Dreams do come true

Three years ago, I could barely say my dream aloud. Today, I’m living it. Back then, a friend asked me about my ideal job. I meekly squeaked out my answer: I wanted to pursue my passion at home while raising my children. At the time, it felt like a faraway dream. Growing up amid active alcoholism, I was used to keeping my focus on others and neglecting myself. I didn’t know what I enjoyed, what I was good at, or where I fit in.

Although my colleagues commended my smart, strategic mind, I spent almost a decade in a dead-end job at an organization I didn’t respect. I certainly hadn’t applied my smarts and strategic skills to my own life. Instead, I naively hoped my dream job would miraculously come to me. I also felt paralyzed by fear.

Thank goodness for Al‑Anon. Over the past three years, I have worked my program with my Sponsor as my guide. Like adventurous archeologists, we have excavated the real me and uncovered my natural talents. Now, I respect and honor my abilities, taking time each day to hone my craft. By mapping out a rational plan and diligently working away at it, I have reached my dream. I feel exhilarated! A friend put it best: Dreams without action are just fantasy. I feel so grateful for Al‑Anon’s gentle encouragement to finally choose to take steps toward my dreams rather than continue to fantasize.

By Lisa G., Ontario
The Forum, August 2016

Feel free to reprint this article on your Web site or in your newsletter, along with this credit line:
Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al‑Anon Family Group Hdqts., Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.