Is your dream realistic and are you willing to put in the work to achieve it?
This week, I hope to wrap-up my thoughts after reading Put Your Dream to The Test: 10 Questions to Help you See It and Seize It by John Maxwell. Let me start by saying that I have really asked whether my dream to become a Life Coach is even possible. I have gained a lot of insight about myself, and the struggles I face to become the best version of me. I will be taking steps to create a plan and review the processes that will develop my dream. Mr. Maxwell provided a roadmap planning process in the back of his book. I am looking forward to digging a bit deeper into my dream so that I may set it up correctly and be more successful as I pursue it.
As we pursue our dreams and goals, they always come at a cost. Mr. Maxwell askes in his book if we are willing to pay the price for chasing and obtaining our dreams. He goes on to outline a few of the costs, but one hit me harder than the rest. Yes, there will be hard work and the need to face the fear of failure, but the one I did not consider was criticism from people we respect and love. We always hope to have the support of the people closest to us, and there will be a time when they are not seeing the benefits of our dreams. That is a cost we must accept. Dreams do not cost us a dime, and everyone can have a dream. The path to our dreams can cost us time and money, which can be too expensive for some of us. There is the potential that time spent pursuing a dream could interfere with our families and friends. As a family man, time away from my kids is hard to accept. Be sure you are clear about what is acceptable and what is not.
I have always told my kids that if they are pursuing a goal or dream to go after it. Chase it, without backing down. Mr. Maxwell askes if we have the tenacity in chasing our dreams. Our dreams can be a lot of hard work. Mr. Maxwell shares what our lower or greater self says in any given situation. This example confirms my thoughts about our internal dialogue and how it hinders our processes. We must stop the negative thoughts and conversations, as they impede our dreams and goals. Our dreams do not just fall into our laps and it is something we must continue to chase. Even when we think we lost the battle there is still time to recover. Chase your dreams and never give up.
John Maxwell discusses fulfillment of our dreams as the moment it brings us satisfaction. He goes on to say that we have a sense of fulfillment while we are making the journey. This is another very important discovery, because it affirms that we gain more insight and grow into our dreams. Our dreams develop as we chase them. This is the journey I am currently on. I wish to help others to find their purpose and improve in some way. My dream is developing and changing as I discover myself and see a clearer picture of my dream. This brings us to Mr. Maxwell’s last question. Is the dream we are chasing helping others? He describes it as bringing significance to our world. I often talk about searching for our life’s purpose in many of my posts. John Maxwell once again shows me his brilliance. We all want to be of value in the world and help ourselves be better, and at the same time help other.
What are you willing to give up achieving a dream?
Are you talking positively about your abilities as you work towards a goal?
How is your dream related to your life’s purpose and your personal development?
Will your dream help those around you and bring significance to your life?
Our dreams are discovered as we live our lives. We find inspiration in many things, but a select few bring us the ultimate feeling we are living a meaningful life. We discover our purpose as we pursue our dreams. I hope you continue to chase your dreams and seek to improve not only yourself but others around you too. Please leave your comments below and I hope you have a great week chasing your dreams.
Steven C. Bucks-Leading Conversations
Resource: Maxwell, J. C. (2011). Put Your Dream to The Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson
