When I was younger, I had a lot of time doing what felt like nothing. As the youngest of four kids, I was my mom’s sidekick car pooling my siblings around from one sporting event to the next. Too young to participate, I was the obligatory biggest fan.
Therefore, I spent a lot of time in cars, on the sidelines, and in the occasional dugout. It seemed like a lot of time just sitting still doing nothing. As I’ve started my professional career and have spent more time sitting on planes in recent months, I was reminded of what it feels like to do “nothing.” To be forced to slow down, have no internet access, and actually, pay attention to what’s going on in your brain.
It brought me back to the times I was dragged from one event to another. I thought about the moments I sat in the car sucking on the post-game oranges or laid on the sidelines looking up at the sky. To the outside observer, it probably appeared that in those simple and pure moments, I was doing nothing. And quite honestly, until now, I’d say I was doing nothing too. But, the truth is I was doing far from nothing. I was dreaming.
The dreams started fairly small. At first, I just wanted to get off the sidelines and onto the field. It didn’t take long for me to make that dream a reality. Too young to play, I had to get creative. Before every one of my brother’s baseball games, I’d go into his room and check out the uniform laid out for that game. I’d then rush back to my room and put together the closest thing I had to that outfit. We’d hop in the car, and I could see the way my mom and brother would look at me like, what are you wearing? I didn’t see anything wrong with it… I was just dreaming.
Dream Time
Soon the dream of taking the field became a reality when my brother’s team made me a mascot, and I joined them in the dugout. In their final game, I sat in the dugout as the team went out to be announced for the Little League Championship. I’ll never forget when they got to the end of the line-up and said they have one more player to announce, “Queen of the Diamonds and #1 mascot Brynn Walker.” That was my first taste of what it feels like to have a dream come true. It is a feeling so fulfilling, so joyful and so exciting. And, while it is satisfying, it also serves as a catalyst to dream bigger.
From a Dream to Reality
A few years later, it was my time to take the field as a player. As one dream came true, another was born. I remember getting ready for each game, making sure my uniform mirrored the closest thing to the pros I’d watch on TV. I’d look in the mirror before going out to play and see myself as the first female to play in the MLB. When I sat in the dugout with nothing to do, I dreamed of winning a World Series.
Then I picked up the game of golf. Too young to drive, I remember the many times I sat in the parking lot juggling the golf balls on my wedge as I waited for my mom to pick me up. More time to dream. It seemed like with each juggle came a new dream. I first dreamed about what it would feel like to lift a trophy… any trophy. Then I dreamed of lifting specific trophies. In those juggles, I’d see myself playing on the LPGA. I’d hear the roars I hoped would accompany an introduction to the first tee of a Solheim Cup. I saw myself walking fairways with people I’d grown up watching.
My dream written out in the top 10 things you should know about me in 6th grade.
When I was younger, it seemed like every day I had time to dream. And when a dream was realized, it only fueled me to dream bigger. And I lived on those dreams. They filled me with motivation, excitement, and an eagerness to go after them every day. No matter how hard anyone could try… I couldn’t lose sight of those dreams.
Somewhere in the process of growing up, I lost the time to dream. That’s not to say the dream dies. It’s just that it didn’t live in me like it did when that was the only thing on my mind.
A few months back, I realized a childhood dream. I walked the fairways with people I had grown up watching on TV. It reminded me of my dream. Just as if I was a kid again, it was a dream that couldn’t get off my mind. So much so I couldn’t sleep. That’s when my tag line, “Living my dream by day while chasing the one that keeps me up at night,” was born. It wasn’t worry keeping me up but a burning desire to chase and achieve this dream. And without realizing it, I started spending more and more time just dreaming. The dream motivated me. It pushed me to do things outside my comfort zone and jump hurdles that, to many, might seem too big. What a thrill it is to live on a dream.
I then began jotting down the process it would take to achieve that dream. Every day became focused on checking off the boxes of doing the things that would take me one step closer. Before I knew it, I was neglecting any time to dream. Days became a little less exciting and felt not near as purposeful. Then, the other day, I realized one of my childhood dreams. I was once again filled with that excitement, elation, and inspiration to dream bigger. It was the perfect reminder of the importance of taking time to dream. Because living on dreams propels us to live each day with purpose, with a vision, and with a childlike spirit to reach for what many would say is impossible.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what stage of life you find yourself in. We are never too old to DREAM. I encourage you to set aside time to dream. To DREAM big. To go beyond the limits you might have once placed on a vision. Let your mind see a DREAM that no one else could imagine. You might just be surprised how you feel when you wake up. I hope it creates a day with more purpose, more passion, and more excitement because thats what it feels like to be living with a DREAM.