“Back to life, back to the present time

Back from a fantasy, yes.”

I just came back from my first cruise. My husband and I traveled through the Caribbean, and it was heavenly. It took a long time for me to try a cruise, and I’m very glad I finally did. It exceeded my expectations in many ways. Meals were taken care of and they were DELICIOUS. There were activities and entertainment, as well as time for pure relaxation. For several days, I didn’t have a care in the world, but it couldn’t last forever.

Reality welcomed me back as soon as I stepped off the ship. The port was busy with people, traffic, and noise. Peace, tranquility, and bliss were out the window. In a split second, I was back in the real world.

Thankfully, I am content with my reality. Setting and reaching practical goals and dreams has made this possible. I created Spark to Freedom to encourage you to dare to dream again. The dreams I envision for you are grounded in attainable goals, goodness, and reality. I can’t wait to celebrate your wins.

What can derail us on our path to making our dreams come true?

· Buying things like clothes, jewelry, makeup, and big-ticket items and believing they will bring us happiness.

· Wasting time, whatever form that might take: mindlessly scrolling on social media, binge-watching shows, prioritizing other people’s needs at our own expense. The list goes on.

· Getting involved and invested in destructive relationships.

These distractions and obstacles drain our money, energy, and emotions. Two of your greatest resources, health and wealth, are redirected into others as yours are depleted. Before you know it, what may have seemed like a moment bliss can become a problem. Back to life, back to reality.

Thank goodness there is a way out. To succeed in life, you need to understand that reality is your friend. Wishing and dreaming can be fun, but if you don’t stay rooted in the real world, your thinking can become distorted.

My husband’s and my dream cruise could have been just that, a dream. But because of our planning and budgeting, we made our fantasy come true, while also making sure that coming back to reality wouldn’t be a painful wakeup call. We were conscientious when making purchases and choosing the experiences we wanted, so the trip was paid in full when it was over. We didn’t end up in a financial ditch.

Can you see yourself in some of these reality-based dreams?

· Being debt-free

· Having reliable transportation; owning a car

· Working in a profession you love

· Owning a home

· Providing a high-quality education for your kid(s)

· Making a bucket list of travel destinations

· Having money for retirement

Let’s make reality a friend and not a problem or nightmare. I see these dreams for you. I hope you do too.

The world wants you to think you are not enough. It wants you think you need more and that you need to be more. But it’s the constant pursuit of more, especially more of what others want, that will never be enough. You get to define what is enough for you.

Dare to dream again.