saves her marriage. Maybe it’s a woman who launches her business and sees it blossom into a huge success. Maybe it’s a mentor who models for me what it means to turn dreams into action plans. I love being a witness to all of this!

Dusting off our cowboy boots and childhood dreams

It can be a challenge to pick ourselves up and start over. I had a business that was wearing me out and was living in a place where my husband wasn’t happy, the weather and climate didn’t support our dream of an outdoors life and our kids couldn’t go outside because of pollution and hot temperatures. But I also had a wonderful, supportive community of girlfriends, colleagues and business connections that I relied on for everything from getting my car fixed to networking to a lunch date. Those connections were the hardest part about leaving.

I am literally dusting off my beloved cowboy boots, reviving childhood dreams and rebuilding from the ground up. I am alternately ecstatic and lonely, filled with creative fervor and stuck.

Have you been there? It’s not fun to be there alone and every day I am grateful for the support of my coaches, friends and amazing family who champion my efforts to rebuild! I am also grateful for the wonderful new friends I have made in Santa Barbara!

Let’s rebuild together

Which is why I have created my HeartWise™ Sister Circle which is launching on December 1. December can be a stressful time for many of us trying to survive the holidays. But December is also a great time for planning, dreaming and beginning to create your vibrant vision for 2013. Don’t wait until January to start planning for the New Year. Join me and 12 other women for a small, safe circle of support, sharing and dreaming and launch 2013 with your action plan in place. This is a virtual program. All you need is a telephone and a computer. Want more information? Click here.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?