Making a change—especially one as big as moving—requires patience, empathy, and intentionality. And it starts with a dream.
Heather Michaud, Marketing Director, loves supporting older adults and their families to discover their dream lives
The holidays may be past, but this is the time to make your wish list. According to Heather Michaud, Marketing Director at Bruceville Point Senior Living, knowing what you want from life is the place to start when thinking about the days and years ahead. And the recipe for knowing? A combination of curiosity, imagination, and intentionality.
If you or someone close to you is considering a move to senior living, Heather says to begin the discussion by being curious and dreaming. Through a series of questions you can ask yourself or a loved one, you will start to see the outline of your future take shape.
You probably used to do this regularly. Young adults are constantly thinking about their futures. You pondered your future careers and the paths to get there. Is college the right choice? Which college? Later, in your professional life, you may have had annual reviews that provided space to think about where you were and where you were headed. But in our personal adult lives, pausing to think about where we are headed is rare.
As an adult, life can seem like a river. We jump aboard our raft and follow the river wherever it flows. The current is strong, and there is rarely time to examine another path.
So where do you begin a conversation focused on future dreams? Heather suggests several questions:
- What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
- If you could wave a magic wand and make some daily tasks go away, what would they be?
- What things do you never want to give up?
- What do you want to have at your fingertips?
- What brings you joy?
- What from your past brought you joy?
- How important are your social relationships? Your family relationships? What do you want those relationships to look like?
Heather’s questions help create a focused wish list. Through her questioning, one gains a better understanding of what they want.
And then it’s time to assess. Is one’s current situation helping them realize their dreams? Heather gently probes to see if they are on the right path.
- How do you spend your day? Is that what is most compelling to you?
- Are your relationships fun, engaging, and supportive? Do you see the people you want to spend time with regularly? Are your relationships balanced?
- Are you able to do what is most important to you? Are you able to do it efficiently?
- Do you have joy in your life? Purpose?
Ideally, the answers align with the dreams. When they are different, one should stop and ask, what can I change to get me closer to my dream life?
By thinking about or discussing the answers to Heather’s questions, it becomes clear that actions and choices (or the lack thereof) today determine one’s future. Heather gently applies a magnifying glass to life. By doing so, the people who meet with her (or think about her questions) are empowered to make decisions that bring them closer to their ideal life. For these people, life is less like floating down a river and more like exploring with a map to ensure you see all the sights and end up at your chosen destination.
First, one needs to create that map—create a wish list. Zig Ziglar famously said, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” It is the lack of dreaming that limits our lives. So dream big!
If you would like help starting the conversation from Heather or our counselor at Bruceville Point, please reach out. We are here to support your dreams and make your tomorrow even better, whether that’s at Bruceville Point, your own home, or another community.
Learn more about what makes dreams come true at Bruceville Point. Download our Signature Programs Guide to learn more about our Culinary, Fitness and Events and Adventures programs.
