Actions > Ambition

Let me just tell ya. I used to journal—Every. Single. Night. (Or day) I kept that trend going for several years, since I was probably 9 or so.

I usually wrote in such detail that my family would often ask when something occurred and I could recall the date of the occurrence. And if I couldn’t remember when it happened, out came my box of journals. (Yep, I have a box full of them!)

My family lovingly referred to me as "the Family Historian," and I rather liked that title and position.

Sometimes I just wrote about the weather and exciting events, but often my hopes and dreams.

As I grew older and busier (especially the past couple of years or so), journaling fell by the wayside. Not entirely. It frustrated me a lot, even though I would still put some effort into journaling as I could—especially about the most exciting or tragic things. And occasionally I’d write my hopes and dreams.

Dreams. I’m a HUGE dreamer. I think about the future a lot and often imagine countless possibilities, not all of them being realistic. You can often find me staring off into space, daydreaming away.

(I also have an "insert-guy-here" Pinterest wedding board—yeah, I have a serious daydreaming problem!!)

The thing about dreaming is that I tend to overlook “the here and now.” I don’t appreciate as much as I should my surroundings or my interactions with people in my day to day life. I don't invest as heavily in real people. And my responsibilities are more likely to fall by the wayside.

Though I still have days when I wish I were more faithful in journaling, I have been learning to appreciate “the here and now”—to live my life instead of *writing* about it. To focus on building relationships, instead of dreaming about them.

My goal in life (or one of many—remember, I'm a dreamer ;P) is:

Doing > Dreaming

Dreams aren’t bad, don’t get me wrong. They are beautiful gifts that help grow and stretch our comfort zones. But what dreamers like myself must keep in mind is that the best parts of life are in the ordinary just as often or more so than in the extraordinary. Sometimes the best things are as ordinary as serving in the background— making meals for the sick, caring for outcasts, working in slums, being an encouragement to others, talking late into the night with a sibling, going on long walks with a friend, writing a letter to a loved one.

It might seem mundane. It might not be anywhere near exciting or fun. It might not be all we have dreamed.

But there is Joy there. Ordinary and broken people—you and me—doing ordinary things for others, loving real people in a real and hurting world.

We are not guaranteed another day. Hardships happen—death, loss of a lover, broken friendships, moves across the country, etc. Some people will be in our lives for their entirety, yes, but most people will only be in our lives for a brief season. That season will seem more brief if we don't learn to appreciate our time with them. How many regrets will we have if we don't take the time *now* to show them our love for them?

Let's not learn this the hard way. Our lives are likely already full of regrets, so why not start today—striving to learn from our pasts, live in the now by loving harder, and look forward to loving even better in the future.

Action > Ambitions