The Thing About Dreams (and Some GREAT Deals on books)

I’ve been thinking about dreams this week, and what people will often do to achieve them. How far we travel, how hard we work, the sacrifices we willingly make, all for dreams that may—or may not—turn out the way we hope.

That’s the thing about dreams. They generally don’t work out the way we plan them in our heads.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably already know I’m a dreamer. My dreams tend to be grandiose and maybe even unrealistic on some levels, and yet on other levels, I openly acknowledge that sometimes it’s the ability to dream, the hope it inspires, and the journey I’m traveling that makes me truly happy. And I’m really very okay with that.

I want to be a bestselling author who makes millions of dollars. There. I said it. Seriously, I don’t know a single author who would turn that down. But that’s not why I write. In fact, it’s not why MOST of us write. Some friends of mine have posted beautiful thoughts about dreams and how they change over time. How some dreams might have to be retired to make room for new ones, and how one friend realized she writes to share a bit of her soul with others.

I don’t write to make money, and that’s a good thing. If that was why, I would have been forced to quit years ago. I don’t write to please others, teach a lesson, push an agenda. I write to tell a story. I write because the very act of creating soothes me, makes me whole. I write because it’s part of who I am.

I will always dream. I will always hope that someday I’ll write that book that takes off. Someday, I’ll make enough money to buy my vacation island in a tropical somewhere. Or a yacht. Or, you know, pay off my house and send my kids to college.   

But if that never happens, it’s okay. I may have to make room for other dreams that can be more lucrative, but I don’t think I’ll ever truly be able to stop writing. And so the dream lives on.

What about you? Why do you dream?

PS. This week, you can get a boxed set of seven romantic suspense books for .99 here. This is a SERIOUSLY great deal. Don’t miss out! Also, if you haven’t grabbed your copy of Elana Johnson’s latest release, Elevated, it’s not too late. And if you haven’t snagged your copy of DESCENDANT yet, better hurry! BIRTHRIGHT comes out in a little over a month. 

Elusive things and Infinity

I’m back! After several months of my brain rolling around at about 50% past capacity, turning it off for a week was a much-needed, long overdue occasion. 

While I was gone, I had the opportunity to stand on a balcony and gaze over the ever-moving, ever-changing ocean. I’ve always wanted to see a whale in the wild. Always. In my small mind, I keep thinking that one of these days I’m going to be in the right place at the right time and an enormous whale is going to pop up and show itself to me, posing while I snap postcard-quality pictures with my conveniently present camera. I’ve held onto this hope for years, and though I’ve crossed the ocean a number of times (and been near it, on it, close to it, etc.) I still haven’t been in that perfect place and time. Yet.

I’ve seen dolphins, sea turtles, flying fish, and crabs. Pelicans, cranes, and a bazillion other cool birds. I’ve seen alligators, too. But no whale.

It’s like this elusive thing that I just can’t reach.

But as I watched the water stretch out in all directions, broken by nothing but the horizon, I realized something. The ocean is freaking VAST. It’s infinite. There are places where it’s so deep it can’t even be measured. And no matter how many whales live in it, the chances of me being in the right spot to see one are slim. There is just so much space and one single whale is such a small thing comparatively. I mean, yes, I understand that there are known places to go whale-watching. But even then there’s no guarantee. It’s still about timing. And that timing isn’t just up to me.

But I know that if I keep looking, one day I’ll get to see my whale. And if I don’t, at least I’ll know I never gave up trying.

I think that’s true with a lot of our life goals. The world is vast. In many ways it’s infinite. Dreams are sometimes elusive things that feel out of reach. But we will never know how infinite we are until we unfurl our sails and make for the horizon.  

Maybe we’ll find a whale, and maybe we won’t. Maybe we’ll find something else entirely. Like, I don’t know, a new continent that will be lauded as the promised land and named after us. The point is we have opportunities and choices and chances. Enough to fill an entire ocean. It’s up to us to decide if we have the courage to sail.

What is something you’ve always wanted to see/do/try? 

The Best Outcome Starts with a Hard Choice

Last weekend, my family and I flew to Texas to scope out the city where we will be moving, and to look for a rental house to live in until our home in Utah sells. It’s a beautiful place, close to the water (I’ve always dreamed of living near the ocean) and small enough to not be overwhelming, while near enough to a bigger city to not make us feel isolated. Sort of the best of both worlds.

And if it weren’t for all the comforts and people we’re leaving behind, our decision to move there would have been a no brainer.

But we are leaving behind people we love, and a place where we’re established and comfortable. Where my kids have friends and we all know what to expect of things as small as seasonal changes, and as big as cultural expectations. And I’m not going to lie. It’s not an easy thing to do. Even with all the benefits to our family (there’s a really good job involved) it’s hard.

So why are we doing it?

Because we know that the best results usually start with the hardest decisions. And though I know I’ve said it before, it bears mentioning again. We can do hard things.

We. Can. Do. Hard. Things.

These are the things that make us strong. That define us. That determine our future. And as much as we humans might wish otherwise, this is the way dreams are discovered.

This move isn’t an easy one. There will be tears and heartache and grief. But it’s nothing we can’t handle. Because we’re dreamers, and it’s just what we do.

What about you? What hard thing are you doing this month?