Advent Blog 2025 — Keeping the Dream Alive

What does it mean «  to follow your dream »?

It isn’t as simple or as dramatic as the phrase often suggests. It’s rarely a single bold leap. More often, it’s a quiet, ongoing relationship with what feels alive inside you.

One of the most surprising truths about dreams is that they evolve alongside us. The dreams you once had belonged to the life you were living then — the people, the rhythms, the version of you that existed at that time.

When life changes unexpectedly, our dreams must change too. That doesn’t mean we’ve failed them. It means we’re listening more closely to who we are becoming.

This Christmas, I think that dreaming bigger doesn’t mean dreaming louder — it means dreaming truer.

Twelve years ago, I was seized with the most powerful vision and idea during a visit to Prince Edward Island, after making an impromptu stop at a house with a small sign on the lawn advertising used books for sale. I was greeted by a quiet older woman, in a garage she had converted into a used bookstore full of shelves on all four walls and a few tables stacked with books in the middle of the room.

As I perused the neat piles of books and making my selection, it occurred to me that I would be so happy having a small shop just like this one, only, in my dream, I would also sell on consignment products made by home based small entrepreneurs. Since that summer, I have nurtured that dream over and over in my head, but I probably lack the confidence or commitment to make it happen. In fact, it feels like I keep taking steps that push me further away from that dream.

Listening before acting.

I know what my dream is, because im aware of the longings that return again and again, even when life gets busy or complicated. Dreams persist not because they’re loud, but because they’re true.

Allowing your dreams to evolve.

I get it. The dream I had ten years ago may not fit the life I have now. Following your dreams doesn’t mean clinging to an old vision—it means letting it change shape as you change.

Choosing presence over certainty.

Dreams don’t come with guarantees either. Following them asks you to trust the next step without seeing the whole staircase, and to stay open to detours that may lead somewhere even more meaningful. You have to trust the outcome.

I am not taking any steps to make this dream happen, yet am i naive enough to think the opportunity will knock on my door?

Honouring desire without judgment.

Maybe I want to keep it as a dream… Maybe dreams don’t need to be practical, impressive, or explainable. Wanting joy, purpose, connection, creativity, or peace could be reason enough for the dream to exist.

At its heart, following your dreams is an act of faith—not in outcomes, but in yourself. It’s trusting that what you’re drawn to is pointing you toward a fuller, more honest way of living.

And especially at Christmas—a season of quiet wonder and fresh beginnings—following your dreams may simply mean daring to believe that something new, and good, is still unfolding for you.

I don’t know if I will ever open my little used books and gift shop, but I am still holding that dream. I just moved into a new suburban neighbourhood, and last week a sign appeared at strip mall going up around the corner, telling us a used bookstore will be opening soon.

What is the Universe telling me?