Follow Your Dream: It’s Not Selfish, It’s Sacred

follow your dream: It's not selfish, it's sacred

Follow Your Dream: It's Not Selfish, It's Sacred image shows woman with eyes closed standing on a beach, smiling into the breeze

There’s a quiet whisper that lives deep inside many women… “Is this all there is?”

It doesn’t shout.

It doesn’t demand.

But it lingers.

Does this sound familiar?

For years (decades even), you may have tucked away your dreams in the name of being practical, responsible, or available for others. You’ve been the peacemaker. The helper. The strong one. The one who “doesn’t need much.”

And yet… something in you aches.

There’s a version of you that longs to feel more alive, to feel like your life is your own again, to follow your dream (if you can even remember what that was).

But you wonder:

  • Is it too late?
  • Am I being ungrateful?
  • What if chasing what I want costs me what I already have?
These aren’t simple questions.
 
They come from a place of wisdom and weariness,  the kind of weariness that happens when you’ve spent too long being what others need, and not nearly enough time asking yourself what you need.
 
Let me say this clearly, with love:

Following your dream isn’t selfish. It’s sacred.

One of my mentors, the incredible, inspirational Lisa Nichols, with whom I co-authored the Amazon best selling book Against All Odds, says this in a way that’s easy to understand and visualize: 

Make sure your own cup is full,” she says, “and then serve others from the overflow in your saucer.”

cup of coffee overflowed into saucer with quote, "Fill Your Own Cup First, Then Server Others From Your Saucer" by Lisa Nichols

When you honor your longing and fill your own cup first, whether that’s to write, paint, travel, rest, or simply breathe deeper, you’re not abandoning others.

You’re making yourself whole first.

And from that place you’ll have more to give.

Only when you feel whole and complete yourself do you become more available to love, to live, to give to others, and to lead a life that feels real and satisfying.

There’s no perfect moment to start. No map. No permission slip.

Just a gentle invitation:

What if you gave yourself permission to want what you want?

And what if today, you took one small step toward it?

Because maybe, just maybe, your dream isn’t foolish.

Maybe it’s faithful.

Download Your Free Audiobook chapter

Listen to my personal story of resilience and following my dreams in Chapter 31 of the bestselling book, Against All Odds.

You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

If this post resonates with you, and you’re ready to follow your dreams, I’d love to walk alongside you.

Whether it’s through one-on-one counseling, a group care-apy experience, or one of my women’s retreats, you’re invited to reconnect with your most authentic self.

Let’s write the next chapter—together.

Head shot of Joleen Crook Frideres

Joleen

Joleen offers a transformational, deeply supportive journey to midlife women who are ready to release trauma, rediscover themselves, and create joyful, authentic lives. With over 25 years of experience and a unique blend of therapeutic expertise, life coaching, and spiritual insight, Joleen guides her clients toward profound change.

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