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Your Dreams Are NO Joke: It’s Time to DREAM BIG Again & 3 Ways to Get Started | Mel Robbins Podcast

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — THIS is the pep talk you need to hear right now. I’m showing up with a level of intensity in a way you’ve never heard me before. We are talking about you and your big #dreams. No matter what you're going through in life, your dreams are alive and well and they are waiting for you to wake up and turn toward them. If you’re not ready for some Mel Robbins #inspirational firepower, bookmark this for another day. Because I’m not f*ing around today. If you’re done with feeling like you’re doing the same sh*t day in and day out… If you’re tired of your excuses… Or if you're like Barbara, who you will meet in this episode, and you have given up on your dreams because they haven’t materialized yet… This may be the most important 50 minutes of your life. There is a flame inside of you that is still flickering. Today, we are going to throw gasoline on and reignite that fire. You’re ready for this today. I know you are. And more than any other episode, I can't wait to hear how you’re feeling and what you’re doing after you listen to this one. Xo Mel P.S. A lot of you keep asking how you can motivate the people that you love – your kids, spouses, family members, colleagues. Just share this episode with them and I’ll take care of it. P.P.S. When you’re done listening, you’re going to feel like you’ve been shot out of a cannon and want to know how to level up. A great way to start is jumping into The Wake Up Challenge so I can support you in getting your mornings off to a great start for five days in a row, which is exactly the kind of structure you’re going to need to get started on your dreams. Sign up here: https://www.melrobbins.com/wakeup In this episode, you’ll learn: - That you’re not alone in your self-doubt and self-sabotage habits - WHY your dreams are so important - What you’ve done with your dreams - 3 ways you hold yourself back - What it feels like to be “pulled” toward a dream - One powerful morning tip that will start waking you up to your dreams - The question to ask yourself every day to help you claim what’s meant for you - Why you need to stop looking to others to validate your dreams In this episode: 00:00 Intro 03:03 There is a flame inside of you 06:19 Tap into your curiosity 12:08 What happens when you give up on your dream 20:58 There is something that is meant for you 22:02 Turn towards your dream 24:20 Step #1 - Being honest about what your dreams are 28:49 Tap into your deepest desires and write down 5 of your dreams daily 35:18 Your dreams are not a joke 38:09 Start being honest with yourself 40:31 Step #2 - Are you for or against your dream? 42:57 Your dreams are a directional signal 47:50 The biggest mistake YOU are making 54:38 There is no age limit for pursuing your dreams — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@melrobbins Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com​ — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins​?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel RobbinshostGuestguest
Nov 10, 202258mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Stop Shrinking: Mel Robbins Demands You Take Your Dreams Seriously Now

  1. Mel Robbins makes an urgent, emotional case that your dreams are not fluffy self‑help but a core part of your purpose, hardwired into who you are. Through a live coaching session with comedian/actor Barbara and her own story about delaying a podcast for 11 years, Mel shows how people joke, rationalize, and fear their way out of pursuing what they truly want. She introduces a simple daily exercise—writing down five dreams each morning—to reconnect with desire and leverage the Zeigarnik effect so the brain helps you move toward those dreams. The episode reframes dreams not as destinations to achieve, but as directional signals that guide growth, resilience, and meaning at any age.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Your dreams are a responsibility, not a luxury.

Mel argues that dreams are wired into your curiosity and energy; treating them seriously is how you create meaning, growth, and aliveness, not something you do only when everything else is perfect.

Stop shrinking: comfort is okay, smallness is not.

She distinguishes between wanting a comfortable life and forcing yourself to “be small”; tolerating smallness—like Barbara did by moving home and downplaying her ambitions—creates long-term misery.

Name the self-sabotage: jokes, excuses, and fear extinguish your ‘flame.’

People distance themselves from their dreams by making them a joke, stacking excuses (money, age, timing), or focusing on the fear of failure; all of these are like dumping cold water on the inner flame of desire.

Use the ‘five dreams a day’ ritual to reopen desire.

Each morning, write down any five things you want—big or small—without judgment; this clears mental blocks around wanting, builds a habit of honesty, and signals your brain to treat these as important targets.

Leverage the Zeigarnik effect so your brain works for your dreams.

By repeatedly writing the same desires, you activate your brain’s tendency to keep unfinished, important items top-of-mind, which nudges you to notice opportunities, take small actions, and maintain momentum.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Your dreams are not a joke. Your dreams are serious business.

— Mel Robbins

It’s okay to be comfortable. It’s not okay to be small.

— Mel Robbins

If you are the one that is against your big dreams in life, that is the source of misery.

— Mel Robbins

You’re not supposed to achieve your dreams. Your dreams are a directional signal.

— Mel Robbins

Every single day you can just ask yourself, ‘Am I for or against my dream today?’

— Mel Robbins

Why dreams matter and are not “self-help fluff”Common ways people minimize, avoid, or sabotage their dreamsLive coaching session with Barbara about playing small vs. being honestDaily ‘five dreams’ writing practice and the Zeigarnik effectReframing dreams as directional signals, not fixed destinationsAge, timing, and sunk-cost excuses around reinventionPersonal stories: Mel’s radio/podcast journey and examples of life pivots

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