I’ve been rereading Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach, and a phrase stopped me in my tracks:
“Excavate buried dreams.”
That, in many ways, is exactly why I created The Confident Woman: A Values-Led Vision Workshop.
Not to create a pretty board. Not to set surface goals. But to help women gently uncover what was buried.
So many women have lived full, amazing lives. They have raised families, built careers, supported partners, cared for parents, shown up for everyone. Along the way, dreams were postponed. Desires were set aside. Bright sparks dimmed. Not because they were unimportant, but because something else felt more urgent.
Years pass.
And then there comes a moment. A quiet dissatisfaction. A question that won’t go away. Is this it? Is there more for me?
As we age, we become more aware that life has an end date. That awareness can bring wisdom. It can also bring fear. We may worry that our time is short, that our energy is declining, that opportunities have passed. It becomes easy to blame circumstances. Money. Health. Timing. Other people.
I say this with kindness: at some point, it can no longer be about blame.
It has to be about you. You have to believe you have the ability to change and the willingness to create change in your life.
Of course there are real limits in life. But many of the limits we live inside are assumed. We look at others and say, “Of course they can. They have the money. The connections. The confidence.”
Rarely do we say, “Of course I can.”
How Values and Vision Align
The work we did in The Confident Woman began with vision.
Before we talked about values, before we analyzed habits, we lifted up. We went to 5,000 feet. We asked, if you allowed yourself to dream without shrinking it, what would you see? What does this next chapter look like if it is vibrant and aligned? How do you wake up? How do you spend your days? What are you building, releasing, protecting, exploring?
We let the vision be big first.
Then we brought in values.
Because values are what drive vision. They are the engine underneath the dream. If your vision is to travel, create, start something new, but your dominant value is security, you may find yourself holding back. Not because the dream is wrong, but because the value you are clinging to does not fuel it.
So we played with that.
What if the value you thought was essential is not the one that serves this season? What if adventure needs to rise higher than security? What if vitality must take precedence over comfort? What if contribution matters more than approval?
We all carry many values. But in each chapter of life, one or two rise to the top. When you identify the value that truly aligns with your vision, the dream gains strength. When your values and vision match, action feels more natural.
This is not abstract work. It is very practical.
Because when you see the life you want from that higher perspective, and you align it with the values that support it, you begin to trust yourself again. You realize you can make thoughtful, whole decisions. You realize you are not reckless for wanting more. You are responding to what is alive within you.
Go on your own Safari
Breathnach uses the metaphor of a safari. In Swahili, safari means journey. It is leaving the comfort and safety of what is known and venturing into the wilderness. Each time you listen to the woman within, your authentic self, you are doing just that.
I have been on safari in Africa.
You leave what is familiar. You enter wide open space. It can feel exposed. It can feel uncertain. And it is breathtaking.
The picture above is one of my big dreams. It was a trip to Africa to see relatives and see the amazing land. To dream big and feel wide open.
Listening to yourself again is like that.
It means asking what have you buried. It means facing fear and it means deciding whether fear wins, or whether you do.
The result is not just a plan for the year.
The result is renewed trust.
Trust that you can evaluate your values honestly, that you can adjust them if needed and that you can take one step without seeing the entire road.
And from that trust comes deep confidence. The kind that says, “I can do this. I am willing to try.”
So here is your challenge:
If you zoomed out to 5,000 feet, what would your next chapter look like?
Which value must lead if that vision is to become real?
Is there a value you are holding onto that may need to loosen its grip?
What small action would align your day with that vision this week?
You do not need to overhaul your life. But you do need to begin.
Take the safari. Leave the comfort of old beliefs. Let the vision be big. Then choose the values that will carry you there.
If this resonates, stay connected. There will be more opportunities to do this work together, privately and in groups. And if you feel the nudge now, reach out.
It is never too late to excavate what still lives inside you.
With care, Marianne
Victoria Falls , Zambia 2016
Looking Ahead
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marianne@mariannepreston.com
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