Written by: Nurit Amichai, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are … when you wish upon a star your dreams come true.” So begins the wonderful world of Disney and a world where dreams do come true, at least on the big screen.
What about real life?
Many of us look at our lives and scoff at the idea of dreams coming true. Of course, there are all kinds of “opportunities” presented by those who guarantee anything from a mansion to a private plane for signing up, they’ll make your dreams come true. These opportunities appeal to so many who want their success to come quickly – by “doing what they love and getting rich doing it.” Millions, if not billions, are made on the dreams of those who believe all they have to do is buy the instructions.
And there’s the rub. Dreams can come true. However, most of the time, for dreams to come true there has to be a gigantic shift in several areas to realize the end result desired.
So, what does it take?
Let me tell you about a client of mine, we’ll call her Carol. Carol came to me a few years ago in a last bid to see if life would be worth living. She was dealing with depression and a serious mental health issue which she kept secret from everyone and worked overtime to cover up, physical health issues including a brain tumor and she was overweight. The good news was that she has a loving husband and adoring kids who have accommodated her throughout their lives together.
Much of this was hidden from me for a few months but, as we worked together and trust grew, she began to let me into her life. Carol had given up hope for any future. She had two dreams which she then believed were useless and pointless. One was to do a trek and the other to live in another country. As she surveyed her life, neither were options any longer. What was the point?
It took time and a lot of hard work, but things began to change.
Being able to rekindle the flame of hope in Carol’s heart that she could have a life worth living meant reprogramming thoughts and beliefs that were holding her hostage. In order to do that, she had to open up and talk about the issues in her life that she had kept secret in the vault of her wounded heart. The willingness to open up and process the pain, move forward, and let go of anger and judgments, revamp beliefs that didn’t serve her and give herself permission to get medical help were all part of the path out of the darkness of her life.
None of this was easy
It didn’t happen overnight. It took months of hard work. Buckets of tears. Cursing and crying. But Carol stuck with the process, even when it would have felt easier to call it a day and walk away. The breakthroughs began to happen… first a big weight loss success, which brought with it the hope that life could be better. Then, making the plans for and executing the long sought- after trek which lasted nearly three weeks. The desire to live was becoming stronger and stronger with each stretch. Finally, the willingness to see a psychiatrist to address the longstanding effects of OCD and depression and ultimately receiving medicine to treat the issues opened a whole new world for Carol. Within a year of that time, Carol purchased an apartment in the country she longed to live in before life turned sour and, as of this writing, Carol visits that place with her family on a regular basis.
Okay, so that’s Carol…
The point of the story is that being willing to do the hard work, make the changes, put in the time, and open up the wounds to heal were all part of the realization of the dreams that had been left to die.
Certainly not everyone has as dramatic a story as Carol, but most of us have had dreams that we’ve put on hold because we haven’t been willing to do what it takes to make them come true. We haven’t been open to change, we continue to speak negatively about our lives and our situations, we hide the truth under a cloak of shame or pride, and we think that somehow, magically, our dreams will come true.
Here’s the thing: Dreams are tied to hope. Hope is not static. Hope is active and very often requires action to see the thing hoped for, the dream, come to fruition. We have to put feet to our hopes and dreams wherever and whenever possible. As we make the changes necessary to prepare the place for the dream to open, then the universe comes to our aid and often hastens things along.
How long does it take?
It takes as long as it takes. Maybe a better question is, “How long are you willing to work to realize your dream?” Are you willing to face your inner and outer demons, just like Frodo on his way to destroying the one ring? Many people don’t want to go through the struggle, so they settle for what they have. However, what they fail to realize is that over time, settling turns into struggle. One the other hand, if you go after your dreams, fight the dragons, and overcome the obstacles, life will only get better.
If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse. - Walt Disney
Nurit Amichai, Executive Contributor, Brainz Magazine
Nurit Amichai is a holistic therapist and life coach who provides individuals with an opportunity to strip away old, unproductive and damaging habits and create new, lasting behaviors that support the dynamic and powerful life they really want to live. As a result of a devastating illness, she set about rebuilding her body and life through nutrition and fitness. Realizing that wasn't enough, she entered the personal growth world where she allowed her truths to surface by giving herself permission to face and then release the pain and self-destructive behaviors she had harbored for so many years. This experience birthed the desire to share these lessons and gifts with others.
She has merged all of the disciplines learned over decades — nutrition, fitness, and mental and emotional health — into the true passion of her life: to help people heal and gain optimal health, giving her clients the benefit of many years of learning and experience, coaching them and giving them tools for finding fulfillment and unleashing their own personal power.
