“The future you desire begins in your mind today—dream it boldly, and one day, you’ll wake up living it.” – Grace Smith
There are moments in life that hit you so deeply they crack something open inside you—moments that remind you of where you came from, how far you’ve come, and what truly matters.
One day, as I was driving with my kids, I experienced one of those moments.
The sun was setting, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of gold and fire—thanks to one-of-a-kind Florida sunsets (and sunrises!). The world felt still, yet inside me, something stirred. It was subtle at first—like a whisper from a distant past. A deep sense of equilibrium, peace, and stillness washed over me, a feeling so familiar yet so distant, like a melody I once knew but had long forgotten.
And then, I remembered…
It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in years—a feeling I once carried effortlessly as a child.
Growing Up with Nothing, But Dreaming of Everything
I grew up in the mountains in a very small province in the Philippines, living in a home so small and simple that most people wouldn’t believe such shelters still exist today. We called it a Nipa Hut—a tiny, fragile structure made of bamboo and dried palm leaves. Some nights, when it rained, water would seep through the thatched roof, and I’d wake to cold droplets landing on my skin. My siblings and I would shift places, huddling together as we searched for a dry spot on the bamboo floor.
In the mornings, before the sun had fully risen, I’d walk a quarter-mile to fetch water and take a quick shower in the cold spring water, before trekking another 3–4 miles to school. My bare feet sank into the soft, muddy soil, the sharp rocks pressed into my heels, and the heavy bucket left deep red marks on my small hands. Even amid the daily struggles, I remember walking to school every day. It was grueling—sometimes muddy, climbing up a mountain, and pulling bushes aside to support us on slippery paths—but despite all that and the relentless sun, I persevered.
When my father passed away, my mother became the sole provider for six children, ages 2 to 13. Under the scorching sun, she carried the weight of our survival on her back. Every day, she rose before dawn and worked on our relatives’ farm, ensuring we had food for the next day. The sun rose and set on her back, but she never complained—she simply carried on every day, unwavering in her love and sacrifice.
Hunger was our constant companion; most days, we survived on corn grits and plain vegetable soup—sometimes just corn grits with salt and spicy peppers for flavor. Even soy sauce was a luxury condiment for us back then. We always wondered what we would eat next.
At night, we slept on a bamboo floor—the same floor where we ate, played, and lived. We had a thin, handmade mat to soften the surface, but I could feel every ridge of the bamboo pressing into my body. It was uncomfortable and cold at times, but somehow, I felt a quiet joy. Perhaps because, even in the simplicity of our lives, my mind knew no boundaries.
During the day—walking to and from school, carrying firewood, doing chores—I slipped into another world. A world that existed only in my mind but felt just as real as the one my feet walked upon.
I dreamed of a life beyond what I knew: a big, beautiful home, a car of my own so I wouldn’t have to walk miles, and the freedom to explore places far beyond the mountains that surrounded me. Two lives coexisted within me—one shaped by struggle, the other limitless in imagination.
The most incredible thing about those dreams? They weren’t tied to expectations. I didn’t dream because I wanted them to come true—I didn’t even know such things were possible. I dreamed simply because it felt so good.
In my heart, I could already sense what it was like to live in that imagined world. It wasn’t just a fleeting escape—it was a feeling so vivid, so real, that for a moment, I wasn’t just a little girl walking barefoot on rocky paths; I was already living in the world I had created in my mind. And by the time I arrived at school or home, my reality hadn’t changed—but I had.
And then, life happened.
Fast Forward to the Present
A few years ago, as I was reflecting on my life, I came up with a quote:
“If you want a better future, you must dream it now, so that when the future arrives, it’s the reality you’ve always wanted.” – Grace Smith
There’s the world you imagine, and the world you live in. But what if they weren’t so different? What if the dreams you once thought were mere fantasies were actually glimpses of your future waiting to unfold?
Would that change how you dream? Would you be more careful, more calculated?
Because everything I once dreamed—and more—is my reality today. Had I known, I probably would have dreamed even bigger… you know, maybe thrown in a private island and a jet! 😉
But what I have today is more than I could have ever imagined. I live in a beautiful home, nestled in a beautiful community with amenities I never even knew existed as a child. The house I grew up in could now fit inside my living room, and I sleep in a bed so soft and luxurious that my younger self could never have dreamed of it.
The very walls that once barely kept out the rain now seem like relics of a distant past. Our fridge is now full of delicious, nourishing food, and hunger is no longer a familiar feeling.
I drive a car that my younger self wouldn’t have even been able to name. To some, it’s just a car, but to me, it represents something far greater than any material possession: the deep knowing that I have been guided all along. That even on the days I walked barefoot and alone, I was never truly alone. Something was always leading me—guiding me toward the life my heart yearned for.
