Complete this sentence:

I’d love to __________ , but __________ .

Fill in the blanks with anything you want–big, little, long-term dreams, passing whims, far-fetched fantasies, achievable goals–and the blockades that stand in your way.

• I’d love to be a professional musician, but I’m not talented enough.
• I’d love to lose weight, but I don’t have the willpower.
• I’d love to go back to school, but I’m too old.
• I’d love to quit my job, but I need the health insurance.
• I’d love to write a book, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

…or any other desires/obstacles in your life.

This part is probably easy, right? You’ve probably already got an example or two (if not several dozen) that you’ve already said or thought–perhaps on a regular basis. Everybody has hopes, dreams, and desires–and everyone has reasons why those hopes, dreams, and desires can’t come true for them.

But what happens if you say the same sentence again, but this time stop before the word “but”?

I’d love to __________ .

(Period.)

What if you just left it at that?

Does that mean that the second part (the “but…”) isn’t true? Not necessarily. It just means that you’re willing to acknowledge, contemplate, and perhaps even say out loud what you’d love in your life.

Why is this so important?

Stating (or even contemplating) your dreams is beautiful, invigorating, and empowering. But a big ol’ “but” shuts down your dreams. It pushes them down (onto their butt) the moment they try to stand–before they even take a step! It slams the door in your face–before you even try to open it! It ends the discussion–before it even begins! It robs you of your creativity, your ingenuity, your enthusiasm, and your power.

BUT…if you simply state your dreams without the preemptive “but,” you’ll find that mental wheels start to turn. Possibilities present themselves. Doors open. And you get to bask in the beauty and power of your dreams.

Just feel the difference:

• I’d love to be a professional musician.
  
• I’d love to lose weight.
• I’d love to go back to school.
• I’d love to quit my job.
• I’d love to write a book.

Suddenly, those “impossible” dreams seem possible, right? Suddenly, they’re invigorating, exciting, and life-affirming. Suddenly, they motivate and inspire you. Suddenly, they’re not so far-fetched. Suddenly, they seem like they’re real (or, at least, could become real).

Losing your “but” doesn’t mean that you instantly achieve your dreams or overcome the challenges you face, it simply means that you acknowledge your desires. You sit within the realm of possibilities instead of impossibilities.

You enter the realm of “what if…”:

• What if I could be a professional musician?
  
• What if I could lose weight?
• What if I could go back to school?
• What if I could quit my job?
• What if I could write a book?

And whereas those buts stop your thinking, the what-ifs start your mind whirling with possibilities. And before you know it, you’re thinking in terms of “Maybe I could do this” or “Those challenges don’t have to stop me” or “There might be other ways to reach this goal.”

Sit with your dreams…not on them!

For starters, you don’t have to figure out ways to achieve your goals, overcome challenges, or rise above the buts that stand in your way. All you have to do is sit with your dreams. Acknowledge them. Feel their power. Bask in their beauty. They will inspire you, nourish you, and take on a life of their own…as long as you don’t slam a big ol’ BUT in their face!

So, the next time you notice a big ol’ but trying to sit on your dreams, see what happens if you kick the but out (of your sentence, your mind, your heart, and hopefully your life) and just let your dream breathe for a while. Let it marinate. Let it incubate. And just see what happens once that big ol’ but gets out of your way.

You might be pleasantly surprised.

…

What’s your “big ol’ but”? What preemptive blockades and excuses do you habitually throw in the way of your dreams? What might happen if you didn’t? Would you be willing to lose the “big ol’ but,” let your dreams incubate, and see what happens?