Last week I spent some time thinking about all the things I want to do. I began to think negatively since we are living on less money than we were 4 years ago when I was working a full time job and the money isn’t there. Then, during one of my many walks this week, I started to think how wrong that thinking was. I shouldn’t forget my dreams. Dreams are important.
So what are my dreams? I have some short term and some long term. Here are a few of my short term dreams: To transform my home and really get down to re-decorating it. I want to travel to Prince Edward Island and to the Smokey Mountains which are the locations of two of my favorite books – Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and Christy by Catherine Marshall.
What are my other dreams? To travel to England and Normandy, France to visit World War II sites and to build a Victorian style home from scratch.
The one constant in all of my dreams is money. That is the problem or should I say, the challenge. Yes, the challenge is to find a way to fund my dreams. I have come to believe that if I think I will never have the money to do something, then I never will. I may have to tweak my plan, but I must at least try.
Now, I may never get to Normandy, France but I can at least try to go to Prince Edward Island. I would love to build a Victorian home from scratch using old house plans, but I don’t think we will ever have the money to do so. But, I do live in a small Victorian type cottage home and I can put some money into making it look like an old Victorian home.
If you truly want something and you put that as a priority, you will find the money that it takes to fund that dream. So, when I am enticed to spend money on clothes that I really don’t need, I need to remind myself that that is money that I could put towards my dream trip to Prince Edward Island.
Three years ago when I lost my job my only dream was to be home full time and be a homemaker. This still brings me great joy. Three years later I find myself working a small part time job (5 hours, three Saturdays a month, at our public library). This job gives us a little extra money each month and doesn’t take me away from being a homemaker. It won’t totally fund my dreams, but having the mindset that I will never be able to afford my dreams, won’t work either.
Every day get into the mindset that you can have the dream that you long for, it may just take some time to save for it. It may not be exactly what you want, but you may be able to bring part of it to fruition. I may never be able to travel overseas, but I can at least try to save the money to do so. It may take 10 or 15 years, but it can happen or perhaps I may decide that I would rather do something else. At least I tried.
Never give up on your dreams even when you are living on a limited budget. You may have to give up some things such as only having one car, living in a smaller fixer upper house and making all your own clothes. Set that money aside for whatever it is you long to do or buy, but don’t ever let money get in your way of dreaming.
What are your dreams? Spend some time this week thinking about your dreams.
Now, I may never get to Normandy, France but I can at least try to go to Prince Edward Island. I would love to build a Victorian home from scratch using old house plans, but I don’t think we will ever have the money to do so. But, I do live in a small Victorian type cottage home and I can put some money into making it look like an old Victorian home.
If you truly want something and you put that as a priority, you will find the money that it takes to fund that dream. So, when I am enticed to spend money on clothes that I really don’t need, I need to remind myself that that is money that I could put towards my dream trip to Prince Edward Island.
Three years ago when I lost my job my only dream was to be home full time and be a homemaker. This still brings me great joy. Three years later I find myself working a small part time job (5 hours, three Saturdays a month, at our public library). This job gives us a little extra money each month and doesn’t take me away from being a homemaker. It won’t totally fund my dreams, but having the mindset that I will never be able to afford my dreams, won’t work either.
Every day get into the mindset that you can have the dream that you long for, it may just take some time to save for it. It may not be exactly what you want, but you may be able to bring part of it to fruition. I may never be able to travel overseas, but I can at least try to save the money to do so. It may take 10 or 15 years, but it can happen or perhaps I may decide that I would rather do something else. At least I tried.
Never give up on your dreams even when you are living on a limited budget. You may have to give up some things such as only having one car, living in a smaller fixer upper house and making all your own clothes. Set that money aside for whatever it is you long to do or buy, but don’t ever let money get in your way of dreaming.
What are your dreams? Spend some time this week thinking about your dreams.
3 comments:
My big dreams are: get a PhD, travel to Australia. Smaller dreams: make more money to fun the big dreams...lol.
You're blog is giving me hope. I am a 22 year old college student with too many loans and not enough not enough money for bills. It is hard to find someone to relate to in a world where my peers' parents pay for their education and nobody else in my family has gone to college. I certainly need to be more frugal.
Enough about me. It's good to know that you have been in "tight" situations as well and now seem very happy. Thank you Martha :)
Thanks for reminding dreams are still achievable no matter how limited in resources. These kind of messages usually only pop up in feel good movies, and I haven't seen them for a while.
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