This is my favorite session. I've been looking forward to this for so long. We're going to have a dream session now.
We're going to think about what is God calling us to in the future? What is stirring in our hearts? What is stirring in our souls? And how can we encourage that in ourselves? How can we encourage that in other people? As human beings, we have some incredible abilities. The ability to live life is an incredible gift. The ability to choose to decide free will is extraordinary ability.
We talk a lot about these two, but the third we don't talk that much about is the ability to dream is the ability to look into the future and imagine something bigger and better in the future and then come back into the present and live in the present moment and and work to bring about that big a future. That's an astounding ability, the ability to dream. But we don't dream enough. We don't encourage others to dream enough. And very often we stop dreaming a different time in our lives. We just stop dreaming. And maybe that's where you are tonight.
Maybe that's where you are tonight. Maybe that's where you've been. Maybe that's where you are. And this is a great opportunity for us to dream again, for us to open our hearts and minds, our souls, to the bigger future, to a better future, to two amazing possibilities. And so we're going to talk about dreams. We're going to have a dream session. We're going to dream together with God. Before we do that, I want to share with you not rules, but some guidelines. The first one is don't don't judge your dreams.
You're going to think about dreams as we go through this process in the next 15 minutes. And let me tell you this, 15 minutes can change your life. I know that for sure. I've seen it happen hundreds of times this fifteen minutes. It can change your life. And I know you're out there in cyberspace and maybe distractions around you, but focus in now. Give me this next fifteen minutes and God will give you a bigger future. I'll give you a better future. He'll be he'll show you the dreams he's placed in your hearts.
Don't judge your dreams. You're going to think about dreams as we go through this process. Don't judge them, just write them down, type them into comment power or write them down. Don't judge your dreams. Don't limit your dreams. One of the key factors to succeed in almost anything at life is the ability to allocate scarce resources. You've only got so much time, you've only got so much energy, you've only got so much money. And our ability to allocate those scarce resources in our personal lives and our families and our businesses and our organizations is essential to success.
But that ability holds us back when it's time to dream and tonight it's time to dream. So we got to set aside the ability of scarce resources to allocate scarce resources. We've got to set aside scarce resource mentality. We've got to go into abundant resource mentality and to see what great dreams God has placed in our hearts tonight. The third thing I want you to think about as you go through the dream process is don't edit your dreams, donated your dreams.
Don't say, Oh, I would love to do that, but I wouldn't never be able to do that because of this or that would never happen because of that. Don't do that. Don't edit your dreams. Don't judge your dreams. Don't get into scarce resource thinking. Just let go dream through you. Let's just see what dreams are in your hearts and souls. I'm going to take you through some questions. I'll take you through a series of questions. I want to write down whatever comes to you or type it in the comment bar, whatever you prefer. Come up with other dreams as we go through the process.
You're going to have dreams coming into your hearts and minds that are nothing to do with the question whatsoever. Just write them down. Just write down your dreams. Just shut them down typing the comment. But as a matter of relates, the question doesn't relate to the question. The goal is to get to 100 dreams. They're not going to get 100 dreams tonight and take you through about 17, 18 questions. We're going to get you a bunch of dreams tonight down on paper, hopefully. But the goal is to get to 100 dreams. And hopefully when we're done, you continue this process. The next few days, you get to 100 dreams and then you'll start to spend time with you, with your dream list.
I'm telling you, even if you wrote down a list 100 dreams, put it in a drawer for three years, came back three years later, open up the drawer, looked at the list and be amazed at how many of those dreams you accomplish just because you wrote them down. So write them down just because you wrote them down. Now, I'm not recommending you should write the list and put it in a drawer for three years. Never look at it again for three years. I'm not recommending that. I look at my dream list all the time. I take it to prayer, you know, I take it out sometimes. Just spend some time with my dream. Let's look at, OK, what dreams is God calling to me?
What dreams is God calling me to next. So write down your dreams as many as you can come up with as we go through the process. If we move on to another question, you haven't answered the last question. Just move on. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. God's not speaking to you around that question. Just ignore it. Just move on. Just stay with us. So question number one, what's something you did as a child? Did you like to do again? What's something you did as a child that you'd like to do again?
Maybe maybe went fishing with your grandfather, you know, maybe went hiking as a kid, maybe used to love riding a bike as a kid, swimming in the lake, visiting the lake or reading certain types of books. What is it what is it that you did as a kid that you really love to get back in and do again, write it down, jot it in the comments by question number one, what is something you did as a child that you would like to do again? Moving along, question number two, if you could have lunch with any living person, who would you want to have lunch with?
If you could have lunch with anybody in the world, who is that that you want to have lunch with? Maybe it's your favorite movie star. Maybe it's your favorite musician, maybe it's your favorite actor. Maybe there's just somebody in public life at the moment you'd love to have lunch with. Maybe you'd love to go back and have lunch with your fourth grade teacher. Maybe I'd love to go back and have lunch with your your football coach or your baseball coach or your volleyball coach. You can have lunch with any living person.
