Can you actually sleep your way to riches?

Finding a niche for your work can feel limiting, especially for those of us with many interests, skills and talents. But, there is a way to combine everything (or almost everything) you desire into one lifework path that you love.

I know what it’s like to feel confused and frustrated when trying to find your niche. There is, however, a place where you can turn for help. In fact, you may be receiving vital information on a daily basis and you may be ignoring it without realizing it!

Believe it or not, your dreams may have all the answers for you, or at the very lease steps you can take to get further along on your journey. Here’s how one dream helped me create my entire business.The dream that changed my life

Several years ago I was at a crossroads. I liked my profession, however I desperately needed to breathe new life into what I was doing. My work had lost much of its meaning, but unfortunately the next step eluded me.

Then I had a dream. I dreamed I made money by helping other people make money, and I did this by tending to their gardens.

Here’s what happened to my dream Self:

I am a bookkeeper, but instead of crunching numbers I help people make money by tending to their gardens. I use my credit card to draw water from the Source of Creation which comes from a spigot on the side of a house.

After a day of watering my client’s garden I sit back and review my books. There is a loving Presence (God) behind me. Together we review everything.

Suddenly I’m nervous. In my bank account there is a million dollars, and I have no idea how it got there. Did I accidentally put my clients’ money into my own account?

Fortunately, God shows me that my clients each have a million dollars. The million dollars in my account is the money I’ve earned simply by helping other people tend to their lives.

I am stunned. I was so busy helping people and enjoying my work I didn’t even realize I was making money.

I woke up excited, feeling as though I’d been given some profound information that could change my life.

Over the next few days I thought incessantly about the dream. As revelations surfaced, I decided to explore the emerging information.

I used a 6 x 9 foot piece of paper to draw the eco-system of my life. Everything was a metaphor for an experience, need or vision. I was essentially dreaming on paper and as a result, even more information revealed itself.

Then things started to fall into place.

A few weeks later, I discovered an overarching lifework theme that encompassed everything I loved.

Below I share the details of my process with you. I created 3 pillars you can use to build the foundation of any heartfelt work you want to offer the world. They were:

1. The needs of your community

My community was comprised of mind, body, soul & life (coach) professionals who struggled with how to grow prosperous work

2. What you love and need most in order to be happy – a 2 part process

1. I was done picking and choosing which parts of me to use in my work. It was time to use everything – art, writing, dreams, Spirit – but I also redefined the qualities and characteristics of the work I wanted to create.

2. The other side of this step was the elimination of every aspect of work that I didn’t enjoy.

3. The culmination of your experience and expertise

Up until that point I had compartmentalized my work. I’d been a website and graphic designer for big companies, a marketing and business consultant for non-profits and a spiritual guide for individuals.

Even though I enjoyed all of these pieces, the compartmentalization of everything was making me miserable. Reflecting on the dream helped me find a way to create an overarching theme for my work so I could offer one service “Grow Your Lifework” and use all of my skills and talents in that context.

My work started to feel fresh again. Over the years, the dream has inspired countless revelations and creations. It still touches everything I do. It even inspired:

• Grow Up Ezine (which you’re reading) and many of the articles I’ve written over the past several years

• Grow the Extra Mile, or GEM, a 12-Month marketing program for mind, body, soul & life people

• Tools for my spiritual guidance and lifework direction services

• Grow Your Lifework Guidebook, which walks people through the fun and creative process I used to help breathe life into my work (I’m still working on this one. It may be a year before it’s finished!)

It was a simple dream, but it’s given me years’ worth of inspiration.

Also, for those who say you can’t make money by following your dreams, this dream was responsible for generating over $40,000 in income. While it wasn’t a million dollars, it was income that came from rewarding lifework that made me feel rich in mind, body and soul.

The power of dreams to transform lives is remarkable.

What precious gems are hiding in the dark corners of your mind?