I believe it takes a dreamer to raise a dreamer. If you have given thought to this idea in your own life, and if you are living your own dreams, you will have forged the pathway along which you can guide others. I will be posting questions from my book, that I believe will inspire you, the adult dreamer to be more aware and also better prepared for this exciting adventure.
Begin by: Purchasing Raising A Dreamer by clicking here. Then after you receive your copy let me know if you have any questions, need a tip, &/or scroll down to bottom to add your comments here to share your Raising A Dreamer stories!
Chapter 1 invites you to know yourself as a dreamer and to
Get Ready…
Get Set…
Begin…
By asking yourself:
Was I raised to be a dreamer?
Then turn to the next page and answer this question!
Now the next questions to think about and answer are:
*
Do I consider myself a dreamer? Why?
*
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be?
*
And…the next questions are:
*
*
What have I always considered to be my greatest strengths? I love
people and want to help in any way possible. I feel I have a lot of
compassion towards others because I had to endure many things to get where I
am today. I tend to look toward the positive side of life and encourage
others to do the same. I feel I have become a good teacher because I have
the passion to learn. I know I can effectively communicate with others
because I feel like this is what I do best. I love to learn about other
people from different races, religions, and cultural backgrounds. I have
traveled to Europe three times, Japan, China, Mexico and all across the
United States.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? My greatest strength is my steadfastness and loyalty.
What have I always considered to be my greatest strengths? My love of helping other people with their problems and their work. I truly love working with kids.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? I am organized. I plan ahead and stay connected to family. I am committed to many causes, add my own ideas to get out of the box, and think for myself.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? I learn from my mistakes.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Endurance … ability to keep picking myself up, dusting myself off and starting all over again!
What have I always considered to be my greatest strengths?I am a good negotiator.
What have I always considered to be my greatest strengths? Patience and perseverance. Once I have an idea of it. It shall be done.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? My imagination.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Determination, stability, and willingness.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Loyalty and the ability to give.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Enthusiasm in the beginning of a process. A good peoples person, and sometimes a good leader· Very thorough in what I do
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Faith in a higher power……..without that I would be in a very difficult place in my life……faith that I CAN live a good life, be a good person, share, care give and receive all kinds of wonderful things………especially spiritual growth What have I always considered to be my natural talents and abilities? I love to write, I love to tell stories, I love to listen to people and what they are saying and what they are Not saying…….in other words, I like to look for the prize in the cereal box that no one else knew was there!
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? My sensitivity, my creativity, my ability to tell the truth to myself and others. I’m a hard worker and smart. I have an ability to fit into many situations and many different types of groups
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Curiosity, creativity, gratitude, persistence, ability to forgive.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? My greatest strength is organization. It takes some time management and keeping everything organized to jungle many different parts of life while working to make my dreams a reality.
What have I always considered to be my greatest strengths? Mentorship, teaching, non-judgment, compassion, strategy, desire for knowledge, curiosity, and joy.
What have I always considered as my greatest strengths? Being very Optimistic!…and I am always practicing and being: creative-imaginative-inquisitive-determined-curious-attentive-great sense of humor-organized-strong willed-confident-playful-spiritual-intuitive-intelligent.
What have I always considered to be my greatest strengths? The ability to connect and communicate with everyone, create amazing things out of what seems like nothing or disorganized bits and pieces, to be independent and not give up.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I believe I am a dreamer today because my mother and father both told me I could make any of my dreams come true!They always made sure I did whatever I had to, to succeed.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? As a young child I was encouraged to be an adventurer. Some of the experiences and events that led me to having the confidence in my wishes, hopes and dreams coming true were things like: Taking Piano lessons, Ice skating lessons, Camping, Hiking, Traveling with my family and being read to daily! Then as I reached my teen-age years; Cotillion-Dance classes, Clubs in High School, Cheer Leader, and all my school successes, Going to college, getting married, having children, finishing college, teaching (I was always creating and participating in many innovative programs as I continued to grow and learn too!) having grand-children, going back to school to get my Master’s Degree, then leaving the teaching world to create my own unique workshops, coaching practice, and writing my books!
