You may be and not know it.

What is a dream stealer? It’s that person that you have excitedly shared your dreams with who squashes them by telling you it’s a terrible idea or it’s impossible to do or asks you why you would even think about doing such a thing or sarcastically exclaims, “Good Luck!”

Do you recognize this person? I certainly do. I’ve had numerous dream stealers in my life. We all have. I am very careful not to be one.

Dreams are whispers from the universe. Not everyone hears them. If you are the lucky one to take note, it may be best to keep your dream to yourself. At least for a little while.

Dreams are precious. They must be nurtured and protected. They must have space and time to develop. They may start with just a spark and need to be flamed into a roaring fire. That’s how dreams manifest!

The road from dream to manifestation is not always a straight one. However, two elements must be present – direction and action.

Once you have clarity on the dream you wish to manifest, then it’s advisable to jot it down on a piece of paper as your end goal. A friend and mentor, Petra Mayer from Petra Mayer Consulting, introduced me to the idea of an arrow. Draw an arrow and place your dream at the point. Then the body of the arrow is where you jot down the actions you will take to make this dream a reality. Doing this exercise will keep you focused and on point.

One of the actions I strongly suggest you practice often is seeing your dream as already manifested. Imagine what it looks like, feels like, and yes, even smells like. Use all your senses. This action will anchor your dream more and more every time you do it.

Now you can share your dream with friends and family. I still caution you to choose whom you share with carefully. If you know for sure that Aunt Suzy is a negative Nelly, then I’d keep her out of the loop.

Just like you want people to respect and support you with your dreams, you must do the same for them. I know that it’s easy to try and protect your friends and family from potential failures. Remember, it’s their dream not yours. Of course, if it’s obvious that they may hurt themselves or others by pursuing a particular dream, speak up. In all other situations, catch yourself before becoming a dream stealer.

Have you ever experienced sharing a dream with a friend and having them totally squash your dream? I’d love it if you’d tell us about it.