20 Quotes on Following Your Dreams to Live a Life You’ve Imagined

We all have a dream. A dream that we spend days, months, even years thinking about and wishing was a reality. This dream, if fulfilled, could mean a major life transition that brings us greater purpose and happiness. Whatever dream is close to your heart – writing a book, moving to a new city or state, having children, leaving that soul-sucking corporate job to become an entrepreneur – it’s surely possible.

All great things start in our imagination. However, once we imagine something, we may not act on it because of fear, self-doubt and life circumstances, preventing us from living to our potential. In spite of our mental blocks or other obstacles, we have the capacity to commit to our dream, to exercise our often-underutilized power of choice. The choice to take control of our lives and go after what we most want. It will take some life adjustments, belief in ourselves and steady focus on fulfilling the dream. As Johann Wolfgang Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!” Taking that first step towards our heart’s desire can be a bold move and maybe it’s to shift our mental attitude from “I can’t because…” to “I can because…”. Once we choose the latter, then setting the goal with a deadline will call us to action. If difficulties arise such as time limitations, illness, or obligations, making small steps, even if it takes a long time is key to our success. Above all, be kind to yourself when you fall off track because it takes a lot of courage and hard work to realize a dream.

Below are 20 quotes to inspire you to jumpstart your dream and help with creating a new attitude. Choose a quote, write it down and place it where you can see every day as the first step in your commitment to live a life that you’ve imagined.

1. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” ~Henry David Thoreau

2. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” ~Walt Disney

3. “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it! ~Goethe

4. There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not? ~Robert Kennedy

5. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~C. S. Lewis

6. “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” ~Nelson Mandela

7. “The only thing worse than starting something and failing… is not starting something.” ~Seth Godin

8. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” ~Harriet Tubman

9. “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” ~Michelangelo

10. “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” ~Anatole France

11. “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.” ~Napoleon Hill

12. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

13. “The resources we need to turn our dreams into reality are within us, merely waiting for the day when we decide to wake up and claim our birthright.” ~Anthony Robbins

14. “Dreams are necessary to life.” ~Anais Nin

15. “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” ~William Arthur Ward

16. “Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.” ~Wayne Dyer

17. “Miracles start to happen when you give as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears.” ~Richard Wilkins

18. “Don’t let others hijack your dreams. Be captain of your own ship and master of your own destiny.” ~Joanne Madeline Moore

19. “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” ~Farrah Gray

20. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain.

Which quote above will you choose to help take that first step towards fulfilling your dream? Be sure to post it where you can see it daily.