In my last post I showed an adorable photo of this baby bird, to illustrate how vulnerable I felt in launching Dream Hatching.

Adorable, isn’t she?

The only problem is, it’s bullshit.

THIS is what a newly hatched bird looks like:

Not so adorable. And yet, a Dream can’t get to the cute, downy stage, let alone soaring, until it’s passed through this harrowing, disoriented phase. Hatching – i.e. letting go of the safety of the egg, is only the beginning. There’s no turning back once you set some things in motion: Giving a two-week notice, telling someone how you feel, making that down payment. Suddenly your Dream is there, mouth open wide, needing time, attention, and resources.

The beginning of our Dream can look pretty feeble: A reading with only three people. Collapsing after 10 minutes in a new workout. A brand new Facebook page with two – count them, two – followers. And one of them is you. Many adults can’t withstand feeling like a “beginner.” Our egos can’t take it. We want to feel confident, competent and somewhat in control.

I remember how discouraged I felt after my first attempts at painting.

“Judging early artistic efforts is artist abuse,” write Julia Cameron in The Artists Way, about measuring beginning work against the masterworks of other artists.

Many of us do this with ANY new endeavor, particularly one as cherished as our Dream.

We compare our new hatchling to a full-fledged soaring Eagle:

It’s the most crucial time for your Dream, because the tendency is to abandon it. People feel embarrassed that what they have to show “so far,” doesn’t look like what they imagined it would. “How could I have ever believed I could become _____________. ” We must have done something wrong, we think, or that we’re not talented enough, outgoing enough, smart enough, again fill-in-the-blank.

It’s OK to begin. To be awkward, gangly, vulnerable. If we’re beginning, that’s authentically where we are. We may not be ready for soaring yet, but we’re definitely on our way.

It’s one of the reasons it’s so important to “Find Your Flock” before creating, so you don’t have to go through this stage alone. When everyone’s hatchlings look a bit hideous – as in hide-o-us – you can relax a little. Nothing’s wrong. Baby Dreams look a bit frightening. Wobbly. You don’t have to start over or give up on your Dream.

Don’t go public with your hatchling. Mama birds sit on their young to keep them warm, but also to protect them from predators. Be very selective with whom you share your hatchling.

For now, just stay with your Dream, like a momma bird: feeding it, snuggling it, giving it time to find its wings.