I Have Small Dreams
and there's nothing wrong with that
A quaint cabin to call home.
Someone to love me.
Family nearby.
A little garden to grow flowers.
Work that fulfills me.
And always feeling close to a forest.
The things I dream about for my life are simple. I do not dream of earning X amount of dollars, just enough to support myself with some breathing room. I do not dream of a big house or the newest car, just a little cabin surrounded by nature and something that will reliably take me where I need (and want) to go. I don’t dream of massive achievements, going viral or being known by many, just moments spent writing and taking photos and sharing those things with people who find value in them.
I think we’ve all been encouraged to dream big, to reach for the stars — anything else is settling for less than we deserve. Looking back on most of my life, I’ve never really had such dreams. In truth, for many years, I actually had no idea what I wanted out of my life.
But clarity arrived as I got older, as I delved into my own inner workings, as I discovered what made me smile and what made me feel at ease. Trying to think of big things to strive for never sat well, such things didn’t motivate me, they were mere words on a page entitled Goals, not things I actually wanted or saw myself achieving.
Anytime we take a different path than most of the world, there is the tendency to feel in the wrong, to believe that we are less than our peers because we don’t want the same things out of life.
Maybe I’m lazy because I don’t want to work up to a prestigious position in a company. Maybe I’m settling because I don’t want accolades, praise, awards, or a huge salary. Maybe I’m confused because I don’t actually want all that much. Am I not supposed to want more out of life?
But maybe I’m actually none of those things. Maybe I’ve realized that the purpose of life is just to live, in whichever way brings me some happiness. Maybe I’m not lazy, but selective about where I spend my energy. Maybe I’m not settling, but bravely acknowledging what I don’t need to be content. Maybe I’m not confused, but actually incredibly clear about what matters to me and what doesn’t.
If you have big dreams, that are meaningful to you, that matter, that bring you that deep fulfilling sort of contentment — that’s beautiful and I’m happy for you. But there’s nothing wrong with you if those reach for the stars kind of goals feel like they’re missing the mark.
If you have, what some may consider, small dreams, the ones that are more feelings than tangible goals, the ones that might seem boring to anyone outside of yourself, but that you just can’t stop thinking about — that’s also beautiful and I am happy for you. And I hope you don’t lose a part of yourself by comparing those small dreams to others’ big ones.
I have small dreams — dreams based on how I want to feel rather than what I want to accomplish. To me, they are actually big dreams — they are my version of a successful life, they guide me forward in my decisions and in my habits. They are big, to me. And isn’t how we feel about our dreams the only thing that really matters?
Plenty of time spent under a forest canopy.
Days spent in a quiet home, writing.
Planting wildflowers and wiggling my bare toes into warm soil.
Connecting with a loved one over a cup of tea.
A life that is (mostly) unbusy, unhurried, and unapologetic for being a little different.
Those are just a few of my small dreams, what are some of yours?
♡ Whitney
This was lovely to read and your forest cabin dream sounds, well, dreamy!🌿These kinds of dreams are the realest to me - the ones about the way we live, the little joys, making space.... My biggest dream is to have more ease - in my health, my home, my work. More balance, I suppose. I'd like to write and photograph and make videos and work from home. I'd like to be able to stop teaching full time (love it but it's exhausting). Some of my dreams are as small as wanting a tidier home - a place for everything. I think the best thing about these sorts of dreams is that they could become real - one little joy at a time, they can become our real lives. That's pretty magical, isn't it? Hopefully we can both get there, one story, one joy at a time. ❤️
This post really hits home, Whitney. We are conditioned from the beginning to want a certain life, have a specific set of goals that are uniformly accepted by the society and the second you try to deviate from that path, you will be deemed wrong or worse, you start to doubt yourself every step of the way. It's a strange pattern. I was happy to read your thoughts. Happy to see that you've found what truly matters to you and the comfort with which you're able to share it with the world. Sometimes, even acknowledging that bit can be an inner struggle for some. Thank you for this wonderful read 🤍