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to
become, a dreamer? Early childhood foundation that has been described before (all the while growing up in poverty-but I did not know it).Learning to
play the clarinet helped me stay with something until accomplished. Being
involved with sports.I was a very good swimmer who won many medals in
different competitions. I loved making models and took great pride in my
work.I did well in school and was very social with many friends. I was
given an opportunity to attend Cal-State University in Long Beach which
totally changed my life for the better (I was given a chance to attend this
college due to a special program for minority students)I always felt I
should do my best because I was to be the first person in my family to
graduate from a university which I did with honors in May of 1973. I went
on to earn two Master degrees both with honors. I taught social studies,
English and art to high school students for close to twenty-five years and
loved it.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Having my daughter helped me focus in on my dreams instead of keeping them tucked away somewhere.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I was alone a lot as a child and HAD to be imaginative to fill my hours and I pretended to be many things, a teacher, a nurse, a writer at a big time paper………and I acted out these fantasies…….it was also a part of life then in my family at least, to dream of bigger and better things…….not so much material things, though that is good too, but fulfilling that which was within us to be.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Spending time alone. Being in nature/wilderness. being on the beach, and traveling for sure.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I was born with the need to actualize myself. As a child I didn’t have the drive to work hard towards a dream or anything. It was enough for me to get by. I wanted to fit in and be part of something. And to be a dreamer I had to become a separate individual with my own dream. And to be self-motivated.
In my twenties I started to work with Joyce and realized I needed to know myself and find out who I was and what I was born to be and do.
It takes a lot of work and commitment and perseverance. These qualities never came easily for me and I still struggle with them today after I know what my dream is.
In the past few years, with the help of a Chinese medicine physician and my own work in the field. I realized that to live my dream I must stay healthy and strive to health all the time. Only then, from a place of health can I pursue my dream and keep it alive all the time.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I was very shut down as a child, not being wanted in the household and expected to be more of a servant than a child-parents that were damaged, mourning the loss of their first child and still no idea who they were as people-any joy or happiness from me only served to make them more upset with me. I think that as a child, I dreamed up games and ways to make myself happy-then it became a habit to escape-then it became possibilities.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Military upbringing, crystal aura, books, curiosity. When I went to college, the first night, about 20 of us got together in a circle sitting on the floor and said what our fear was. Predictably, the girls said “I’ll never find a man”, “I will be poor”, “I won’t be able to have children”, over and over stating just boring things in my eyes. I said “a life of mediocrity”. My college girl posse – to this day – reminds me of that. Where that came from, I have no idea – but at age 17, sitting on that floor, I pretty much claimed publically that I would be a dreamer.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I always seemed to know that there was something more and that I could do anything I set my mind to.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Books were read a lot!! I remember all the Golden books, R.L. Stevenson, and so many more.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I think living in a small town in Idaho led me to dream of far away places,like California. When I took your Live Your Dream workshop Joyce I gave myself permission to Dream and an understanding of how and why it is so important to dream!
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Leaving home at 21 striking out on my own to Los Angeles was probably the first time I heeded an intuitive calling which initially created a need to survive, on my own, then the courage to seek help through counseling and metaphysical tools to begin to give myself permission to discover my dreams.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Lots of adventure and travel with my parents, but most of all READING. . . the Andrew Lang fairy and a juveniles series of biographies of famous achievers, from Madame Curie to A. P. Gianini. At age 8 I got special permission to take out ALL the books I carry from the library!!!
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? My family encouraged creative speculation and imaginative enterprises, and then supported us when we applied these skills.
My first Main Event was: When I was 14, I entered a recipe in the Pillsbury National Baking Contest. My mother encouraged me, though she warned me not to expect too much, because so many people would be submitting entries. (Over 10,000 entries were received that year) My recipe was chosen as one of 100 to be considered in the finals. 99 other people and I were sent on all-expense-paid trips to New York City for a week’s events, where we were to bake our entries in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to compete in the finals. There were three Senior prizes to be awarded, three Junior prizes to be awarded, three specialty awards, and two Grand Prizes. I have the honor and distinction to have been the first Junior Contestant ever to win a Grand Prize—I won Second Grand Prize in the 10th Pillsbury Grand National Bake-off in December, 1956—a few days after my 15th birthday!That experience sealed my fate! I have been a confirmed and dedicated dreamer and achiever of dreams since that “main event”. This experience confirmed for me that dreams do come true, if we help them transform themselves from tiny impulses into ideas, then through actions, into realities!
