Celebrate :: Audacious Dreams

Today is a day for big dreams, audacious dreams, dreams that aim high, dreams that that imagine a future as yet unseen.

Today is a day for the kinds of dreams that ripple out, take hold, build up, and topple over all at once.  

Today is a day for dreams that are rooted in love.  

Today is a day for dreams that are powered by faith.  

Today is a day for dreams that recognize the mutuality of human nature and the interconnectedness of all life.

Do not be mistaken.  Audacious dreams are not the same as ambitious dreams.  They may be related, but they are not the same.  What is small is sometimes very big.  

On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks simply took her seat.  It was audacious.  I don't know if she imagined it would change the world.  But it did.  

It is audacious to believe that washing a dish today, changing a diaper today, or holding a hand today will change the world.  But this dream is rooted in love, powered by faith, and skillfully recognizes the interconnectedness of all life.  

It is audacious to imagine that the conversation you have with a co-worker today, that the email you send to your team today, that the way you conduct yourself in the office today changes the world  just as much as the new product you are launching, maybe more.   This is a dream that aims high, this is a dream that topples over the rules of power, this is a dream that imagines a future yet unseen.

Audacious dreams are magical dreams.  They defy day-in-day out rationality, and yet adhere to a logic that is eternal and crystal clear.  They require faith, because the normal pencil and paper calculations don't always apply, and yet, over the long arc of history, the bottom line is clear.  Love never fails.  

Don't be mistaken.  Today is not the day to get out your pencil and paper, scratch your head and wonder, "Gee, I need an audacious dream. What is my audacious dream?" No, this would be a very unkind thing to do.  This is a subtle form of self-agression, a message to yourself that who you are today, what you need to attend to today, is not enough to matter.  

Who you are and what you do today matters more than you may know, possibly, more than you are able to know.   Because the future will always remain unseen.

The question today is...Can you see the audacious dream you are living right now?  Can you be bold enough to imagine that the loving actions you take today will change the world forever?

Rosa Parks took her seat, what will you do?

If you have a minute today, don't miss the opportunity to re-read or watch MLK's "I have a dream" speech.  You never know, giving yourself time to really absorb this message, to receive this incredible gift of oration, may just change the future forever.

Read the full text version from the National Archives or watch it on youtube.

Water

This is where I go, where I always go, to refresh and renew.  

Again and again I return to water.

Where do you go?

A little work

Last Tuesday I worked a little bit,

yes, worked. 

I interviewed a friend 

about how she wants to 

acknowledge her

upcoming milestone 

Birthday.

It was an honor

and a pleasure.

I don't know how 

this kind of work

which I've been doing for

ten years

will figure into my next

chapter of work.

But for now,

it was enough,

just to enjoy this work.

Five Beautiful Things

This week, I really enjoyed reading Tara Mohr's post called Five Beautiful Things.  I especially appreciated that looking for beauty is a strategy she chose to turn to in a moment of stress and frustration.  That feels like a fit for me too (we all have our different ways of managing stress) and reminds me of a post I wrote last summer about how preschool teachers are masters at instructing children to turn to their senses to shift moods.

My buddy Laurel, took Five Beautiful Things to the next level and blogged her own version, which I loved.  So I thought I'd do one too.  Thanks for the inspiration, friends!

We're in Tahoe now, and the word that comes to mind here is glittering.  The lake, the aspen leaves, even the air itself, vibrates with light.  I love watching the natural world create a visual effect that I usually experience in a more hand-made crafty way.  I love encountering glitter in any context!

And then there are the trees.  All over this property there are various versions of pine trees grouped together in clusters, giving meaning to a "stand of trees."  Like a group of friends standing around at a cocktail party..friendly, convivial, giving shelter.  Comforting and lovely.

A morning cup of tea in front of it all.  No description necessary!

While here, I'm enjoying the beauty of time, long stretches of do nothing time, which for me often turns into doodling and painting.  No pressure to produce something special, just playing, often with the kids.  This is some of my favorite type of parenting time.

And most beautiful of all, is time with friends.  We are here with Graham's best friend from high school and his family who are from Austin (I want to spend more time there!).  It is amazing to see the depth of connection between the two dads.  When I first met Graham, one thing about him that inspired me was the group of friends he had created for himself.  I had actually never encountered such warm, connected, deep men in my life.  Across the board they were (and continue to be) strong without being macho, committed, smart and funny.  Graham's BFF from high school set a high bar for those college friends, and I'm loving connecting with him and the family he and his wife have created.