After spending a few days at Disney, I can’t help but sing “Dreams really do come true.” With princesses twirling and characters dancing, evil is destroyed at every turn.
Little boys and girls can’t help but be mesmerized by Mickey’s encouragement that if we only just believe, dreams can become a reality.
Yet when I take away the sprinkle of Cinderella’s fairy dust, what does that really mean for me?
How can I weave God’s calling through the fabric of my every day life without feeling overwhelmed?
The discussions on “Dreaming Big Dreams” have permeated many posts and discussions lately, and as a “Reach for the Stars” kind of girl myself, there’s nothing I appreciate more than surrounding myself with others who dream big dreams, yet often, I’m conflicted with my thoughts on the topic.
For me, whenever I wear my Dream God Sized Dreams bracelet it’s my reminder to embrace the Little Things.
Just recently, I re-read one of my very first Balancing Beauty and Bedlam posts entitled The Little Things. It’s been a theme on my blog for years, and the post began,
“For those who read my blog, you know that one of my passions is CHOOSING JOY.
I love to celebrate the simple things, and stimulate the senses. It is by taking your everyday rituals, and turning them into something meaningful, so that your house becomes a true haven – a sanctuary.
It’s about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, and that extraordinary is often so simple.
I often get asked, “What is your dream?”
I honestly reply, “I am living it.”
I penned that nearly five years ago. Those are my roots. That’s where I need to return.
Contentment in the midst of simplicity.
Our God Sized dreams vary based on our own personal journey and life stage, and last month on (in)courage, I shared my imaginary conversation. The one where I felt as if I couldn’t keep up amidst this amazing group of women.
The bottom line? I don’t have too. My journey is very different. I don’t share the same dreams, yet that doesn’t make one more important than the next.
Again, I glance at my bracelet, and I’m reminded that my big, crazy, God size realized Dream began by saying “Yes” to the little things which ARE the Big things, and quite often, the most important things.
How did I start to realize my dreams and choose joy on a day to day basis?
I began by saying YES to the little things and not worrying about bigger things.
I said “Yes” to:
- Picking blueberries in the pouring rain
- Choosing Spontaneous Hospitality (for the non-perfectionist) again and again
- Being a Crazy “Yes” Mom whenever I got the chance, since so often I had to say “no.”
- Jumping in a mud puddle, even when I didn’t want more laundry to do
- Eating frozen chocolate chip cookies dough
- Sharing a “backwards night” in which I served ice cream as our main course and encouraged the family to “save” room for our special treat: peas for dessert
- Eating dinner under the table with candles and china
- Buying a Starbucks treat for a stranger in line, even when I wouldn’t buy that treat for myself
As I started saying “Yes” to spontaneous acts of intentional living, my soul was freed up to tip toe into other areas.
- Organizing Kitchen Sisters Clubs (meal swapping groups)
- Sharing Money Saving Ideas
- Serving as a Director for women on their home school journey
Can you see how this slowly evolved?
I didn’t make a chart. I didn’t create a “to do” list. I didn’t have some big “life goals” sheet (shh, I know that goes against all leadership principles).
I allowed my day to day “yeses” to percolate passions that I didn’t even know were imprinted on my heart 20 years ago.
The crazy thing?
From those simple, country girl passions, the desire to become more creative, purposeful and frugal, came a God Sized Dream realized.
It all started with saying “Yes” to the little things.
My co-host and I desired an affordable weekend of encouragement and inspiration for our readers; a place to bring the hands-on topics of our blogs to real life.
I packed up my family room furniture (literally), set it up on the stage and welcomed women from all walks of life to become more intentional with the day to day.
We shared life.
We shared ideas on meal planning, furniture painting, home decor, family traditions, frugal fashion, photography, Trash to Treasure and more.
Honestly, I chuckle because it’s one of my best kept secrets, and I really don’t talk about it much. I guess because this Becoming Conference feels as if I’m just welcoming you all into my home for the weekend, and when you do that, you don’t talk on and on about what an inspiring weekend it is.
You just live life together, embracing both the beauty and bedlam of every day life.
My encouragement to you is to just start.
Tip toe forward and say “Yes” to those little things. My whole Becoming weekend began as a spontaneous idea of mine built on that exact premise.
The theme of “It’s the little things that are the big things” will be sprinkled throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains during the weekend of August 9 -10, 2013
I invited others along for the journey and they said “Yes.”
Won’t you join me too? (Literally and figuratively) :)
What’s “Yeses” can you declare today?
Our God Sized Dreams begin by tip toeing towards just one new “Yes.”
(And I highly recommend dancing spontaneously in the rain.)
Shared by: Jen Schmidt, Balancer of Beauty and Bedlam, maker of 10 Minute Dinners and co-host of the Becoming Conference.
ABOUT JENNIFER SCHMIDT
Jennifer Schmidt is a full time family manager that writes about her never ending pursuit of “Balancing it all...the good, bad and ugly” at her personal blog: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. As a...
