Yeah, you do get to have what you want

Tinogona – a term from the Shona language of Zimbabwe that translates as “yes, your dreams are achievable”.

Another way we might express this powerful (and sometimes difficult to believe) truth – “Yeah, you DO get to be/do/have what you want”. The impact of this simple statement is breathtaking – when we choose to trust its verity, the certainty of it, and apply it to our lives. But how often do we do that?

The tendency, especially for women, is to look at our dreams, then consider that simple statement (yes, yours dreams are achievable) and say “yeah, but that doesn’t work for me. You don’t understand, my situation is different/too complicated/too painful/too disappointing, and maybe other people’s dreams can happen, but not mine”. And that’s often when we descend into a pale, even anemic shadow of what our lives could be.

But living “less than” what we are designed for is not our birthright. Take, for example, the story of Tereria Trent who grew up in Zimbabwe and at age 11 was promised to an abusive man in her village, and at age 14 was married off to him by her family. Lots of abuse and fear, and by the time she was 18 she already had 3 kids (and there were more to follow). Sounds like a hopeless situation, however she had a dream – to come to the US and get an education for herself and her babies.

Again, sounds hopeless; so many obstacles to overcome, so few resources. But the dream was stronger than the barriers and, to make a long and moving story shorter, she got out of the village and the marriage, brought all 5 of her children to the US, and eventually earned a Ph.D. and has been living her dream ever since.

We’ll explore what kept her going and kept the dream alive in a subsequent post. Suffice it to say, she’s a brilliant example and demonstration of the truth of “tinogona”. She chose to accept the fact that her dream was, indeed, achievable and, as a result of that belief, she overcame huge challenges and made it happen. So how does it feel when you apply tinagona to your own dreams, your own life? What if it IS true?

What if those things you dream about, fantasize about, imagine you could be, do, or have ARE possible and available to you? What will you do with that truth?