THRIVING Melanin Family Magazine January 2017: New Year New THRIVE | Page 14

Whose Dream Life Are You Living ?

5 Steps To Help You Create Your Dream In 2017

by Amber Hunter
As a single mother of two sons , it ’ s not always easy to focus on myself and my wants . I realize this is the same for many mothers who defer their dreams for those of their family and children . We focus so much on making sure our children have what they need and want that we can easily push ourselves to the background . As moms we can think the time for our dreams has passed - the devil is a lie ! The time to achieve your dreams is right now .
So I had to ask myself , whose dream life am I living ? I reflected on this question one morning earlier this year . I wasn ’ t satisfied with the direction of my life . Don ’ t get me wrong , I have a very blessed life and I am grateful for my family , health and the ability to provide . However , there has always been this feeling as though I wasn ’ t living to my fullest potential . So I asked myself , am I living my own dream life ? Am I living the dream life everyone else had envisioned for me ? What is my dream life ?
In all honesty , I did not know what my dreams were . I knew what it took for me to be a great mom to my sons , but I lacked vision on what made me a great person on my own . I challenged myself to figure out what path would lead me to my own fulfillment .
I want to share five steps that helped me and will help you start moving towards your “ dream life ” vision .
Envision your dream life If you are like me then this could take a few days of reflection . Sit with yourself and think about what your “ dream life ” looks like for you . Don ’ t limit your thoughts . Allow yourself to think outside the box . There are no rules in envisioning YOUR dream life . Be flexible in your dreams and allow them to change as you grow in 2017 .
Journal your thoughts It ’ s time to write down your thoughts and the dream life you envisioned . Journaling is a great way to put ideas and thoughts down on paper and watch them manifest into reality .
I started writing out my ideas – personal and business related . It has been nice to look back and see how these ideas have manifested in my life . It also helps me combat anxiety that may creep in from trying to obtain what I once thought was impossible – my dreams .
Exercise It is important as moms that we take care of our physical bodies .
Understandably , as busy moms we can ’ t make it to the gym everyday . Start where you are and try doing some videos at home in the morning or evening . If your job has a gym , make time to go at some point during the day a few times a week .
This was a critical step for me as I started gaining weight and experiencing anxiety . I met myself where I was and started out doing exercise videos on YouTube , they are free and I can do them in my own time . I eventually committed to a trainer and joined LA Fitness through my company . This gym provides childcare services , leaving me with no excuses . Now my son asks me , “ when are we going to the gym ?” if we miss too many days .
“ Walking into 2017 manifesting and creating your dream life . Leaving the old behind .” – Amber Hunter
Explore Hobbies That Bring You Joy My favorite step ! This is where you get to think about all the things you like to do or would like to do . Remember there are no limits . For me , I bought a sewing machine and started taking
classes at my local arts center . I would bring my sons along if they didn ’ t have activities planned . I made it very clear to them that this was important to me and was my activity time . I love traveling so I traveled to Paris with my teenage son . I wanted to have a garden so I started with a tomato plant in a pot . The plant produced a few tomatoes and I started to learn more about how to care about plants .
The sky ’ s the limit with this step . Have fun finding what you like to do in your own time .
Stop Procrastinating No more excuses , it ’ s time to get moving towards all the things you have imagined above . Start where you are right now . Don ’ t just dream , take action and do . This is your year to manifest your dreams into reality . Don ’ t let that favorite TV show , Facebook , or anything else distract you from your envisioned dream life .
Working through these steps has helped me to create an idea and a path to start exploring my dream life . I hope that you too start to craft , create and manifest your dream life into reality in 2017 .
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