My dream for the country

Each day I receive an email from Brian Johnson at Optimize, with a new suggestion for how to "+1" my life by getting just a little better in some way. One of the recent ones was about creating a dream for the future that is so powerful and exciting that that it practically pulls you toward it. It was a really good one for me to reflect on.

There are a lot of things I want, but the truth is that most of them don't compel me into action. I want to be rich and famous, for instance. I want people worldwide to love and admire me. I want to live in a beautiful, clean, comfortable home. I want to eat nutritious, delicious, locally-sourced meals in just the right quantities. I want to be healthy and fit and strong and beautiful. I want to be a good parent, spouse, friend, and neighbor. 

But when I take those desires and apply the "pull" test, none of them feel right. My chest gets all tight, I start feeling anxious, and my mind starts trying to talk me into why I should get excited about them, perhaps to compensate for not actually feeling that way at all. 

Underneath, I'm thinking, Who cares? Sure, it'd be nice to be rich, or any of those other things, and I really admire people who know that's what they need to do in life and just go for it. But for me, the oomph isn't there. Those desires feel at once both challenging to attain and not big enough.

A dream that inspires me has to be about more than just me. It has to be something I know I can't accomplish alone. And it has to be specific enough that I'll know for sure when I see it. Black babies playing with white babies is really specific, as is women having the right to vote. Both were way bigger than any one person, and couldn't have been done alone. 

What I'm dreaming about today is national political leaders who treat each other with love and respect.

In this dream, both the public and the media demand this integrity from them, and are eager to both reward it and emulate it themselves.

Specifically, I can imagine a Presidential debate that would leave me inspired and hopeful for the future of the country. I can imagine a moderator actively bringing out the best in each candidate, and inviting them to speak to their common goals. I can imagine a public eager to help their next President be a good leader, no matter who wins. I can imagine a Presidential election actually bringing people together.

Like all good big dreams, I don't really know how this might come about, but I can think of lots of things that would help, and the idea of doing those things excites me... even pulls me!

If you know of others dreaming a similar dream, please put me in touch with them. I would love to connect.

And of course I'm also wondering how you relate to your own dreams. Is there something that's pulling you? Something you've thought should be pulling you, but maybe isn't? I would love to hear.