In the company of dreamers?????

How big do you dream? Do you limit your dreams because folks around you would think you were nuts if you were to tell them what you have in mind for the future? 

I'm blessed in that most of the folks I know now fall into that category of dreamer - the ones that are going for the gold so to speak. When we sit together, someone usually says "Imagine if so and so were a fly on the wall?" This of course in reference to the folks who tried to limit our dreams at some point. 

I love people who have the courage to dream big dreams. They usually take steps to get to those dreams and even when they have set backs, they end up in pretty impressive places. The first thing they usually get rid of is the tendency to care what other people think. Not the people who matter, but those people in your corner whose opinion will hold you back. 

I'm intrigued by their courage, inspired by their generosity and encouraged by their support. If you have a dream that would scare most people - watch out for the company you keep.  

Christmas - Keeping it Real

I love the holiday season for a number of reasons - the one that is top of mind for me is that my daughter comes home from university. But hear me out - young adults are developing their own traditions and I may have to make a reservation to get to spend any real time with her. That's just the plain truth.

Have you looked at social media lately? It is overflowing with examples of people being charitable on a large scale and a real trend toward advertising it. This can put a ton of stress on people to try and do what they do not have the means to do. Know this, there are many people out there who live lives of service who never post a single thing about it. Avoid the trap of trying to measure up.

What about the food? No one enjoys food as much as I do but I am not a person for pomp and circumstance.  My Red-neck roots always get the better of me here. I love to have a crowd in but not much for the rules and conventions around dining that some folks encourage. My grandmother would put a tray of sweets out at Christmas and have to crack my fingers more than once for trying to steal a cook before the crowd arrived. People remember how you made them feel - not whether you had the correct fork.

Here's what I suggest - put it all into perspective. Use your heart and make that heart an instrument of good will "without advertising". Do what you need to do to make it special for you - without worrying about what the Jones' are doing. Keep it real and find time to really enjoy it in spite of or maybe because of the humbleness. .