You can call it God, the Universe, Mother Earth—whatever name feels right. But one thing I know for certain: this power lies within each of us. And if we can tap into it, our lives can become anything we dream them to be.
As I continue to drive following the sun dip below the horizon, something inside me shifted. It wasn’t just the soft glow of the setting sun or the gentle hum of the car engine—it was a moment of profound stillness amidst the chaos of everyday life. As my kids chatted in the back seat and their voices mingled with the fading light, every hardship I’d endured seemed to dissolve, replaced by a deep, overwhelming gratitude for each step that led me here.
Tears filled my eyes—deep, raw, and unexpected; tears of pure joy, peace, and immense gratitude.
In that moment, I felt something I hadn’t in a very long time. It was the same feeling I had when I vividly imagined driving my own car. But this time, it wasn’t just a dream. The past had intertwined with the present – the vision I once held so dearly is now my reality, evoking a profound déjà vu. And that little girl who dreamed of a grand future was still there, reminding me softly, ‘We made it. This is the life we dreamed of.’
But the biggest lesson here isn’t that the dream came true—it’s that the feeling of the dream was real long before it became my reality.
But Then a Sad Realization
As that thought settled in, another realization hit me just as powerfully.
Somewhere along the way, I stopped dreaming the way I used to.
I still set goals. I still chase my vision—but now, my dreams had become laced with expectations, with pressure, with the constant reminder that I must reach certain milestones to create my reality. My dreams became calculated—structured with how-to’s and plans that created constant tension. In that process, I unknowingly lost something precious: the pure joy of dreaming just for the sake of it.
At some point, I absorbed the belief that success is measured by how far we’ve come, how much we’ve achieved, or how closely life matches the plan we laid out. And if we fall short—if things take longer, if the path shifts—we convince ourselves that we’ve failed.
That sunset awakened something in me. It reminded me of what it felt like to dream without limits—without pressure, without a timeline—just to dream because it feels good.
I realized this the day I saw a photo of The Ritz-Carlton Charter Yacht, decked out with a jacuzzi tub and an outdoor lounge chair floating in the middle of the Mediterranean. For a split second, I imagined myself there, feeling the breeze, the sun on my skin, and the blissful relaxation. And then, just as quickly, I pulled myself out of that daydream.
I thought, “That’s unrealistic. This is too much. I need to focus on my goals.”
And that was the moment I understood how often we rob ourselves of joy.
As children, we let our imaginations take us anywhere without judgment. But as adults, the moment we feel something beautiful; we dismiss it as delusion or a waste of time.
But what if the feeling itself is the secret?
What if the simple act of dreaming—of feeling the joy of what could be—is the very thing that brings it closer?
Dare to dream without pressure, without limits—just as you did as a child.
One day, at my daughter’s volleyball game, I was sitting on a bench when I noticed two little kids playing—probably around 2 and 4 years old. One was hopping on a chair, talking to herself; another was sprawled out on the gym floor, staring at the ceiling, completely lost in wonder.
And it struck me: at what point do we lose this? When do we stop allowing ourselves to simply be—to play, to wonder, to imagine without constraints? As adults, we sit upright, careful, and proper. But those children—they were free. And something inside me ached at the realization that we trade that freedom for self-consciousness as we grow older. We care too much about what others think, and in doing so, we forget the magic of simply being.
But what if we are meant to remember what it means to be like them?
To reconnect with that childlike wonder.
To dream boldly—not because we need anything to happen, but because life is magical when we allow ourselves to feel the beauty of possibilities.
Why Dream BIG Without Expecting It to Happen?
Dan Sullivan says, “The only way to make your present better is to make your future bigger.”
What if the key to a better present isn’t just about working harder, but about expanding the future you allow yourself to imagine?
Here’s the paradox—when we dream with rigid expectations, we create pressure, resistance, and limitation. We obsess over how and when it will happen, unknowingly closing ourselves off to the very possibilities we desire.
Dreaming big without expectation might seem counterintuitive—after all, we’ve been conditioned to believe that success requires meticulous goal-setting, rigid planning, and relentless execution. And while structured action has its place, there’s a profound power in dreaming freely—without pressure, without attachment, without needing it to happen in a certain way.
As children, we understood this instinctively. We didn’t dream in steps. We didn’t create five-year plans. We simply imagined and felt the joy of those imagined realities. And that was enough.
Science backs this up: studies show that the brain doesn’t distinguish between a real and a vividly imagined experience. When you dream freely, you’re not just playing make-believe—you’re rewiring your mind, shaping neural pathways, and energetically aligning yourself with the life you desire.