My second Main Event was: When I was applying for admission to colleges, I only chose two. Rice University and Sarah Lawrence College. My thinking was this. If I was accepted at Rice I would become a biologist and study genetics. (Just barely emerging as a field of study at that time—1960) If I was accepted at Sarah Lawrence, I would study writing and performing arts. (I was both an artist and a scientist as a child.) Now, everyone who supported my dreams was very concerned that I had “no backup” school. No backup plan. I just KNEW I would get one of the two. Entry to either institution was very competitive. As it turned out, again I was one of 100—accepted into the freshman class at Sarah Lawrence, and just as I’d planned I made the arts my field of endeavor, although I must admit I did keep up my interest in science, being employed for many years at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and at Jacobs School of Engineering—to write about and to administer aspects of—science.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? Through a friend, I was exposed to new concepts and ideas that opened doors for me. I would make one realization and then they kept building on each other, growing and growing.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I think I became a dreamer as a result of my love of reading and living in a neighbor hood full of boys and no girls to talk to
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? At age 45, I started teaching Creativity Seminars with the simple approach: You Are Creative! You May Have Lost It!You Can Reclaim It. These seminars gave a real boost to my own dreamer. As I realized that I had married Prince Charming for better and for worse but not to travel. I dreamed big and applied to teach on cruise ships. It worked and for the next 10 years I took 22 cruises and traveled all over the world.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I had a miscarriage that started me on the road to self discovery. Little by little the pieces began to come together. Also, watching my children get excited when they are doing something they love.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? My ballet lessons and performances fostered dreams of being on stage, my reading allowed me to dream of traveling.
What main events in my life influenced me to become, or not to become, a dreamer? I can’t think of things that have not contributed. It’s all a matter of how we see our life experiences. Everything has led me to dream, sometimes the most mundane things like sitting in Traffic School can be great to let the mind wander and create, dream and travel!!!
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? That I could be whatever I wanted to be.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? I can remember my father coming into my room when I was “daydreaming”. In his booming voice he would shout, “What’s going on in here?” Nothing was the answer which I dared not give as I knew it would not please him at all. There was tremendous pressure for academic performance and being an artist, a poet, a dreamer was not acceptable. Mother was a teacher so that seemed a safe bet!
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? I am one of four children that were all loved, protected and fed. There was never a doubt that my parents loved each other and all the extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There was never a word of criticism aimed at others choices or life styles. We were free to run barefoot ,climb trees, swim in the ocean, play tag, make cookies, and climb into the snuggly laps at the end of the day. We were all sheltered and loved. We did have boundaries like: don’t play in the street, don’t jump off the roof, don’t eat poison, don’t tease the cat, keep together as a family whenever we all want out together, don’t talk to strangers, and don’t talk back. These all provided guidelines to explore and thrive into what brought us delight!
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? My parents were very careful not to shape our dreams for us, but we would all be college graduates no matter what.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have?
I was told I can be and do anything. It took me a long time when I grew up to realize that not all options are open to me, and my job is to find who I am? And what’s best for me… and then go that way.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? Basically don’t rock the boat. At the same time, my mother was constantly ‘disobeying’ her mother and doing what she wanted.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? Oh yes I certainly was! My parents were both immigrants from Ireland and lived through the depression era while raising 6 kids…….they taught me, the youngest, to dream all kinds of dreams and to believe that in America, with an education, a dream and a vision I could do and be whatever I wanted to do. I have also raised 6 children of my own and taught them the same things……..and they are all living a good life and believe that great things are possible when you put action behind your dreams. I am still a dreamer and love it!
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to do, be and have? My mother taught me to believe I could become anything I wanted to become. My dad squashed that by saying study hard and become a teacher. My neighbor, the doctor, said all little girls should learn to mind, study hard and become a nurse. My best friend said lets run off to Alaska where the men out number the women 3 to 1. I wanted to be a farmer; bankers didn’t back girls in buying farm land and equipment in the 1950’s. I did actually get a Ford tractor and 17 acres in the 1990’s.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? I was supposed to be a mature, responsible person that grew up, went to college, got a job, and then still did whatever my parents said to do!
