This is the first in a two-part series about dreams taking the stage in unexpected ways. I begin thirteen years ago describing my experience winning the Ms. Colorado Senior America state pageant — where the gowns sparkle, the laughter is loud backstage, and confidence walks out under the lights right alongside courage. This is where this dream first stood up and said, “I’m real.” 

What sparked this memory was reading an email on December 17, 2025, when Mike Dooley with Tut said in his blog from The Universe, the Top 10 signs we know our really huge dreams are about to come true is when:

10. You regularly visualize the end result, the after-party, or beyond.

9. Every day you “show up,” doing something about it.

8. You’re not attached to how it will arrive into your life.

7. It really matters to you; you really care.

6. You know who the first 3 people are that you’ll call with the news.

 5. You’re smiling and winking way more than normal.

4. Sometimes you speak and behave as if it’s already come to pass.

3. It probably doesn’t depend upon specific people.

2. You already know what your next big dream is.

1. You keep whispering “Sweet! Thank you! Yes!” with a clutched fist.

©www.tut.com 

Dreams have a way of tugging at our sleeves. They whisper at first, then they sing, then they plant themselves right in the center of the heart and refuse to move. There comes a moment when we realize we are no longer wishing for a dream. We are partnering with it. 

When I competed in the Ms. Colorado Senior America pageant, there were the parts everyone sees: the stage lights, music, gowns, smiles, and that beautiful sense of sisterhood. And then there were the parts most people don’t see — the backstage world. Hairspray clouds. Last-minute zipper rescues. Whispered prayers. “Where’s my shoe?” moments. Laughter that settles nerves better than any pep talk. 

That was where the list above quietly came to life for me. 

Long before I stepped out under the lights, number 10 had already taken root. I could see the end result in my heart — not just a title, and not just applause — the deeper feeling of standing fully in who I am. I could feel the after-party conversations, the hugs, the shared stories that happen when women cheer one another on. 

Number 9 looked very practical: rehearsing my talent, practicing answers, choosing outfits, staying focused when doubts tried to tap me on the shoulder. Just showing up. Again and again. 

And then there was number 8 — letting go of how it had to happen. Pageants are full of surprises. A mic cuts out. A heel wobbles. A line comes out in a brand-new order. Backstage, I realized something sacred: my dream didn’t depend on everything going perfectly. It depended on me bringing my whole heart. 

There is one moment I treasure. I was standing backstage, gown in place, listening for my cue, and stroking Sir Vinnie, my handsome four-legged gentleman who had walked beside me through so many chapters. I knew he would later curl beside me with that deep, satisfied sigh that says, “We did good.” My heart wasn’t frightened. It was full. I felt as if the dream had already come to pass — which sounds a lot like number 4. 

When the lights came up and the music rose, something in me rose too. I shared my talent, my story, my whole self — not perfectly, and completely. And when the moment finally met the dream, my hand curled into that little victorious fist and the words came all by themselves: 

“Sweet! Thank you! Yes.”  

Number 1 — in living color. 

That is the real magic of dreams. They don’t begin on the stage or end with the applause. They start quietly inside us, grow through care and courage, and bloom when we step forward even while our knees are still knocking a little. They invite us to laugh more, risk more, and trust that unseen hands are already arranging the details. 

And when one dream lands? Another appears on the horizon. That is how we know we are still growing. Still reaching. Still soaring. 

Take a deep breath right now and notice the dream tugging gently at your sleeve. See it. Smile with it. Take one small brave step toward it today. Release the “how.” Say thank you ahead of time. The universe has already heard you. 

Dreams really do come true — and when yours does, the world will shine brighter because you showed up exactly as you are. And when you show up, you will change the way you see and change the way you live.