And when you let go of needing it to happen, you create space for something even greater to unfold—something beyond what your logical mind could have planned.
The Magic of Limitless and Unburdened Dreams
When you release the need to control every detail, life has a way of surprising you. Instead of chasing outcomes with stress and frustration, you move through life with a sense of ease, joy, and trust. You step into flow—and in that state, something remarkable happens: opportunities appear, synchronicities unfold, and paths reveal themselves in ways you never could have imagined.
Looking back, I realize that the life I have today didn’t come from forcing outcomes—it came from surrendering to the joy of possibility.
I dreamed of a big, beautiful home—not because I needed it to happen, but because it felt good to imagine it. I saw myself driving a car, feeling free—not because I was desperate to escape, but because I loved the feeling of expansion. And somehow, life met me in that feeling.
So, I invite you to dream—not because you need it to happen, not because you’re trying to force an outcome, but simply because life feels more magical when you allow yourself to immerse in the dream.
How to Dream Without Limits, and Without Burden…
1. Dream for the Joy of It.
As a child, I lived in two worlds—the reality of poverty and the world I created within me. My reality was harsh, but my dreams were limitless. And even though nothing had changed around me, I felt rich, free, and alive inside my imagination. That’s the magic of dreaming. It gives you an escape, a sense of expansion beyond what’s in front of you. Not because you need the dream to come true, but because living in it—even just within your mind—feels incredible.
2. Release the Need to Control the Outcome.
The fastest way to suffocate a dream is by forcing it to unfold a certain way. When you fixate on how it should happen, you limit what’s possible. Instead of controlling every step, focus on embodying the feeling of already living your dream. Trust that life will fill in the details in ways beyond what you could plan. When you loosen your grip, the dream has space to unfold naturally. (Hint: This is the real secret of manifestation.) As Dr. Joe Dispenza always say, “Let the universe surprise you!”
3. Reconnect With the Dreamer in You.
As children, we didn’t dream with logic—we dreamed with feeling. We didn’t plan; we just imagined. Tap into that again. Think back to the things you used to dream about before the world told you what was possible. What did it feel like? That feeling is your guide.
4. Expand the Dream.
Give yourself permission to dream bigger than what feels reasonable. Instead of limiting yourself to what you think is possible, stretch beyond. Your imagination isn’t meant to stay within boundaries—it’s meant to open doors you don’t even know exist yet.
If I could leave you one thing, it would be this:
Don’t let your struggles define you—let them refine you. The challenges you face aren’t here to break you; they are shaping you into the person who can hold the life you dream of. The journey won’t be easy, but every obstacle you overcome strengthens the version of you who will achieve it.
And remember, success isn’t just about achieving the dream; it’s about the transformation that happens along the way—learning to trust the unseen, embracing uncertainty, and surrendering to the magic that unfolds when you dream without limits. Because in the end, success isn’t measured by trophies or milestones, but by the depth of your fulfillment—how present you are in your own life, how deeply at peace you feel when you close your eyes at night, and the quiet joy that greets you when you wake up each morning, knowing you are truly living.
So just for a moment, let go of all the rules. Dream as you once did as a child, without limitations or expectations.
Take a moment to step into that space now—where possibilities are limitless, and your dreams begin to take shape.
Here’s my Visualization Process to help you bring those dreams to life:
Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably. Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in… and slowly exhale.
With each breath, let go of tension.
Let go of every worry, every burden, every limitation.
Now, picture yourself in a place where you feel completely free.
🌊 Are you standing by the ocean, feeling the warm sand between your toes?
🏔 Are you high up in the mountains, breathing in crisp, fresh air?
🌆 Are you in a beautiful city—Rome, Paris, New York—feeling alive with adventure?
Find the one that resonates you the most. Step into this space.
Feel the air around you. Notice the colors, the textures, the scents.
Let yourself settle into this dream world—your world.
Now… you are doing what you love most.
🌟 What do you see yourself doing?
🌟 What sensations and emotions arise as you fully embrace what you love?
🌟 How does it feel to be completely free, fully alive, and completely at peace?
Pause here.
Let yourself feel it.
Let yourself breathe in the joy, the excitement, the fulfillment.
This is your dream—and right now, it is real.
💫 Now ask yourself:
• If there were no limits, what would I create?
• If nothing held me back, what would I pursue?
• Who am I when I am truly free?
Take another deep breath.
Smile, knowing this dream isn’t just a fantasy.
It’s a glimpse into what’s possible.
Slowly bring yourself back to the present, carrying this feeling with you.
And remember—the dream isn’t just about the future.
The dream is the joy.
And the joy is the destination.
Happy Dreaming. 💛
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