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have?? Mostly messages about being nice and doing my part from parents, and about using my intellectual potential from teachers.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? Very strong messages – you will be a mom and wife. And then, maybe a teacher, social worker, nurse…or if one was racy, a stewardess. My HS counselor, a man, when reviewing my high scores on SAT told me that I shouldn’t go to college as it would be a waste of my parent’s money since I would be a housewife. WHAT??? I just nodded and took it at truth – luckily, my parents wanted me to go.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? The messages that I got is that I was supposed to be perfect, not be seen or heard, not to put myself first and to “grow up” — which meant to behave as an adult.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have?? My parents mostly my mother, expected a well-behaved, clean, orderly little girl and as I got older, a good student. Career was not discussed and there was a vague expectation that I would go to college. My grandmother was an important influence and role model. She was strong, loving woman who worked as a custom dressmaker, ran the household and was a great cook.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? My Great Aunt always taught me about dignity. She lived through the Holocaust, her husband was killed in the camps, and yet, she lived her life with dignity and grace…Things no one could ever take away from her and she passed that on to me.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? Be a good girl, work hard, do something practical, not too much schooling unless you promise to finish and do what you went to school for. Find yourself something to support yourself until you get married.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? My parents made sure I knew that I could do anything I could conceive, and be anyone, I could believe myself being. There were no limits placed upon accomplishment, achievements, or personal fulfillment, except those which I might place upon myself.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? I got positive feedback for being “smart” and for always taking on a leadership role, at school, but especially at home, I was a second mother to my siblings, and the role I loved and was supported to be was one of helping others and trying to make the world a better place.
What messages did I receive as a child from my parents and other influential people about who I was supposed to be, do and have? That I could BE whatever I wanted to be, do whatever I wanted to do and have whatever I wanted to have! I also was told that I may have to work for it and that I should “see” it as mine. My mom took me to the Unity church and was always reading stories and inspirational sayings that were metaphysical and always thought provoking. (I did not know how much this influenced me until I started attending The La Jolla Church of Religious Science in my mid-forties and realized that many of my beliefs and habits came from my early years as a student of metaphysics.) All my teachers encouraged me to do, be and have what I wanted. They also praised me and almost all acknowledged my thirst for knowledge.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes. I can’t live without goals; short term goals and long term. When one goal is met I naturally replace it with another.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes…. I love to think about and dream about the possibilities of how different life could be if only…. I also try my best to pursue things that could lead to attaining the things I dream about.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Oh YES I am definitely a dreamer and have been criticized for that many times in my life by people who think differently than myself…..but it never stopped me…….I believe in believing and though there have been some rough times in my life, believing in dreams and being a dreamer has been a blessing to me and helped me to achieve things that others said couldn’t be done!!
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? I am a dreamer and more importantly, I am a doer. I work really hard at living my dreams.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, I do. I finally realized that my dreams were important and not silly, no matter what others thought. Without dreams, it is difficult to go very far in life.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes I do consider myself a dreamer now although I have to give myself permission to do so at times. Why, because I know there is so much more for me in life. And I believe if you can dream it, you can bring it into reality
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, I feel we all came into this world with a special gift to share with the world. Absolutely. Because I have made all of my dreams come true, one by one. I am working diligently on making the next ones manifest into reality right now.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, I feel we all came into this world with a special gift to share with the world. Absolutely. Because I have made all of my dreams come true, one by one. I am working diligently on making the next ones manifest into reality right now.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why?
Yes! For me being a dreamer is staying focused on being as healthy as I can be.
And I see that lately being healthy (body-mind-spirit) is something that I value more than anything.
When I am healthy, My thought and actions as right and smart. I’m better at my job, as a parent and husband, and in all my interactions.
When I’m healthy, I dream with my feet firmly on the ground.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, definitely a dreamer which I feel I synonymous with being a creator of one’s life, not living at the effect of circumstances and situations.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, I feel we all came into this world with a special gift to share with the world.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? I seem to be sure to go with my intuition more now and not fixate on any dream….dreams for most of my life were day dreams, goals, etc, but mostly as a way to escape where I was, because where I was ….wasn’t a happy, safe or comfortable place. Today, my attempts are to stay as “present” as possible…too much time in dreams causes me anxiety and fear of them not happening.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, I am a dreamer and a planner, I am currently wrestling with becoming unstuck and recommitting to the limitless possibilities and opening myself up to truly living my Divine purpose
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes, I volunteer and stay involved with friends and family .
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? Yes. I come up with ideas all day long. The ones that resonate and keep coming back turn into experiences. E.g. moving to San Diego alone, age 46, no job, no place to live except for a week to week studio I had reserved. I stayed in that 450 square foot nest for a year living my dream, building clients and a newly grounded life.
Do I consider myself a dreamer now? Why? YES ! I have a strong sense of what my life purpose is and a natural knowingness that I am here to be a dreamer who inspires other dreamers too! I think my conviction and commitment to fulfill my destiny and reach all my highest possible dreams is a good indicator that Joyce Chapman is a dreamer! I am a learner and if I want to know something I’ll find a way to learn, experience, achieve what it is I am to do. Most of all I want to realize what I want to realize mostly for myself.