Who would you want to have lunch with? Moving on, question number three, question number three, if you could learn any language other than the languages you presently speak, what language would you want to learn? When to learn French, love to learn French and go to Paris, spend some time in France. Maybe you would love to learn Chinese. Maybe you'd love to learn an African language. Maybe you'd love to learn German, maybe left alone Latin. If you could learn any language, what language would you want to learn?
Now we tend to put these limitations on ourselves. We tend to say, ah, never been good with languages. That's that scarcity thinking I was talking about earlier. That's that limitation thinking I was talking about you earlier. Don't worry about that. If you could learn to speak any language, what language would you want to learn to speak? Moving along, question number four, what fear do you dream of overcoming? We've all got fears and fears, placing enormous limitations on our lives. What fear? If you could overcome any fear, what fear would you want to overcome?
Maybe you won't overcome the fear of flying. Maybe you want to come off, overcome the fear of spiders. Maybe you want to overcome the fear of certain social situations. Maybe you want to overcome the fear of not succeeding. Maybe you won't overcome the fear of failing. What fear do you dream of overcoming if you could overcome any fear question of a fight, if you could improve any one aspect of your home, could change anything about your home, what would you want to change?
Maybe you want to improve the basement. Maybe you want to finish the basement. Maybe you want to just clean up maybe on an empty out the garage so you can get your car back in the garage. Maybe you want to pick your house up and put it down by the beach. If you could change any one thing about your home, what would you want to change? Maybe you want a new kitchen, maybe want to renovate your bathroom. You could change any one thing about your home. What would you want to change now?
Most people, we just write down one thing, because that's the question, right? If you could change any one thing, if you could improve any one aspect of your home. So our limitation thinking goes straight into the limitation. Just like we were talking about in the first session, we don't see so many possibilities because we hone in on these limitations, but what if you could change two things about your home or three things or five things? Jot them down, write them all down as quick as you can. Come up with them, jot them down.
Question number six, if you could have front row tickets to any show, any live experience, if you could have front row tickets to any show, which would you choose? You've got a favorite band. You've got a favorite show. What sort of live entertainment experiences do you like, do you like going to the ballet, like going to the symphony, like going to the playhouse, like live music? You like jazz.
What is it that you would love to have that? Intimate front row experience. Who would you love to have that with? Where would you like to have that with, when would you like to have that? Front row live experience, question number seven, what spiritual habit would you like to develop if you could really get good at one spiritual habit, could really ingrain one spiritual habit into your life? What spiritual habit would you would you like to develop?
Maybe it's that habit of daily prayer. Maybe you've been tinkering around with it at different times in your life, but never really driven it deep into your life. Now's the time to drive it deep into your life, drive it deep in your life. Maybe you want to study the scriptures. Maybe you've been intimidated with the scriptures. Maybe they've never really taken to you or you've never really take it to them or you've never really given them a chance. And maybe you wouldn't want to create a daily habit of reflecting on the scriptures.
Maybe it's reading, maybe it's spiritual. Reading has changed so many people's lives. Maybe just want to develop that habit of spiritual reading. Maybe there's other. Spiritual traditions, new ancient that you want to explore, that you want to drive deep into your life. Question number eight, question number eight, if you could learn to play any musical instrument, which would you choose?
I learned to play piano in my teens, I love playing the piano, but pianos are not very mobile and I've loved traveling with Elliott over the years and he's incredibly talented musician. If if I could learn to play any musical instrument, I choose the guitar. I'd love to be able to play the guitar half as good as Ellie can play the guitar. But what's your musical instrument? Maybe a musical instrument is the guitar or the piano or the violin.
What's your musical instrument if you could learn to play any musical instrument. Question number nine. Question number nine. What hobby have you always wanted to explore? What hobby have you always wanted to explore? You could explore any hobby, what would it be, maybe you want to write a book, maybe you want to write music, maybe you want to do some gardening, maybe you want to research your family tree, maybe you want to study photography. Maybe you want to go back to school.
But what hobby have you always wanted to explore, and is now the time to explore it? Question number nine. Question number 10. What virtue do you want to exemplify your life? Write it down most of the questions about one thing, but you can write down three things or five things or whatever comes to your mind. What virtue do you want to exemplify your life? Maybe you want to be known as a patient person. Maybe you want to be known as a generous person.
Maybe you want to be known as a person with compassion and empathy. What virtue do you want to exemplify your life? Maybe. Maybe it's courage. Maybe that's your virtue. You want to be known for your courage, write it down. Maybe there's more than one. Write them all down. Question number 11. Question number 11, which person from your childhood would you most like to reconnect with now? So often there have been so many great teachers in my life.
There's been so many people in my life who have touched my life deeply. I've had enormous influence on my life. And what I've discovered is that. When I was a kid, I didn't realize they were having this impact on my life and even as adult as a young adult, very often people are having an enormous impact on my life. I didn't realize that having an impact on my life. So many of those people I love to go back and think so many of those people I love to go back and have lunch with.
