How to Embrace a New Dream And Let Go of the Old One

A number of years ago, the country group Rascal Flatts released a song called โ€œThese Days.โ€ It tells the story of a guy in a small town who accidentally runs into an old flame. She has since moved on with her life, but he canโ€™t stop dreaming about her.

In verse 1 he sings,

Yeah, life throws you curves,

But you learned to swerve.

Me, I swung and I missed

and the next thing you know, Iโ€™m reminiscing.

Dreaming old dreams,

Wishing old wishes,

Like you would be back again.

He has put his life on hold because he is still pining for her. Since there is no indication that she shares his feelings, he will forever be stuck in a time loop, wishing for a dream that will never become reality.

That can also be true in our creative lives. There are times when we want to embrace a new dream. But itโ€™s impossible to move toward a new dream while we are still clinging to an old one.

Old dreams vs. new dreams

How do you know the difference between an old dream and a new one? Here are a few guidelines:

  1. An old dream represents something that will probably never happen. A new dream represents something that is possible. (That doesnโ€™t mean itโ€™s easy, just possible.)
  2. An old dream is rooted in the past. A new dream pulls you into the future.
  3. An old dream is familiar and comfortable. A new dream is fresh and exciting.
  4. An old dream distracts you from your current goals. A new dream pulls you toward your current goals.
  5. An old dream brings negative energy into your life because it represents a loss. A new dream brings positive energy into your life because it represents abundance.
  6. An old dream is all about something passively happeningย toย you. (โ€œI wish this would happen.โ€) A new dream is all about you taking action to achieve something.

Read 9 Teachings of Confucius, That Will Effectively Alter Your Priorities In Life

If old dreams are so bad, why do we hang onto them?

We cling to old dreams because they are comfortable. They give us a sense of emotional security. We have fed them, nurtured them, journaled about them, talked about them, worried about them, and given them lots of attention.

When I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend. As I grew older and became more mature, I no longer needed the security the imaginary friend provided. When it comes to old dreams, sometimes we hang onto them well into adulthood. We canโ€™t let go even though they donโ€™t align with reality.

Too Many Of Us Are Not Living Our Dreams

Learning to let go

If you want to fully embrace a new dream for your life, you must first let go of the old one. You can only receive what God has for you with an open hand. If your fists are clenched because youโ€™re holding onto an old dream, you canโ€™t receive what God has for you.

Here are three actions you can take to help you let go of an old dream:

1.Let the old dream die.

There is a certain dream I have been holding onto for about twenty years. (It has nothing to do with my job as a college professor.) Over the last couple of years I have come to realize three things:

  • The dream is probably never going to happen.
  • The dream is no longer relevant to my life. I donโ€™t even really want it to happen, but am having trouble letting go.
  • My emotional attachment to this dream is dragging me down.

When an old dream is no longer serving our current or future goals, we have to let it go. Itโ€™s hard and itโ€™s painful, but itโ€™s necessary for our growth as artists.

Read 5 Ways You Can Let Go Of Regrets In The New Year To Be Happy

2. Stop โ€œdriving byโ€ your old dreams.

Brad Paisley has a great song called โ€œPressing on a Bruise.โ€ Itโ€™s all about our tendency to keep poking at an old wound. As he is mourning a lost relationship, he sings,

I could start a new life, I could move on

I could do a drive by and see if youโ€™re home

Itโ€™s tempting to keep โ€œdriving byโ€ the old dream.

Have you ever spent hours journaling or talking to others about your old dream? Itโ€™s easy to devote hours to wondering why it hasnโ€™t happened or trying to figure out what went wrong.

Have you spent time on Facebook stalking people who are connected to the old dream? Checking up on them? Wondering why it was them, and not you?

Are you having trouble moving on? Maybe itโ€™s because you keep driving by the old dream โ€œjust to seeโ€ what is going on there.

3. Actively work on the new dream.

Do you want to write a book? Make a transition into a new career? Learn to paint? Start a business? If so, you must do the work to make your dream happen.

Dreams are like plants. They must be fed and nurtured. The way we feed and nurture them is by doing the consistent work that will bring success.

It can be difficult to find the time and emotional energy to work on our dreams. Here are a few resources to help you:

Read Soul Revival: 6 Ways To Discover Your Purpose In Life

4. Surround yourself with people who will pull you toward the new dream.

What would happen if you love coffee but you are surrounded by people who canโ€™t stand it? You will soon feel bad about loving coffee. On the other hand, if you hang around coffee people, you will fuel your passion and grow your expertise.

Whatever your dream is, you must find your โ€œpeepsโ€ who are passionate about the same thing and have a similar perspective. The synergy of ideas and community will help you go faster and further than you could on your own.

Every Monday morning I meet with my mastermind group. These three guys are a key part of my support network as I work on my writing and life goals. I also have a couple of great writer friends whom I talk with on a regular basis.