I like to call myself an actualized dreamer and as I review and look at what I have accomplished so far gives me the clarity and drive to continue on.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream?My siblings and I played outside, played games , I learned to sew and be involved in some activity.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? No….I just wished and hoped a lot that life could be different and better.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? We would build a campfire under the dining room table out of Lincoln logs and a flash light and lay there and pretend by the hour…we were true pioneers.
As a child I received creative encouragement in the form of piano and ballet lessons. Ballet was my ongoing creative expression for many years of my life, On the other hand I was told not to bother with drawing, painting or singing as I was not talented in those areas. Wishing and hoping was confined to my private thoughts and it was not a subject discussed or explored with an adult.
When I asked myself this question, As a child was I encouraged to be creative, imaginative, and…to wish, hope and dream? My answer was, No, but I was also not discouraged.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? YES!
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? Indeed I was, I was a “writer” from the time I could put letters on a piece of paper…….of course, when I was 5 or 6, my words were not eloquent or even understandable sometimes, but my Mom cheered me on and applauded my dream to write.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream?
Same answer as my #1. I could do some dreaming, but had to stay within certain ‘parameters’ for it to be acceptable.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? I was told that I could do anything I wanted to if I went to school.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? At birthday parties – make a wish. Or break a wishbone, but no, we were to see life as “it is what it is” pretty much.
The question: As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope and dream? Again I would have to say NO! I saw my mother locked into the role of dutiful wife and doormat and I assumed that would to be my path too. My mother DID introduce me to sewing and this became a wonderful creative outlet for me. I made most of my own clothes for most of my teen years.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream? My answer is: We were always encouraged to use our imagination and our inner creativity in every way possible. Mother didn’t buy toys at the store. We made them. My mother was an artist, an inventor, a designer, an innovator. We did not have TV. We made up everything—We made up our own games.We wrote our own books (although my parents always bought the classics for us to read). And we told our own family stories. My mother used to say, “I didn’t have anything when I was a girl. We were so poor, that if I wanted something I had to make it myself!”
Good Question! “As a child was I encouraged to be creative, imaginative, and…to wish, hope and dream?” I don’t know if I was really encouraged. I wrote and put on plays for the neighbor kids. Put on beauty pageants too. Wishing, hoping and dreaming were thought to be a bit of a waste of time. (Parents viewpoint not mine.)
When I asked this question; As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative? To wish, hope, and dream?
I wote, Yes and No. I don’t remember that I was encouraged from my mom. She was always tired and didn’t really have much time for these things for me. My dad did push me to see, travel, see, have fun, go on hikes, find treasures etc… when I went to my dad’s home as a child he would prepare games and introduced magic to my life. This was a lot of fun! This is the fist time I’m acknowledging this in my dad, and it’s really exciting.
I asked myself: As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative, to wish, hope, and to dream? Thought about what I remembered for awhile, then wrote: We played in nature all the time, we did not watch TV. Having the unstructured playtime allowed for many hours of wandering, exploration and time to get to know myself and my surroundings. I don’t think that we wished much, it was a lot of realistic expectations about what was possible, it was not purposefully limiting, but I think inherently I was protecting myself from disappointment and never dared to dream as big as I could have.
As a child, was I encouraged to be creative and imaginative, to wish, hope, and to dream? YES! I was always encouraged that I could BE whatever I wanted to be, do whatever I wanted to do and have whatever I wanted to have! I also was told that I may have to work for it and that I should “see” it as mine.
Joyce, I have a question, What if I don’t know the answer to this first question. I know you are a journal coach is there another question I can ask myself to get to this answer?
Hi Mary, Happy New Year! If this was my question I’d write the question, Was I raised to be a dreamer? at the top of a new page in my journal and first I’d write “Yes”…then allow myself to just write what might want to come out. Then just for fun I’d write the question again and write “No” and once again just let whatever flows out of me, to be written. Then I’d reread both and give myself feedback as to what feel really “true.” So, have fun trying this and see what flows out!
Yes I was. My grandfather was the main source of encouragement and was great role model for me. He always would say things to me like, The best way to decide what to do every day is ask yourself what will make me feel good. He’s gone now and I can often almost hear him telling me, To follow my dreams! I feel so fortunate to have had him in my life!
I believe so. Mom and Dad were rather conventional, but we traveled a lot and I was able to see things that encouraged my mind and heart to dream.