Coaches and teachers and friends and all sorts of people I'd love to reconnect with, which person from your childhood would you most like to reconnect with? A question of a 12? Which relationship would you most like to improve? Which relationship in your life would you most like to improve? That doesn't mean it's bad. It doesn't mean it could be a great relationship. And you want it to be even better.
But maybe those relationships in your life that aren't going great, maybe you got a relationship with a sibling or relationship with a friend or relationship with a parent even. Relationship with a colleague at work that you just you want it to be better because you know that if that relationship is better, your life will be better for you and for them and for everyone around you, which relationship would you most like to improve in your life? And don't limit yourself to one.
Maybe there's one that above all else you'd like that relationship to improve, but maybe there's several relationships you'd love to improve in your life. Question number 13, if you could live anywhere in any city for six months, where would you want to live? If you want to live in Rome, maybe want to live in London, maybe you want to live in Sydney, maybe you want to live in Paris, maybe you want to live in a quiet little place out in the middle of nowhere.
You want to live in a quiet little place for six months and read reflect. You could live anywhere in the world for six months. Where would you want to live? I live by the beach, I live in the mountains or live somewhere. You've lived before or live somewhere you've always dreamed of living. Would you want to live? Question number 14. If you could eat meat, if you could meet any five people in history, any period of time, living or dead, who would you want to meet?
If you could meet any five people from any time in history. Who would you want to meet for a lot of people? Top of the list would be Jesus. Top of the list would be Jesus. But who else who are the five people in most like to meet in history? What would you like to ask him again? Maybe there's a favorite author or a favorite musician or a public figure of some type that you've always thought about or that's had an influence on you.
If you read a lot about what would you ask them if you met them? You can meet any five people. Question number 15, what addiction would you most like to overcome? What addiction would you like to overcome? Would you like to be free from? And how would that change your life? We've all got addictions. We've all got addictions. Yes, some people have debilitating addictions. Some people have addictions that that rocked their lives and their very selves to the foundation.
But we all have addictions, you know, some people addicted to coffee, some people are addicted to having a remote control for the television set all the time. Some people are addicted to everything being in the right spot, some people addicted to chocolate. Other people are addicted to chocolate. And still some more people are addicted to chocolate. But what what are your addictions? What's an addiction you'd love to overcome? You'd love to be free from? And how would you like, be different if you were free from that addiction?
Question number 16, what is your dream job? What's your dream job? If you could do anything and get paid to do it? What is it that you would most like to do professionally? What is it that you would most like your career to be? What is your what is your dream job? Now, you might think getting at this limitation, thinking again, you might think, oh, that's my dream job is never possible, write it down anyway or type it in the comment to get it down. Why is it so important to write it down?
Because this there's something about, you know, proclaiming it to the world. There's something about putting it into reality, taking it out of our mind and putting it down on paper or typing it out. There's something about that that already begins to bring it to life. And your dream job. It might be unattainable. It might be unattainable. But by putting it down, what begins to happen in our hearts and minds and souls, God begins to converse and conspire with our hearts and our minds and souls.
And very often he'll bring about something between where we are now and and what our ultimate dream job is. And it would be an incredible possibility. It'd be amazing possibility. So what's your dream job? Question number 16. Question number 17, if you can vacation in any five places in the world over the next five years, one great vacation a year every year for the next five years, where would you go? Where would you go? Maybe Australia.
The first year and maybe the second year back to Australia and then probably back to Australia again the third year, because it is it is the land down under. It is the it's an incredible country. It's a continent. Let's remember that. It's an island in a continent. It's incredible place. Maybe New Zealand, it's close to Australia, maybe London, Rome, Paris. Where is it you would love to go on vacation? Mountains, beaches, golf courses.
What are your dream? Vacations, question number 18. Who do you most want to express gratitude to, there are almost a billion people on the planet now, almost eight billion people on the planet now and about thirty seven point seven billion of them go to bed hungry every night just for an honest word of appreciation and honest word of gratitude. Who do you most want to express our gratitude to? Who do you most want to share your appreciation with? Question number 18.
Maybe there's more than one person and get more than one people down. Jot them down. Don't limit yourself. And question number 19. What qualities do you most want to be remembered for? What qualities do you most want to be remembered for jotting down? Maybe you want to be known as a patient person. Maybe you want to be known as a generous person. Maybe you want to be known as a dreamer. Maybe you want to be known as a person who sees amazing possibilities not only in themselves, but also in other people. Hopefully you've got a great list of dreams started there.
As the days and weeks go after the event, I really want to challenge you, I would encourage you to put together a list of 100 dreams, 100 dreams, no doubt your dreams after the event tonight. Keep putting the dreams together. Put together a list of 100 dreams. And take time, from time to time to revisit them, take them to your prayer, sit with God, sit with your dreams, talk to God about your dreams, because it's in that magical moments that amazing possibilities feel a little bit closer, feel a little bit more possible.
Matthew Kelly
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