Hey Reader,

What’s standing in the way of your dream becoming a reality?

It’s a real question that I’d like you to ACTUALLY pause and answer.

⏲️Set yourself a timer for 5 minutes and just sit with this question:

What’s standing in the way of your dream becoming a reality?

Ready.... Go!

In case the answer isn’t obvious to you OR you don't have time to process right now, here are a few phrases I’ve heard other dreamers say:

Do you resonate with any of these statements?

Taken at face value, some of them are practical (like the business plan) and some of them are emotional (like the self-doubt). Some are areas that may need a little work. And some are downright attacks from the enemy.

Which is it for you? Or is it something different entirely?

I had a lightbulb moment this week.

Over the years I’ve watched dreamers (including me) encounter some very real barriers to starting on a dream:

We don’t know where to start.

We don’t know how to start.

And even if we have an idea to begin with, our emotions (or the enemy’s darts, more likely) fling arrows and erect barricades that stand in the way of any progress we could have made on that day.

So we pause to reshuffle the deck and see if there’s something we could do to make even just a little headway. Maybe it’s buying a domain name. Brainstorming business names. Setting up a social media profile. Or a Pinterest board to collect ideas/possible brand images.

It feels like progress.

Because it feels like we’re making decisions.

But are they the most fruitful decisions? Is this a wise use of time or is it just spinning a different set of wheels.

Do I have your permission to speak the truth?

A pretty website won’t make your dream a reality.

It may feel productive, but the real magic happens when you take the leap and start talking to the real people your dream will one day serve.

What I mean is this:

Sitting down for coffee. Inviting them into your living room. Hanging out by the fire. Grabbing lunch after church. Going for a walk. Chatting on Voxer or Marco Polo. However you want to do it.

There are dozens of ways to invite people into intentional conversations that will inform the way you pursue your dream.

Would it help to have an example?

A dozen years ago I thought my dream was to serve Christian singles in preparing for marriage. I had a blog that was all about help young women establish a realistic and sustainable vision for their future marriage.

It was a fine dream. I knew (kind of) what I wanted to do once I found my audience. And I spent a lot of time writing blog posts… that not very many people read.

But it wasn’t until I started spending time in conversations with those single women that I started to gain real clarity about my dream.

It was, in part, what THEY said when we talked. But it was also--and probably more importantly--about what happened inside of ME as I listened to what they were saying.

My perspective started to shift.

I found I wasn’t as interested in this topic as I once was.

In fact, I realized I could no longer relate to them in the way I once did because I was so far removed from the experience.

So I gave myself permission to let the dream shift….resulting in what you are experiencing here today in the Devoted Dreamers community.

My takeaway for you on this Friday afternoon is this:

If you have the option to choose between busily checking tasks off your list OR having an intentional conversation with someone who could be served by your dream, pick the latter.

Start making a list of people you already know that could be served by your dream. Then become an uber-focused student of those people.

Set up coffee dates. Go for walks together. Ask good questions. Seek to understand their perspective (even if you were them at some point in your past...it's probably different for them...or you've forgotten a few things).

Hear their words and take note of the solutions they're longing for. Then figure out if you’re the one with the dream who’s meant to serve them.

Do this for a few weeks, or even months. Then, come on back and tell me what’s changed for you and your dream. Tell me all that you’ve learned. Tell me about the people you want to serve.

That right there is my sweet spot. I can help you figure out where to go next with the dream God has given you.

My students say that working with me brings "calm and ease" to the experience of pursuing a God-shaped dream. I'd love the chance to show you what I mean on the next Dreamer Community Conversation. RSVP here and show up live on 5/29.

Until then, I am faithfully...

With you in the dream,

~Merritt

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