What a Grain of Sand Taught Me About Dreaming Without Guilt

When I was a young teenager, my aunt asked me what I wanted in life. We were just walking on the beach and without hesitation, I started listing all the things I dreamed of: a big house on the beach, maybe a second place somewhere else, a brand-new car, dinners at the best restaurants in town—you know, the dream life.

But then something shifted. Mid-sentence, I started backtracking. “Well,” I said, “actually, a smaller house in a less fancy neighborhood would be fine. And the car doesn’t have to be new… just comfortable.” I continue to recalibrate the dreams I had just shared with her.

That’s when my aunt stopped me. She looked at me and said, “What happened to your dreams?”

I told her I didn’t need all those things. That there were people out there who really needed a home, a working car, or even just three meals a day. I figured—why should God bother with my wish list when others were struggling with the basics?

She didn’t say a word. Instead, she bent down, scooped up some sand, and slowly brushed away all but one tiny grain left on her finger.

Then she asked me, “Imagine you had all the powers in the world. And this one little grain of sand came to you with a request—would you help it?”

I laughed, “Of course!”

She smiled. “What do you think it would ask for? Maybe a little shade? A drop of water? Would that be hard for you to give?

I thought about that tiny grain of sand and what it could want. A drop of water, a seashell to rest in, even a sand castle would be easy—and I would make it beautiful!

“Not at all,” I replied. “I’d probably build it a whole sandcastle!”

Then she said something that has stayed with me throughout the years:

“That’s what your wishes look like to God. To the universe. They’re not too big. They’re easy. There’s absolutely nothing we might desire that is hard or impossible for the universe. And just like I want you to be happy, He wants that for you, too.”

That moment shifted something in me.

Wanting more doesn’t mean taking from someone else. We live in an abundant universe, and when your desires come from a true place of love and joy—not greed or fear—they already belong to you. You just have to ask… and be ready to receive.

Now, when I look up at the sky and remember that my aunt's words, I’m reminded of how small we are… and yet how powerful. We have the power to create our own lives. The power to dream without apologizing. If what I want brings joy and harms no one, why shouldn’t I have it?

So I ask you:

What do you want?

What have you talked yourself out of because you think it’s too much or you are not worthy?

You are one grain of sand in this vast, infinite universe—and yet, you matter. You shine your own unique light like a start. You’re here. That alone makes you worthy.

Let your heart speak. Let your dreams be heard. And believe… you can have it all.