When did we get too scared to dream?

I love weddings, French style and France in general, but you already know that about me.  However during my recent and very rare day off and away from the laptop, I started to realise how narrow my scope of creative vision has become and I have decided that I am sporadically interspersing our regular content with extra curricular posts.

These posts will be on a variety of subjects including the business side of running a blog, life journeys and interesting features, adventures along the blogging way, all in a way to alleviate creative myopia that can occur when passionate about one subject.

“Do you dream much Will?” – Hannibal Lecter, Red Dragon

It is an interesting question, do you dream much?  Not just do you dream when asleep, but do you allow yourself to dream.  Do you allow yourself those liberating moments to day dream?  To lie down with the warm sun on your face and just allow your mind the freedom to roam where it chooses?

Are you brave enough to dream?

Day dreaming can be therapeutic, it can allow you to iron out a problem that you might have been having with an amusing and unpractical way.  However day dreaming can also show you what it is that your heart and mind truly desire.  Not what conclusion your rational mind has surmised from your imagination or are you scared to dream?

You might be in a job that you are not entirely happy in, but have rationalised that it is the logical choice.  In your dreams you can be the person that you have always wanted.  You might realise that whilst your current construct of success is based on material possessions and saving for a house, where as your heart truly wants freedom and travel.

In our dreams we can also be selfish.  We can dare to dream about taking the time to write a book and not having to work.  We can dare to dream about downsizing and being a stay at home parent.  We can dare to dream about being selfish, not running the house and putting our hobbies and interests first.

As an adult are our imaginations lost?

When we are young are imaginations are limitless, we have not had the conditions imposed that come as we mature.  We once used to  brave the elements to arrange an outdoor tea-party with our Dollies.  Plan the menu including making grass tea and selecting the best worms to serve as an appetizer.  Where did that girl go?  If I was to engage in this now and for no particular reason, that I wanted to, prying eyes would question my sanity.

So today I am going to share with you one of my favourite techniques not just for dreaming, but for any thinking process especially when working in a team or with your partner.

Dr Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats®. The premise is simple in that we all think in six distinctive ways, which can be directly challenged.  Each way is given a coloured ‘hat’ and that by mentally wearing and switching ‘hats’ you can redirect thoughts and only consider certain aspects of issues being considered.

As an example, how many times have you been discussing a development in your business and before you have finished explaining the information, people are bringing judgement both good and bad without a productive train of thought.

I personally suffer from this with a new idea that before has formulated, I have already thought about the good, the bad and limitations before the core of the idea has actually been examined on its creative merit.

The Six Thinking Hats

The White Hat The White Hat calls for the information known or needed

The Red Hat The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition.

The Black Hat The Black Hat is judgment — the devil’s advocate or why   something may not work.

The Yellow Hat The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism.

The Green Hat The Green Hat focuses on creativity: the possibilities, alternatives and new ideas.

The Blue Hat The Blue Hat is used to manage the thinking process.

Give the concept a try next time you are working on some business or personal developments. Or alternatively put the method to the test with your wedding planning.  If you are wanting a destination wedding but are not sure where, use the white hat to work out the information you need, the green had to dream up ideas as to where and then the yellow, black and red hat to help narrow the field.

Warning – you will be surprised how well husbands/partners love this method especially when you explain that they can use their monosyllabic language to express their emotions to an idea.

Remember dreaming sets you free – after all dreaming has whats taken me from starting a blog to becoming one of the Top 100 wedding bloggers in 18 months.

Here is to being brave enough to dream!

Monique xx