So I haven’t written for Women Set Apart in the longest time because I figured I didn’t want to be that new mommy that won’t shut up about babies and thinks in baby all the time. Two and a half years later, I realise this is not going to change… so here come the pregnancy and baby analogies! Seeing as it is women’s month in South Africa, and that is where I live, I’m going to celebrate something that women are very good at in this entry.
Women are very patient. Not because they want to be, but because nature demands it. Waiting nine months for the full development of a baby is the ultimate test of patience. A child is much like a dream. When we start thinking of becoming parents, we take certain steps to ensure that we are ready and prepared for the child that’s coming. When we conceive our baby, we take a lot of time with research and we immediately start planning for the actual arrival. This is a skill we can transfer to our dreams (at least some of them). When you conceive a dream, you need to spend time thinking about it. Research as much as possible and become well versed with the subject of your dream.
My husband and I attended antenatal classes with a midwife who had been a midwife for twenty years before she started her own practice that included exercise classes for pregnant women, a Well Baby Clinic with a resident laction specialist, a women only massage/reflexology practice, and a shop with interesting books and videos that we could borrow. You need to have something similar when you are developing your dream. You need a support structure that is very well equipped to help you. They should be able to advise you, anticipate issues that may arise and have solutions to those potential problems. It was great having all these services in one place, but do not be afraid to go where your dream takes you. I suppose this is a good part to point out regular check-ups with a medical professional. You need to consult with a professional in the area of your dream. It could be something like just seeing your life coach or mentor twice a month, or attaching yourself to a successful professional that you would like to emulate. Whatever it is, do it regularly. It helps to talk to someone who has been where you are multiple times and is probably where you are going.
You eat better when you are growing a baby. You take extra care of your body. You watch what you eat and when you eat it. My physician always said to me “watch what you eat, you are developing your child’s eating habits even when you are 3 months pregnant”. You start trying to discipline your unborn child even in the womb. I have a friend who had a craving for cigarettes! She has never smoked a day in her life, yet she found herself craving cigarettes. Discipline had to start right there. The same with your dream. There are things you may feel like you are forced to do in order to realise your dream. For example, you could find yourself thinking that you HAVE TO attend that networking event (read “party”) on a Friday evening instead of going to vespers or choir practice. You have to set limits to what you will do to realise your dream.
Setting up a baby room is so much fun to do. Picking colours, choosing paint, buying furniture, buying clothes and linen and stuff… it’s all very exciting. I think this is where branding comes in. The colours that you choose for your dream business or your new wardrobe or the cover of the book you are writing are very important. Colours have different meanings in different settings. We are not always aware of this, but colours make us feel very different things in different circumstances. As a young Mom, I never wanted to buy blue clothes only for my baby son. Unfortunately for me, many people I met at the super market, or the clinic thought my baby was a girl. That annoyed me so much. Even when I started dressing him in darker colours, people still thought he was a girl. You do not want people to think the opposite of what your dream is. You want a clear message that people will be able to understand before you even tell them what that message is.
Now that the first part is over, the nine months of reading, preparing, praying, doctor’s visits, scans, tears, terrible pains and all the joys that come with preparing of a child. When those are over, comes a really painful part. LABOUR. I was in labour for 32 hours. At 40 weeks pregnant, feeling and looking like an elephant, my doctor induced labour and this child was just not coming. I thought I had felt pain before! Boy was I mistaken. I felt pain, and then there was PAIN!
Your dreams will not always come easily. You WILL feel pain. It’s part of the process. Also note that the pain that you feel, your body can handle. There will never be a time that God gives you more than you are able to handle. And then, at the end of those hours of pure agony and excruciating pain, your baby comes out. Your dream is born. Perfect in all its perfection. And here begins another journey with your dream. One that is more complex than birthing the dream…. I’ll write about that in about 12 years, before the teen years officially kick off.
Larnelle Harris sings this song so beautifully. It just makes sense.
It’s never too late to start dreaming. Keep dreaming. Keep striving. Work hard towards your goals and never give up. Pain is part of the process but your dream will be born if you keep at it.
Leave a Reply