You don’t have to dream big

that cherishes the quieter beauties of daily life? Is a “big” dream really more noble or helpful than a “small” one?

“Big” dreams might be potentially more impactful in a sense. But they might also be less realistic and less likely to come to pass. And the constant demand for bigger and more so often leaves us exhausted, discouraged, and unfulfilled. It feeds a cultural cycle of overwork and inadequacy that has become one of the defining struggles of our time.

Secondly, just as with our sleeping dreams, we rarely, if ever, truly choose our life’s aspirations. When we do, they are usually coming from a need to prove ourselves. Our most authentic life aspirations simply arise in our consciousness, as if gifted from the unconscious or from life or the universe itself. They are callings. We don’t create our dreams so much as we catch them. If we want to be authentic to ourselves and the call of the universe within us, we must be genuinely open to whatever dream comes through.

So here’s my invitation: don’t pressure yourself to dream big. Just dream.

Some dreams may be bold and expansive. Others may be small, simple, and modest. Others may be exciting. Others may be scary and confounding.

In the grand scope of the universe, every dream is impossibly small. Yet in the short window of our lives on Earth, every dream carries meaning. Allow yourself to follow whichever ones feel most alive, most true, and most beautiful to you—no matter their size.