Family is a journey, a lesson, happiness, and so much more. A family should be a place where you all encourage each other in your dreams and discovering yourselves. That doesn’t just mean being their cheerleader. It also means being there for them through tough times and supporting them even though you are hesitant.
It’s important to realize that your family might be a unit, but it is also made up of individuals. While you work well together as a team, there are some things that end up being done solo. When this happens, don’t fear. Just be there to support and love them.
Who knows, you might be the one to push them into taking that first terrifying step. Making your family a support network to bolster each other’s dreams is simple.
Opening a Dialogue
You can’t be there to support the dreams of your family unless you know what their dreams are. The best way to find that out is by talking to them. It doesn’t have to be a formal meeting but making just a dialogue to check in with everyone.
Talk about things that you’ve been thinking about. Career paths, choices, and thoughts that make you excited. Your family will open up to your enthusiasm and share their own excitement.
Make sure to let everyone talk fully before commenting. Hold back any judgments. You don’t want to crush your family’s dreams and make them close you out.
Making a Plan
After some brainstorming and discussion sessions, it’s time to help their dreams soar. How you go about this will all depend on what your kids and partner are like. If your family is the independent type, they might simply need your vocal support.
If they prefer the help, by all means, step in. But wait for them to ask for it first. That way, they don’t feel overburdened or like you’re trying to control them.
Making a plan to help your child and/or partner follow their dreams doesn’t have to be complicated. You have to listen closely to what they are telling you and see how you can turn it into a reality. Be there with them every step of the way and tailor the plan to them. Let them be in control. Just be ready to guide or help them whenever they need you.
Suggestions and Research
Sometimes the only thing stopping your family member(s) from following their dreams is fear. Maybe they feel overwhelmed by the confirmation of their dream to the extent that they don’t know how to get started. Doing some research as to how they could feasibly achieve their dream could lift the weight off the shoulders of your loved ones.
Say your husband is looking to take his business farther, going from a general handyman to a fulltime contractor. There are a lot of resources that you could suggest they look at such as contractortrainingcenter.com.
Sometimes just simply offering suggestions really helps a person feel less overwhelmed than they originally would.
Don’t Forget About Yourself
Being there to support your loved ones is crucial for maintaining relationships and being a close family unit. But that could easily lead to losing sight of yourself and your dreams. If you completely ignore yourself in favor of your family, you are doing everyone a disservice.
Bitterness and anger could subconsciously fester if you do nothing to feed your own dreams and creativity. Finding a balance between bolstering yourself and being there for your family is essential. But this balance looks different for everyone.
Be there for your family, allow them to be there for you. Find that balance. In doing so, you can make your family a unit where everyone supports one another in the pursuit of their aspirations.
