The other night I had this crazy scary dream. Maybe I should call it a nightmare. Are dreams a sign of things to come?

I’m reminded of a cartoon I saw many years ago that read “People who dream are a nightmare at the breakfast table”. Okay, that’s going to be me for this blog post. Are you ready?

My dream

I’m driving on a long road downhill in my trusty old SUV. Suddenly, I can’t open my eyes. I’m trying so hard but I can’t pry them open. At the same time, I’m picking up speed. I’m careening down the hill with both feet jammed on the brake.

So, there I am, driving at high speed, no sight, both feet on the brake. I’m desperately trying to keep the steering wheel straight, and praying that I’m staying on the road.

As I get to the bottom of the hill and the car starts to slow down, I can finally open my eyes, just in time to make a big turn to the left.

I wake up and my heart is pounding!

It takes me a while to calm down. I’m relieved it’s only a dream but I find it disturbing. At breakfast, I tell my daughter about it. There’s that nightmare at the breakfast table.

What does it mean?

After contemplating why I had this dream and what it means, I’ve decided that it’s a sign I’m about to take a big leap. I’m scared and it feels like I don’t know where I’m headed. It feels like things are out of control and I can’t see clearly where I’m going. But, suddenly my eyes are open and I know exactly where I am. I’m headed in the right direction.

That’s what I think this dream is all about. So, instead of looking at it as a nightmare, or an omen of bad things to come, I’m taking it as a sign of good things to come. It’s telling me to not give up and to keep going.

I’ve read that many businesses fail because they don’t give it enough time. It takes time to build up a company and make it profitable. Business owners give up because it gets too scary. And, it’s usually just before they’re going to take a huge leap forward. If only they’d hung in there.

I can totally relate to being scared. But, I think that scary means you can’t give up, not now. It’s a sign that you’re on to something bigger than you. Let me be clear though. That’s what I’m thinking on maybe 60% of the days. Then, there’s the other 40% where I think, “What the hell am I doing? This is too risky, too scary, too much work.”

Where I’m headed

Right now I have all these new opportunities coming up. I’ve been hosting Community Coffee Shops at my place for women to congregate and connect with others, and check out my Canadian-made bamboo clothing. I have a fashion show and two markets this month. I’ve been approached by Bayshore Shopping Centre to do a Pop-up Shop in October. And, I’m doing the two big Christmas Shows in Ottawa: the Signatures Show in November and the Originals Show in December. I was also offered a booth at the One of a Kind Christmas Show in Toronto after being put on a waitlist. I had to turn that one down.

But, with new opportunities, come new challenges and risks. I had to switch to a new design and development team at the ninth hour. I don’t know how much inventory I’ll need because I’ve never done a Pop-up Shop in a major shopping centre before, or been in two big Christmas shows. It’s a guessing game on how much to produce

I have huge cash outlays that make my heart jump into my throat. I’m going to have to use my line of credit for the first time. And, then pray to the retail gods that I will sell enough to cover the debt and have enough left over to finance the next round of production. I have to build a booth for the shows and staff the pop-up and markets.

Staying the course

When I think about it all, it feels out of control just like a car speeding down a hill and not being able to see where I’m going. But, I’m trying to tap into my intuition more so when my eyes are closed, I still have a sense of where I’m headed.

So, what do you think? Are dreams a sign of things to come? Have you ever had a similar dream? Was it a sign of things to come? Tell me about it in the comments.

Until next time,

~ Colleen

Colleen Kanna is a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer.

She is the creator of COKANNA Canadian made bamboo clothing for women that’s all about comfort and style.

Five percent of direct to customer sales are donated to Rethink Breast Cancer’s metastatic breast cancer support, education, and advocacy work