Ever noticed how, when you get a big, bold, exciting idea, your brain immediately tries to shrink it down into something manageable? Instead of letting new possibilities stand on their own, we try to fit them into what we already know—like stuffing a sprawling, magnificent dream into a box that’s two sizes too small.
Why? Because our brains like predictability. They rely on what they already know to create that predictability and a sense of safety. The brain is wired to recognize patterns, categorize experiences, and reference past knowledge to make sense of new information. While this is useful for survival, it can also keep us stuck—limiting new possibilities to what already feels familiar.
But true transformation doesn’t happen in the comfort of what we already know.
In my blog Audacious Dreaming for 2025, I explored this idea with a simple yet powerful invitation:
"Let go of what’s safe and comfortable for a moment, and imagine your most audacious life."
But if you found yourself instinctively trying to scale that audacious life down to something more “realistic,” you’re not alone. Your brain is doing what it’s wired to do. The question is—will you let it?
The Tale of the Pond Frog
Imagine a quiet little pond where a frog has lived its entire life. It knows every rock, every ripple, every shadow that dances across the water’s surface. One day, an ocean frog hops up and starts a conversation.
Ocean Frog: "Hey there, how’s life in the pond?"
Pond Frog: "Peaceful! And where are you from?"
Ocean Frog: "Oh, I live in the ocean."
Pond Frog: "The ocean? What’s that?"
Ocean Frog: "It’s a body of water so vast you could swim forever and never reach the end."
Pond Frog: "Oh! So, like… twice the size of my pond?"
Ocean Frog: "No. You could swim in one direction and never find the edge."
Pond Frog: "Ah, so… three times the size of my pond?"
The pond frog, limited by what it knows, keeps trying to measure the ocean against the only reality it understands.
And here’s the kicker: we do the same thing with our dreams.
The Brain’s Natural Instinct to Shrink the Unknown
In Unstoppable Brain, Kyran Bobinet explains:
"Whenever we're presented with something radical or uncomfortable or difficult to understand, our brain naturally strives to go back to what it knows."
Like the pond frog, our minds instinctively try to fit the vastness of new possibilities into the limits of our past experiences. It’s not that we don’t want to dream bigger—it’s that our brains are wired to keep us in the familiar.
And while the brain leans toward the predictable, the soul craves expansion.
A Personal Story: Stepping Into Expansion
I know this feeling well.
When I first started doing equine-assisted coaching, I envisioned a small herd of horses as my partners in this work. At the time, I had only two personal horses and a small area to work from—a round pen and two stalls. My dream was expansive. I saw a larger property with open turnouts, a space where horses could roam freely, and a place where my vision could fully unfold. But my brain kept trying to measure that dream against what I already knew, making it feel distant and impossible.
I found myself stuck, circling the same thoughts: Where will this space come from? How will I make it happen? My mind clung to the structure of my current reality, unable to comprehend a path beyond it.
One day, as I sat quietly with my horses, I let go of the need to figure it out and simply allowed the dream to exist beyond what I knew. As I did, Butler, my tall and handsome bay gelding, turned and walked away, followed by Princess. After a few steps, they stopped and looked back. I felt the invitation—they were asking me to follow.
So I did.
As we moved together around the round pen, I realized I wasn’t focused on a destination. I was simply present, allowing each step to lead to the next. There was no certainty, no need for control—only trust. And in that trust, something shifted. I saw the parallel between this moment and my dream: I didn’t need to know how it would happen. I only needed to step off the well-worn path of what I knew and allow expansion to take me forward.
Within a year, I was living on a new property with a large arena and open turnouts. My herd had grown, and I had space not only for them but for the vision that had once felt so far away. Looking back, I see now that the key wasn’t figuring out how to make the dream happen—it was stepping into the unknown and expanding what I knew was possible.
A Simple Practice to Embody Your Audacious Dream
Let’s step beyond the pond for a moment and into the ocean of your fullest potential.
Find a quiet space and close your eyes. Take a deep breath and feel yourself standing at the edge of your current reality—your "pond." Notice how familiar it feels. Safe. Predictable. Or maybe it feels stuck, confined, even limiting. Simply notice what you notice.
Now, imagine stepping beyond. See an endless ocean stretching before you, mirroring the boundless potential of your dream, vast and waiting to be explored. A space of limitless possibility. You don’t need to “figure it out.” Just feel its vastness and trust that it is unfolding, even if you can’t yet see the full path ahead.
Let your body respond. What emotions arise? Excitement? Uncertainty? A mix of both? Notice any tingling sensations, a quickening of your breath, or a rush of energy. These are signs of expansion. If resistance shows up in the form of limiting thoughts or beliefs, don’t judge them—simply take note. You might notice a heaviness in your chest, shallow breathing, or a feeling of being deflated. These are areas that can be explored and worked through later. For now, gently redirect your focus back to the vastness of expansion.
Release the need to measure. Instead of trying to define your dream in terms of what you already know, let it exist as something bigger. Use your curiosity and imagination to expand the dream to its fullest potential. Allow it to be vast, unknown, and thrilling.
Write down a word or phrase that captures this feeling. Use it as a guide when doubt creeps in. When your mind tries to shrink your dream, return to this feeling of limitless possibility.
Your Dreams Are Bigger Than Your Pond
You weren’t meant to stay small. The dreams stirring within you aren’t asking to be minimized—they’re asking you to expand.
The key is not to force your dreams to fit within what you know but to allow them to expand what you know.
So, what’s one dream you’ve been unknowingly trying to shrink? What’s an “ocean” you’re ready to step into? What are the audacious dreams you have for 2025—dreams that feel vast, exhilarating, and beyond what you currently know?
I’d love to hear—share in the comments what big, beautiful possibilities you’re ready to embrace.
And remember: the more you allow yourself to live in the feeling of your dream, the faster it finds its way to you.
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