Chicken Soup for The Lost Soul – When the Big Dream Fades

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We are incredibly linked to our dreams. Without realizing it these often fleeting and sometimes fantastical thoughts become a force within us. Our dreams become our ambitions, whether expressed or not. Some are bigger than others -- and few actually will see a spark of reality. Yet, we still put a great deal of hope behind them even when we know the probability of them coming true is quite low.

Then something happens that changes everything. It could a major life event, a loss, a large financial setback, something big enough to push the probability factor to zero. That's when we need a big bowl of chicken soup for the lost soul.

I once read an interview with singer Sheryl Crow where she talked about a big event her life that included a very tough change in the personal relationship, followed quickly by a fight with breast cancer. Clearly this changed her direction and some of her Big Dreams. Life was not going forward as she had planned. I was struck, however, by how positive she was and the way she looked at this event. She says she got to a point of putting aside the old dreams and started dreaming about new things. "Generally, when you let go of your vision of how something is supposed to be, the universe hands you exactly what you need."

 

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'Supposed to be' is the key phrase. So much of that incremental dreaming over years and years convinces us that the dream is how everything is supposed to be. It is our plan, our desire, and our dream to achieve. There is nothing wrong with having those dreams and desires. When they turn into 'supposed to be' rather than 'what could become' is when we run the risk of crashing if it doesn't happen. You will have events in your life that crash your Big Dream. You will get to a point of realization, maybe sadness, maybe anger, that things have changed and the dream isn't going to happen. You'll feel lost and not sure what you want to do next.

At that point you'll want to pull out my recipe for chicken soup for lost soul. It has some simple ingredients and the prep time is not very long.

Chicken Soup Recipe

Here's how to make this Soul nourishing concoction:

1. Connect with your true self: You still have a lot to offer. You still have a passion and a Purpose. It may not turn out as you planned and it might take a different direction now. Try to move away from the current crash, sway from any negative self-talk, and reconnect with that which makes you truly come alive. That hasn't changed, regardless of the circumstances. It was programmed into you from the reaches of eternity. Plug back in and get centered down.

2. Re-vision: You may now have a new path to walk in your journey. It is going to be a different route to your destination. Remember, your passion driven Purpose is more about who you become than what you do. Regardless of the course you take, that is where you will arrive. It could be this change in your Big Dream is what you need to move closer to becoming the person you were designed to become.

3. Get Moving: Teddy Roosevelt has a motto that he attributed to his great success... "Get Action". He claimed this is what saved him as a sickly child and it was his secret ingredient to achievement. You can use it as well. Connect, re-vision, then get moving. Don't sit around and dwell on the lost dream. It is over, it is done, time to move on. Ask for guidance, consult mentors, seek out the resources you need. Then take the next logical step. Don't worry that you don't have a fully developed, structured plan of action before you. Just take the next step as if you've already been given direction.

Chicken soup for the lost soul. You're not really lost, you've just had, as I used to say in the Navy, a course correction. Cook up a fresh hot bowl with this recipe and you'll be feeling much more like your healthy, happy self in no time.