Skip to main content

The Influence of Childhood Dreams

Our childhood dreams are an underestimated part of our mind and of our memories. I believe they have a great unconscious influence on our adult decisions. With the complexities that come with adulthood, we long for the simplicity of childhood. To dream as a child was empowering; it was limitless. As we grow and progress, we may give in to the notion that our childhood dreams are just that - childish, unattainable dreams. How unfortunate. Childhood dreams don't need to be destroyed or even diminished. They should be altered to fit reality, sure. But we can still attain our childhood dreams, and even renew that empowering feeling of limitless potential that we all have.

How do we keep those dreams and the attitude of accomplishing them in sight? My answer is the same as Randy Pausch, the late professor of  Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University - parents.  Randy Pausch stated, "Somewhere along the way there's got to be some aspect of what lets you get to achieve your dreams. First one is the rule of parents...I was blessed to have been born to two incredible people." Pausch then proceeded to talk about his incredible parents and the great influence they had on his life and how they inspired him to go for his childhood dreams. I felt grateful to have similar parents. Dreams, visions, goals are obtained when you have the great blessing of having parents that support you and encourage you to work towards those goals.

My parents have always been supportive of my hopes, goals, and dreams. My childhood dreams probably looked different than most and to be honest were based on Heavenly Father's timing as well as my obedience; but I would have no control over them. Ever since I was a little girl, I have only wanted to be a wife and mother. No career or profession sounded as interesting to me as marriage and motherhood. I had no aspirations for fame, power, or money and I still don't. I have always wanted to create a happy home and life with my own husband and children.

Getting married depended on the God's will for me to get married, if I were meant to get married in this life. I remember deciding to be happy with the life God gave me, with or without a husband. I was in college, I was working, I was making friends, life was happy. I was happy. I dedicated my life to God and I was truly blessed for that decision. A few short months later, I started dating the man who would become my husband. Our relationship progressed and with both felt, individually, and then together, that it was the right choice for us to marry. My very supportive parents were excited for their 19-year-old daughter to get married. Most parents would have been hesitant for their child to get married so young. My parents trusted that I did the work to get my own answer, to receive my own revelation, which I had. They were and are so happy for me. My husband and I recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We still want to stay married. I'm so grateful to have the support of my parents.

Becoming a mother hasn't been the easiest journey for me. 3 out of my 5 pregnancies have ended in miscarriages. My parents were able to have 6 children with no complications, so they have a hard time understanding what I'm goin through, but they are still as supportive as they can be. They have cried with me, they have mourned with me, they both felt impressions about my angel babies. They love all 5 of my children. They are also the most loving and involved grandparents to my 2 boys that are with me. They have taught me that you don't have to have the same experiences as someone else to be able to give them comfort and love. To have sympathy is a choice, to have empathy is a comfort.

I don't just imagine my childhood dreams anymore, I go for them with the energies of an adult. My childhood dream of having a happy home and family is unfolding before me and I'm learning new ways to enhance that dream, to increase the happiness of my reality. I have the loving support of my parents with me as I progress and help my family progress. Which is important to me that I not only have the support of my parents, but that I'm continuing to find new ways to make my dream a reality. By continually developing new dreams adds more meaning to my life. It gives me goals and a drive to keep improving as a person. I learn new thing, gain more experiences, and am better able to connect to others around me. As I work on developing my childhood dreams, I see how I can be a loving supportive parent to my own children. I pray they will go for their dreams and then encourage their children to do the same. Therefore, the cycle will continue. Me going for my dreams will bless the lives of so many others.

Since my dream has become a reality, coupled with the trials I have had, I am learning life lessons the Lord needs me to learn. I am being inspired to now develop dreams of a career and a profession. I have hobbies and interests that I could combine, to make my own unique career; but since I am living my childhood dreams, I don't know exactly what the Lord wants me to do with these thoughts and impressions. Not yet, at least. I feel like I am starting to work on something that will help me improve as a person, a daughter of God; something He needs me to do for me and for His work. The other kids who had dreams of getting this great profession, I'm starting to feel that now as an adult. Honestly, I'm grateful to be getting these dreams now. I don't know where I would be in life if I focused on a career first. Family is the most important thing to me and will always be. Now, with this firm value instilled in me, it won't really matter what career I have; because I know I will always put my family first. I will always be happy and satisfied with life by putting my family first. I am also ready to follow faithfully and work towards the new dreams the Lord is helping me find. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

W05 Boundaries and Money

 This week I studied setting boundaries and money management skills. These skills are very important skills to have in a marriage.  I have a fear-based relationship with money because I don't understand how to manage it. Recently, I have been feeling a pull to understand money management. Tyler and I have been meeting with a financial advisor and it has really opened our eyes to all of the opportunities we have to take control of our finances. It has been a very encouraging experience. I feel less scared with more knowledge and I feel like I have more control. Tyler and I also talked about boundaries in our marriage, specifically setting an appropriate boundary between our marriage and parenthood. Some of the points that were brought up in class, we felt like we had set an appropriate boundary. There was one point that we both felt like we could make and that was planning a specific time for our marriage.  You can call us crazy, but Tyler and I are not huge fans of the tr...

Handful of Meal, A Little Oil

 "So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.  For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: ...

Sacrifice

Numbers 7, the tabernacle is being dedicated. Each leader from the 12 tribes brings an offering. If I read the chapter correctly each tribe brings the same offering, or close to the same offering. That is what the entire chapter is, talking about the offering that each tribe brought - the exact same offering. By the 3rd offering, I was starting to get annoyed. Sorry. But by the 7th offering I was wondering why this was significant. Each tribe brought offerings for the different sacrifices performed in the tabernacle.  Why were each of these sacrifices so important that each tribe brought offerings for each one? After this weeks reading, particularly this chapter, my mind has been on sacrifice and the importance of the sacrifices performed in the tabernacle. I do feel like my understanding is expanding, but it isn't fully cooked. So, I will share the thoughts and connections that I found this week.  First, I noticed all the different kinds of sacrifices and offerings made in th...