Triggering the Dare
Going from dream to action, to actually DARE isn’t something that happens overnight. At least it wasn’t like that for me.
In October 2018 my two best friends Lotta and I attended a female networking event in Palma. Yes, they are both named Lotta, which can be a bit confusing. They are both lovable, in their own ways. But it’s not as if I send a message on our group chat and write “Lotta, I love you more!” – and then they can figure out themselves who I actually mean.
Anyways, back to Palma. I had gone there with the intention to spend time with my two best friends, not really to network, and definitely not with the intention that it may trigger a spark to start taking action to change my life.
The network organizers offered a Dream Dare Do workshop. I’ve attended and given several workshops in my professional life, but the focus then had always been to learn or define something that the company could benefit from. In this workshop it was only about learning something new about yourself. About ME. I would learn about ME and my DREAMS. Yeah, sure… I was skeptical.
“If there were no implications on your financial security. If you knew that you would be successful and couldn’t fail. What would you do?”
I turned around and faced a woman that I had never seen before. I have also never seen her afterwards. I wouldn’t even remember what she looks like. That woman changed my life.
I looked her in the eyes, and said hesitantly “I would want to become a writer.”
“What do you think you need to do to become one?” the woman said kindly. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t laugh. She didn’t even giggle. She took my dream very seriously.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t really dare. I don’t even know if I can write. Would anyone even read what I write? Before even taking that leap, I definitely need to attend a writer’s course.”
“Well, then that’s what you should do.” she said it so matter of fact, it sounded so easy.
We also spoke about her dreams, and what she needed to do. But to be honest. I have no clue what they were. I guess I started taking the ME focus a bit too seriously.
I flew home. Started to search for courses. None of them were compelling. Most of them seemed too esoteric for my taste. I always found at least one good excuse not to sign up for any of them.
Then one day one of the Lottas sent me a chat saying she had gotten to know an author who offered writing courses in Malaga. I should sign up for it. No excuse. Do it. Doesn't really sound lovable, I know. But she is. Most of the time.
I signed up for the course, and in May 2019, I got to meet fifteen others with the same dream, but also doubts that I had. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Allowing myself to do something that I want to do. Not having to consider whether someone in the family is thirsty, or hungry, or don’t want to go out and play or walk because they would prefer to stay at home in front of their iPads. Spending a whole weekend focusing only on my dream. Not anyone else’s.
That’s when it all started. That’s when the dream to do something different was seriously triggered.
Sometimes you just need to meet someone who believes in you and takes your dreams seriously. To me that person was a woman, who is not even aware of her impact on my life.
