Teamwork Makes The Dream (Actually) Work

The beautiful thing about dreams is that we all have them. The universal thing about dreams is that we are all told to chase them. The magical thing about dreams is that they can come true. The reality about dreams is that sometimes they don’t come true when we want them to. The worst part about dreams is that sometimes they don’t come true at all. 

Certainly, not all of my dreams have come true. I’m not living on a 50-acre farm somewhere with my horses, my giant sheepdog, and my personal chef, but I have had dreams come true and I did have one big dream come true this year. Watching my dream become a reality over the last 12 months taught me many valuable lessons, but perhaps the most important one was that this dream never would have come true without a team… my team.

The specifics of my dream don’t really matter, and the specifics of my team are probably different from yours, but those are minor details. All you need is your dream and your team.

Let me introduce you to mine in hopes of inspiring yours:

1. Team Parents. I am fortunate enough to still have both my parents with me, and they are both a huge part of my team. They are my supporters, my encouragers, my cheering section, and a part of my motivation.  At 44 years of age, I still want to make them proud, and I still love hearing when I have made them proud. I am so lucky that they are a part of my team. They win the “longest standing team member” award.

2. Team Husband. Anyone who knows my husband knows that he is my biggest fan. Sometimes I have to roll my eyes at him because he is obnoxiously proud of me, but I can’t imagine making my dreams become a reality without him by my side. He is the true definition of a partner and a teammate, and I could not be the mother, the wife, the employer, and the student that I am without him and his support. He wins the “loudest and proudest” award. 

3. Team Neighbors. Neighbors are God’s little blessing in my life. They offer wisdom, support, and encouragement at exactly the right moment. I am blessed to know that my home is surrounded on all sides with neighbors that love us, look out for us, and would drop anything to help us when needed. My neighbors win the “always there when I need them” award.

4. Team Girlfriends.  No matter how long I’ve known them or how much we see each other, I have a great group of girlfriends that understand when I go days without responding to a text message or when I randomly pop in on a group conversation just trying to catch up with everyone. They know and understand that sometimes I’ll send a ranting text because I just needed to vent to someone, and that ranting text may come at 5:30 in the morning.  They understand that I “responded in my head,” but never actually hit “send.” Girlfriends see you through the good times and don’t hold the bad times against you. Girlfriends win the “I got your back, girl” award.

5. Lastly, Team Faith. I firmly believe that God directs my path. He cracks doors open for me, sometimes swings them open for me, and clearly slams some right in my face when I’m too stubborn to listen. Even though I can’t see the path ahead of me, I can clearly see the path behind me. It is lit with both confusion and clarity, but a beautiful journey, nonetheless. Whatever your faith is, let it be a part of your team. It’s the quietest teammate by far. Sometimes it cheers you on silently, sometimes nudges you gently, and sometimes pushes you so hard that you swear it’s a real person. Faith wins the “don’t forget about me because I will never forget about you” award.   

That’s my team! That’s who I have relied on to make my most recent dream become a reality. So, who is your team?

Oh wait! I forgot the most important team member. 

YOU.

You are capable. You are strong. You are worth it. You can do it.