A few months ago I joined theย 48 Days Eagles Community. It has been a great source of inspiration and encouragement as well.

Iโ€™ve heard it said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Who are these five people in your life, and are they taking you in the direction you want to go?

Pruning is hardย but necessary

When I was aย kid,ย my grandfather would sometimes recruit me to help prune his apple trees. I learned at a young age that you have to remove some unnecessary limbs so the whole tree can be healthy.

Itโ€™s hard to let go of a dream we have nurtured for many years. But itโ€™s a key part of the process of stepping into a new dream and becoming fully awake to the great things God wants to bring to life through your creative powers.

Read 10 Steps to Manifest Your New Year Visions

Have you ever had to let go of an old dream so you could fully pursue a new one?

Related Video: 10 Signs from the Universe That You Are Walking The Wrong Way


Written by Kent Sanders
Originally appeared on KentSanders

How to Embrace a New Dream And Let Go of the Old One

— Share —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

Am I Motivating Myself or Just Pushing Myself?

Motivation Myself or Pushing Myself Redefining

Am I truly motivating myself or just pushing too hard? Andrea asks a reflecting question if itโ€™s inspiration or unrelenting pressure. Let’s find out more about it!

Personal Perspective: The bracelet is inscribed โ€œKeep Going.โ€ Can I?

Motivating Myself Or Pushing Myself?

This bracelet inscribed โ€œKeep Goingโ€ was originally meant to inspire me because last year was a t

Up Next

Things People Learn Too Late In Life: 7 Eye-Opening Life Lessons

Things People Learn Too Late in Life Eye Opening Life Lessons

Life is full of unexpected events and sometimes there are things people learn too late. Though some lessons come with age and experience, as time goes by, we often wish we had known some important truths sooner.

These moments of truth can be very shocking as well as transformative, they help us live authentically, appreciate what truly matters, and make the most of our time. Below are seven crucial life lessons people learn too late and can still change the way they approach life.

7 Things People Learn Too Late In

Up Next

Anger and Emotions: What’s Really Setting Us Off?

Anger and Emotion Whats Really Setting Us Off

Ever wonder whatโ€™s really fueling your anger and emotions? Discover how a mindful approach can help you regain inner peace in your life!

Taking a mindful approach to exploring why we are angry.

Key points

Anger is a secondary emotion.

Anger is a warning sign that lets us know there is an issue to address.

Knowing what we are feeling will help us to address the source of our anger.

Anger can hit us when we least expect it. There are some people who get angry and not know what they are angry about. The

Up Next

How I Hacked My Personality: Steps To Be The Better Version Of Myself

How I Hacked My Personality

Can we truly reshape our personalities for lasting change? Discover Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala’s article “How I hacked my personality” and learn how small shifts in mindset and behavior can lead to meaningful transformation in your life.

A Personal Perspective: Science-backed strategies for intentional trait change.

Key points

Research suggests that personality changes over time.

We can speed up personality change by taking intentional action.

Changes that are reinforced by the environment are easier to maintain.

Up Next

Women Empowerment: The Rebecca Effect in “Ted Lasso”

Rebecca Effect In Ted Lasso Women Empowerment

Can women turn negative experiences into empowerment? Discover the โ€œRebecca Effectโ€ from Ted Lasso and transform your personal trials into powerful self-acceptance!

Personal Perspective: Empowering women to transform shame and betrayal.

Key points

“Ted Lasso” inspired with imperfect, endearing characters whose trials and transformations mirrored our own.

The โ€œRebecca Effectโ€ is the empowerment and transformation possible when we have been oppressed or shamed.

The “Rebecca Effect” is the process through which women embrace themselves in totality.

Up Next

The Healing Power of Emotional Tears

The Healing Power of Emotional Tears

Ever wondered why we shed emotional tears? Tears serve a healing purpose. Explore how it plays an important role for our well-being.

Emotional tears are an expression of our shared humanity.

Emotional tears, expressed by children, teens, and adults, are a universal experience observed across the globe. Emotional tears play a healing role, leading to our emotional and physical well-being. This post explores the value of emotional tears and the importance of presence and support from family and friends during unexpected

Read More Here: โ€œWhy Am I Always On The Verg

Up Next

10 Important Weekly Reflection Questions You Need To Ask Yourself

If you feel stuck and want to keep track of your goals every week, then weekly reflection questions can really help you. Weekly reflection questions can help you check in with yourself and make sure youโ€™re headed in the right direction. These are the questions you need to ask yourself every week to keep growing and moving forward.

Have you ever had a week with so much going on that you end the week feeling overwhelmed and exhausted? I know I have been there. Sometimes, the week goes by so fast that itโ€™s over before I know it, and there is no time left to process it.

A weekly reflection can help evaluate if what you are doing is working. It fosters self-growth. So, pull out that weekly reflection journal and answer the weekly reflection prompts below.