ARTICULATE The Dream…

You’ve been here before…

You’re walking out of work, it’s been a full-on day and there is an event tomorrow evening that you must be prepared for.  As you step towards your car, you begin to recall the items needed that you’ve accumulated throughout the day…. milk, butter, toilet paper… those are the easy ones. But you work to focus and recall the non-familiar items that will make this event delightful and memorable.

With the turn of the key in the ignition, music fills the car… you had been working on a successful attitude on your way to work this morning.

As you pull out of the car park, you dodge traffic, waiting for an easier drive to bring clarity to what you need to pick up at the store.

Pulling into the parking lot, you grab keys and cart, and move past the automatic doors.  The cool air greets your warming body as you mutter the items needed in hopes of not forgetting.

The bouquet of colors in the produce section catch your eye and immediately awakens your mind to create a meal, as your hunger begins to speak up, “It’s been a long time since that granola bar this morning at eleven.”

You detour for just a moment and add a sampling of colors that ignite the image of a grilled salmon steak and fresh tossed pasta in a bath of olive oil, garlic and Romano cheese.  Ahh… home.  There is nothing like home… The thought quietly rises up like the fragrance of fresh bread.  The thought of being embraced by the sanctuary of home begins to drive you through the store with a hurry in your step.

“Focus,” you tell yourself, as you attempt to shake off the distraction that has now gone from the obvious to the subconscious… moving you through the isles looking at things that nurture the longing to be home; shoes off, slouched onto the cozy couch and surrounded by love.

You speak up, to pull your thoughts in line, as you go through the list in your mind that seems to have been eaten by the distractions—like the dog who ate the student’s homework when the teacher requested it’s whereabouts.

“I should have written this down.  I should have made a list.”  Your face grows stern and you walk the remaining isles thinking and recalling what was needed.

You stand at the register to check out, watching each item as they are scanned and weighed, hoping to mark them off the vague shadow of a list you meant to write.

Bags in hand, you rush to the car, load up your items and pull out of the parking lot with mixed emotions.  What began as a purposeful stop in preparation and provision for this important event, transformed into a creative and nurturing distraction that resulted in confusion, anxiety, doubt and …“I FORGOT THE DESSERT!”

Your hand hits the steering wheel in utter frustration of the missed opportunity that will cause a new plan to be put in place.

You drive home singing the song, ‘Bad Girl’, and it isn’t the one by Donna Summers.

ARTICULATE—TO EXPRESS AN IDEA OR FEELING FLUENTLY AND COHERENTLY; TO PRONOUNCE SOMETHING CLEARLY AND DISTINCTLY.

Had you articulated the outcome of the shopping event, you would have flowed through the isles fluently, moving with ease and grace—gathering the items needed; coherently moving past the distractions, logically ordered and coordinated in the plan of action.

We laugh to ourselves uncomfortably because we have all been here before, and although frustrating—in the big picture of life, it’s not something we should let move us.

Yet, how many of us do this with a dream?  A vision? A desired destiny or outcome?  How many of us play with it in our mind, pulling it up when reminded, then allowing the colors of life and the comfort of our now, distract us and push us to move through the isles and choices of life wondering what we need or what we have missed?  We find ourselves standing in lines, waiting for our turn or waiting to check out wondering what we missed along the way—all because we didn’t ARTICULATE the dream.

We didn’t express the ideas, the potential, or the purpose and then nurture it with feelings of fulfillment and significance that bring great joy.  We might have jotted down a few notes or shared sound bites to various people, but never fluently and coherently drafted the dream so that we could pronounce it clearly and distinctly.

Had we done that, we would’ve moved through life with greater ease and grace.  We would have gathered the people and possibilities.  We would have had focus of purpose and coordinated a plan of action through the ebb and flow of life.  We would end up standing in line, peaceful, thankful, and grateful for the amazing experience and when we checked out, it wouldn’t be with regret…but with satisfaction that we got what we came for, we did what we were here to do and we impacted the people that needed our presence.

Today, I draw attention to your heart’s desires and dreams; that you would heed their call.  There is a purpose you are here to fulfill.  There are people you need to touch and impact.  There is a joy and significance you are here to obtain and enjoy.

Take time to articulate what that is.  Take time to use language—easily and accurately, to paint the image in your mind.  Allow the pen to begin to effortlessly show its mastery as you purpose to allow your heart to pen its cry, its passion, what it longs to do and be on the earth.  Allow your heart to boldly and courageously write the vision and to make it plain, so that throughout each day you will seize the right opportunities and touch the right people and tap into the joy of your creation….ARTICULATE.