Give Yourself Permission To Dream

Something amazing happened recently, I became a REFIT® Instructor! Most people think that is a cool experience and exciting opportunity. For me, it’s much more than that, it’s the start of a dream being fulfilled. Today I wanted to share with you a little about my REFIT®  journey. I hope that by the end of this post you will also give yourself permission to dream.

What Is REFIT®?

REFIT® is a dance fitness experience. REFIT® believes that fitness is for everyBODY. No matter your age, gender, race, body type, fitness level, etc.. That is what made me love REFIT®. 

My REFIT® Journey

My REFIT®  journey started with a simple search bar on YouTube. I was a recent college graduate missing being a part of Zumba and Hip-Hop classesI took in college. I decided to search for “dance workouts” on YouTube. I found several videos to try, and really enjoyed the REFIT® ones I tried. I kept dancing via YouTube and then one day I discovered that there were classes near me! I loved getting to experience REFIT® with others.

When I found out about the REFIT® Experience Weekends. I was hoping that I could go to one of them one day. I didn’t think much about becoming an instructor at first, but I knew I definitely wanted to attend the Friday night dance class, and hopefully meet the founders of REFIT®. I don’t know when my mindset shifted to considering becoming an instructor, but when I found out that an Experience Weekend was coming in my state, I had to go for it. Now here we are.

The Dream That I Almost Wrote Off

My dream came to me in an actual dream one night. Something to know about me is that I hardly, if ever, dream. At least not to my knowledge. So the fact that I not only remembered this dream, but remembered it in so much detail, was a first for me. To this day I can tell you exactly what it was about.

In this dream I was the co-owner of a dance studio.I handled all the creative/marketing parts of the business. I remember exactly what it looked like.It was filled with bright colors and motivational quotes on the wall. There were rooms for each type of dance class. Zumba, REFIT®, Ballet, Swing etc., with the decor in the room matching the vibe of that type of dance. In the dream I was brainstorming what kind of non-profit to create that would fall under the dance studio. I had a few ideas and they all involved helping teen girls learn to love and accept themselves just as they are. 

So you see this dream combined three things I love; dancing, the creative industry, and mental health awareness. This all felt super daunting and I didn’t know where I would even start. I tried to push the idea out of my head, but it kept popping up over the past few years.

I don’t know if this dream will ever become a reality, but it did reveal something to me. Maybe dancing was more than just a hobby and way to workout. Maybe it was a part of a bigger purpose for my life.I think that is why I decided to become a REFIT® instructor. It was a first step to taking dancing more seriously as a passion to pursue. 

2 Reasons Why You Need To Give Yourself Permission To Dream

Right now you might be saying to yourself, “That story is great and all, but what does it have to do with me.” I share my story with you to inspire you to give yourself permission to dream. Your dream doesn’t have to be about dancing, and it doesn’t have to be a literal dream you have while sleeping. These last two sections can apply to you as well, no matter what your dream is. 

This experience has taught me that we are quick to discredit our ideas, purpose, dream, whatever you want to call it. When was the last time you gave yourself permission to dream big? Here are two reasons why you should give yourself permission to dream, if you haven’t already.

• To Inspire Yourself: If you are feeling stuck right now,  in your career or life in general, and are struggling to find your purpose. Take a moment to let yourself dream – more on that below.
• To Inspire Others: By going after your dreams, you are inspiring others to go after theirs.

3 Tips For Giving Yourself Permission To Dream

• Brainstorm: Sit down and do a little brain dump session. Write out your hobbies, your talents, your passions, what you want out of life, etc. The classic question to ask here is what would you be doing if money, time, location, etc. were not an issue? No dream is too big to write down here. If you can’t think of anything, that is okay. Take a break and come back. 
• Don’t Take Your Dreams 100% Literal: Now that you’ve written out all your dreams, don’t take them 100% literal, at least not in the beginning. Focus on the small steps because they are just as important as those big dreams. Take a look at the dream that excites you the most, then figure out what steps you need to do to get there.
• Just Go For It: That first step is scary, but sometimes you just need to go for it. I know it’s easier said than done, but it can be done.

I hope that you walk away from this post feeling inspired to chase your dreams. Remember, your life can be more rewarding once you give yourself permission to dream.