Not really. In fact, I use to go off by myself so that I could be creative. (I was always creating something … a book, a card or some type of gift.) I even received a little pressure from my family that I should be with them watching TV, rather than in my room. They didn’t understand that being creative was more important to me than TV.
My mother would shove the vacuum cleaner and the waste can into the middle of the floor plug it in and then my mom, my brother and I sat on the floor and read to each other. If someone came to the door mom would say she was very busy at the moment and could she be excused from visiting. As the person left the porch they would hear the vacuum cleaner running and as soon as the coast was clear we went back to reading. The middle of the living room was always clean. We grew up reading other peoples dreams.
My immediate response is NO! My father was a surgeon and a Commander in the Navy. I have to say he ran a very “tight ship.”
Childhood was the beginning of huge inner conflicts for a strong “art spirit.”
Yes!
I imagine I was raised nurturing my dreams.
No I was not raised to be a dreamer. In fact, because of the number of children (seven) in my family, my working class father, born in England and seemed to carry the imprint that you do not educate daughters, did his best to provide the basics only. My parents were constantly worrying about money and the cost of things
No, but I always have been…I think that it was an escape for me to escape an unpleasant childhood.
Not in philosophy or modeling behavior or training, but in experiences, yes. My parents took us many places such as museums, camping in national parks, and a cruise on the Mississippi Delta Queen steam boat. That widened my scope of world perspective.
I was not raised to be a dreamer. When expressing my dreams, I was told to focus on something more realistic. This attitude killed my hopes and creativity until recently.
Yes, my parents always said reach for the stars. Always do your best, be polite, smile, be successful, stay positive, choose the right friends and follow rules.
No, I was not. In fact, I think it was rather I was discouraged.
No, but I was also not told dreaming was silly.
Oh yes I certainly was! My parents were both immigrants from Ireland and lived through the depression era while raising 6 kids…….they taught me, the youngest, to dream all kinds of dreams and to believe that in America, with an education, a dream and a vision I could do and be whatever I wanted to do. I have also raised 6 children of my own and taught them the same things……..and they are all living a good life and believe that great things are possible when you put action behind your dreams. I am still a dreamer and love it!
No, I wish I had been raised a dreamer. I was raised to be “practical”.
Yes, I would say I was raised to be a dreamer for a number of reasons, the most significant being that I am an only child. As such, I spent a goodly amount of time alone and, since it was pre-television, I did a lot of day dreaming and even more reading. Reading encourages questioning, speculating and dreaming.
NO! I was not raised to be a dreamer….the word “dreamer” in my house growing up, meant negative things like “head in the clouds” or “full of hot air” or “never amount to anything”…I believed that was true until I met you, and read your books and realized that I no longer needed or wanted that interpretation or belief as my own! To dream is to imagine. Now I can’t imagine a life without dreams!(So…thank you.)
I was raised with great love and support, kindness, family and hard work were valued. I was never discouraged, but I did feel the limitations of not being a “have not” raised catholic, I was encouraged to be humble and although in my small town I felt I could do anything after college I began to feel more limitations, but in short yes, my parents and grandparents were extremely loving and encouraging.
Yes and No. I don’t remember that I was encouraged from my mom. She was always tired and didn’t really have much time for these things for me. My dad did push me to see, travel, see, have fun, go on hikes, find treasures etc… when I went to my dad’s home as a child he would prepare games and introduced magic to my life. This was a lot of fun.
Oh, yes. One of my very first memories is “making a wish upon a falling star.”
To begin..by asking myself the first question, Was I raised to be dreamer, in my newly released Raising A Dreamer, I answered: YES! I was always encouraged, and supported, to pursue what I wanted to know more about. I asked lots of questions and was almost always answered. The adults around me seem to know that I wanted to understand the world/my world. I was also allowed to explore and try new things. As a child I dug caves, roamed the hills of my grandparents farm, had a playhouse that was like a second home for me and my friends, built a Tarzan hut above the chicken coop and swung from the roof to the ground on the limbs of a nearby tree, played dress ups, made clothes for all my dolls from the basket of scraps my mother had accessible near her sewing spot, climbed any tree where I could spend hours of daydreaming time, cut out and made paper dolls and created costumes so they could have different lives, went hunting and fishing with my dad and often spent time just sitting in the midst of nature and knew the wonder of the sky/clouds/rivers/the ocean and that there was more and as much magic I could dare to dream of!
Another reason I know that greatly influenced me is that mother woke me up every day with these words, Wake up it’s another beautiful day!”