There’s a Way to Catch Your Dreams Without Falling Asleep
A Wake-Up Call for the Dreams You’ve Been Putting Off
Dreams have a funny way of getting pushed to the back of the cupboard.
Does this sound familiar for you?
Somewhere between raising a family, building a career, holding relationships together, and showing up for everyone else, your own dreams get folded up neatly and stored on a high shelf ‘for later.’
But here’s the thing about later it’s a sneaky little word. It convinces you that your timing isn’t right, that the circumstances aren’t perfect, that you’ll know when it’s time. It whispers that dreams are for the young, for the lucky, for the people who have more time, more money, more courage than you do.
And yet, the dream doesn’t go away. It sits there quietly, waiting. . .
Sometimes it shows up in the envy you feel when someone else does what you’ve been imagining.
Sometimes it’s the little jolt of longing you get when you see a photo, or read a story, and think, ‘that could be me.’
Dreams aren’t meant to be a night-time escape. They’re not fantasies reserved for vision boards or daydreams you have while staring out of a window.
Instead dreams are living, breathing possibilities and they’re waiting for you to meet them in the daylight.
Catching your dream in midlife doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind. It means getting crystal clear about what you want, and then building it into your everyday reality with deliberate, small steps.
You don’t have to quit your job tomorrow, sell your house, or disappear to Bali to prove you’re serious. You can begin right where you are, with what you have, and who you’ve become.
The truth is, midlife gives you an advantage. . .
You know yourself better.
You’ve lived through enough to understand what matters and what doesn’t.
You’ve made mistakes and survived them.
You’ve built resilience, resourcefulness, and a quiet strength you didn’t have in your twenties.
That’s your secret power: you can dream and do.
So, what is the dream you’ve been hesitant about?
Writing the book?
Launching a business?
Travelling solo?
Moving somewhere new?
Finally learning the thing you’ve always wanted to learn?
Whatever it is, it’s not frivolous, it’s calling you because it’s meant for you.
Start small, but start now.
Write one page. Book one class. Make one phone call. Tell one person you trust.
The moment you take even the tiniest action, your dream shifts from ‘someday’ to ‘in progress.’
and it feels scary and exhilarating at the same time!
You don’t need to close your eyes to catch your dream, you need to open them wider than ever. Open to the opportunities around you, to the people who can help, to the parts of yourself you’ve been ignoring and go for it!
Midlife is not the end of dreaming. It’s the perfect time to wake up and start catching them.
So what are you waiting for?
Please use the audio for ease
Our ‘moving inward’ practise today is in two parts. Part one is my voice guiding you through a gentle visualisation (audio) which is designed to be soothing, grounding, and inspiring in order to become ready to lean toward a dream you’ve been hesitant about. By listening to part one first it will hopefully relax and encourage you towards exploring part two with greater ease.
Stepping Into Your Dream
Begin by finding a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down.
Close your eyes.
Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. . .and let it go gently through your mouth.
Feel the earth beneath you supporting you. With every exhale, imagine your shoulders softening, your jaw relaxing, your whole body releasing just a little more.
Now, picture yourself at the beginning of a beautiful path.
It’s bathed in soft golden light — a light that feels safe, warm, and full of possibilities. . .
You begin to walk, hearing the gentle crunch of the ground beneath your feet. The air is fresh, and it carries a scent that feels both familiar and exciting — perhaps the sweetness of blossom or the salty tang of the sea air. . .
Up ahead, you see a woman standing.
She turns to you, and you realise. . she is you.
But not the you of today — the you who has already stepped into her dream.
Look at her face — the light in her eyes, the ease in her shoulders, the quiet confidence in her smile. . .
She takes your hands and says, ‘It wasn’t as hard as you thought. The moment I took the first step, everything began to shift. You already have what you need — you only have to begin.’
Feel the warmth of her hands — a warmth that spreads through you, carrying courage, clarity, and calm. Let it fill you, from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
When you’re ready, take a slow deep breath in. And as you breathe out, know that you can return to this place — and to her — whenever you need her guidance.
Begin to notice your fingers and toes. Gently bring movement back to your body by wiggling your toes, fingers your nerve endings. . .
And when you are ready slowly open your eyes, my invitation is to take a first step into Part two, which is a simple but powerful promise to yourself so you can shift from ‘thinking’ to ‘doing’ today.
Part Two - Our Purpose - To break through hesitation, clarify your dream, and take one concrete step toward it today.
Step 1 – Set the Scene
Find a quiet, comfortable spot, whether that’s your favourite chair, on your yoga mat after you practise, at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, in the garden, or even a bench in your local park. Bring a journal and a pen you love writing with. No typing, as handwriting slows you down enough to connect deeply with yourself.
Step 2 – Name the Dream
At the top of the page, write:
‘If I stopped hesitating, here’s the dream I would catch’
Let yourself write without judgement or editing for five minutes. Don’t worry about whether it’s ‘practical’ - this is about truth, not logistics.
Step 3 – Shrink It to One First Step
Now, underneath, write:
‘The very first step I can take toward this dream is’
This could be tiny: sending one email, researching one course, clearing one hour in your calendar, or telling one trusted person.
Small and steady is so powerful.
Step 4 – Put It in Your Calendar
Choose a specific time in the next 24 hours to do this step. Put it in your calendar as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself, just like you’d schedule a doctor’s visit or important business meeting.
Step 5 – Anchor It with Care
Before you finish, write down one gentle way you’ll reward yourself for following through. This is SO lovely to do for yourself - a long bath, a favourite snack, a slow walk as the sun is setting (my favourite time of the day).
This really helps to remind your nervous system that action feels good, not scary.
Trust me this exercise turns your dream from an abstract ‘someday’ into a tangible ‘starting now.’ The act of naming it, shrinking it into something doable, and scheduling it creates both emotional commitment and real momentum and I can’t wait to hear from you about what you have decided to do for yourself today, see you in the comments below.
The hardest part is getting to your mat, continuing to show up for yourself with all the things you have to do and accomplish today.
Thank you for continuing to show up here. It’s an absolute pleasure to share this time with you. Thank you.
❤️ Namaste Tracey Xx
Please feel free to share You Are Not Alone with loved ones and friends. I trust whoever needs to read my musings will find them as a source of inspiration and hope. They are all written from my heart and offer the opportunity to dive deeper into truth, authenticity and trust.
Moving Inward - Exercises designed to take with you onto your yoga mat or alternatively next time you go for a walk alone in nature. I hope the audio version helps with this ❤️ how we move matters - where attention goes energy flows.
My Moving Inward invitation is a sweet, sweet friendly reminder to spend some precious ‘me time’ as often as possible. To take inspiration from my essays when you’re next on your mat and devote time to turning your gaze inwards, in order to cultivate a beautiful conscious conversation with your body, mind & emotions. Through this process we get to practise listening, to be who we are, and creatively explore who we want to be.
Thank you for restacking Vanessa 😊🙏