Say I could wave a magic wand and give you six months of paid vacation. Salary, benefits, whatever. Everything stays the same, except your boss tells you he wants you to disappear and come back in July.
What would you do?
The temptation is probably to get all Walter Mitty with it, to think about all the trips you'd go on, the hobbies you'd pursue, the classes you would take so you could get a new and better career. And that's fine. Walter Mitty dreams have their place, but it's a very specific place, and here it is:
Walter Mitty dreams are things you should be doing. Right now.
I don't care about your job. I do care about your family, which is why you need to get on making your dreams work, right now. What are you teaching your kids when you settle for less than you can be or, even worse, that you'd be happier somewhere other than where you are right now with them?
My experience with Walter Mitty dreams tells me they're all false hope, anyway. 36 year old Bryan does not believe how many of 18 year old Bryan's dreams came true, and not one of them eased the restlessness in my soul. All the goals I set that I thought would complete my identity and personality didn't.
Only when I stopped living in/for my dreams and started living for right now did I start to get anywhere.
And that's where I run out of words to describe it, at least for today.
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