#45 - THE GATEWAY TO YOUR DREAM

I was feeling useless.

Though I woke up every morning with ambition, at the end of the day I was drained from my pursuit of money, success, acceptance, recognition, status and the “finer things in life.” I was going nowhere…fast.

Empty. Unfulfilled. Selfish. Yearning for more.

Can you relate?

Have you ever felt that what you woke up to do each morning was for nobody but yourself? Have you ever said to yourself, “There has to be more to life than this.” Have your pursuits, your desires, your plans and your ambitions ever led you to a dead end?

Has your existence ever given you so little fulfillment that you questioned why you were living in the first place?

This is exactly how I felt in 2007.

Then, I discovered my burden.

I identified a problem in the world that I wanted to play a part in fixing. I saw a segment of the population who was hurting and decided that I needed to do something about it. My heart became broken for something that, I believe, broke God’s heart.

I was concerned.

So what happened next?

Ideas started to flow. Opportunities to serve others started to make themselves available. I connected with people who felt the same way. I was told, “Thank You.”

Life began to have meaning.
No longer was I only pursuing my needs.
I was living my life for others, as opposed to living only for myself.

My life’s purpose began to reveal itself.

Over the course of the last three years, I have done work in response to my burden. I have pursued opportunities that serve the people for whom my burden is for. My work is no longer prosperity-driven, but instead it is purpose-driven!

And through all this, the lesson I have learned and would like to share with you is this:

YOUR BURDEN IS THE GATEWAY TO YOUR DREAM.

When you, once and for all, identify the deepest, most sincere burden that lies within you, then and only then will your life’s purpose begin to be made evident.

So what can you do to discover your burden?

I encourage you to reflect upon the following questions for they will provide clues to the burden that is yours to alleviate in the world.

What community or world issues:

Bother you?
Undermine your values?
Require your response?
Deploy your creativity?
Enlarge your compassion?
Never go away?

Imagine for a moment, what your life would be like if you began to live your life in response to your burden? How fulfilled would you be? What would your work look like? How much of a blessing would you be to those around you?

My life had no meaning prior to the discovery of my burden. But now that my burden has been identified, and now that I am doing my best to act upon my burden each day, my purpose has never been so clear!

Your burden is the gateway to your dream. Discover it.

#44 - THE LESSONS DEATH TEACHES

On March 1, 2010, my wife’s father passed away.

The time since his death has not been easy for either of us. The grief we have experienced has been difficult to handle.

But, this time has provided for me an opportunity to put my own life into perspective.

Specifically, this loss, to my wife and I, has revealed to me three aspects of life that I previously took for granted. I now understand, more than ever, that:

1. Life is BRIEF.

I must not take for granted the days, weeks, months and years that I have been given. I must live and love each day with an understanding that it very well could be my last. I will seize the day.

2. Life is BEAUTIFUL.

Music. Nature. Art. Family. Friends. There are so many aspects of life that make it absolutely enjoyable to live.  I must not allow myself to take for granted the beauty that surrounds me each day. I will appreciate God’s beautiful creation.

3. Life is a BLESSING.

Because I am alive, I am blessed. My hands able to create. My brain able to think. My heart able to love. And because I have been blessed with this gift of life, I choose to be a blessing to others.

With a greater understanding of the brevity, beauty and blessing of life, I have re-committed myself to enthusiastically pursuing every dream that has been placed within me. Time is of the essence.

I wish to die empty of every purpose for which I was created, and I encourage you to desire to do the same.

#43 - 10 QUESTIONS TO DISCOVER YOUR BURDEN

Your frustration may be your allocation.
T.D. Jakes

The fulfillment of your dream begins with the discovery of your deepest, most sincere burden, and the following 10 questions will guide you in doing just that!

What community, state, national or world issues:

• anger, frustrate, disturb or sadden you most?
• make you feel like if you don’t do something about it, no one else will?
• can you not ignore, even if you tried?
• do you invest your spare time thinking of creative solutions for?
• do you find yourself educating yourself about?
• are most contrary to your values and beliefs?
• do you find yourself getting in “heated” discussions or debates about?
• have brought you to tears?
• would you pursue solving if you knew you only had one year to live?
• would you pursue solving if you knew you could not fail?

#42 - 5 BENEFITS OF PURSUING MY DREAM

Whatever good things we build end up building us.
Jim Rohn

The benefits to pursuing the dreams you have within you are many, but after nearly three years of pursuing that which I believe I was created to do, there are five benefits in particular which stick out to me the most. They are:

Hope

I am first and foremost thankful for the hope that my dream provides.  Regardless of the various circumstances I may experience that may not be to my liking, having a dream to pursue has allowed me to maintain a positive expectancy for my future.

Excitement

Being a dreamer has also lead me to experience a life full of excitement, risk and exploration.  Though carrying out the work of making a dream come true is not always easy, I am very thankful that my dream allows me to engage myself in work that stimulates me and requires me to use the gifts and talents I have been given.

Anticipation

By not really knowing what doors may open as a result of following my dream, I am also grateful for the sense of anticipation that this journey has allowed me to experience.  I am overcome by an anticipation and curiosity for whom my dream may serve next, where around the world my dream may take me next and what future positive impact my dream will have on others.

Rewards

My dream is to see people enthusiastically discover, develop and display their dream.  Therefore the greatest rewards I’ve enjoyed and am grateful for are the testimonies and stories of those people whose dreams are being advanced as a result of my work.  It brings me such joy and fulfillment every time I see progress in the dreams of those around me!

Tough Skin

Though I may not appreciate it in the moment, the obstacles that I have faced along my dream journey have developed within me a “tough skin” that I am very grateful for.  Along with dreaming comes pain, letdowns, hardship and disappointment, but all of those “negative” feelings are building within me a sense of resilience that I know I would not be developed within me otherwise.

To follow your dream is to follow your heart!

The benefits of Hope, Excitement, Anticipation, Rewards and Tough Skin have been well worth every difficulty that has come along with being one who is committed to following my dream.

I encourage you to not only continue to pursue your dream, but also take the time to reflect on the many benefits that dreaming has provided for you!

#41 - 25 REASONS TO PURSUE YOUR DREAM

The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.
Blaise Pascal

I have found that, on a daily basis, my mind comes up with, what I believe to be, “justifiable” excuses and reasons for giving up on my dream.  But, when I am able to outweigh my excuses with my reasons, I can, for one more day, persevere.

The following 25 reasons compel me to continue to pursue my dream and prayerfully they inspire you to do the same.

The Fulfillment of Your Dream Will…

• Make your family proud.
• Give you an incredible sense of joy and satisfaction.
• Inspire others to pursue their dream.
• Serve others.
• Prove to yourself that you weren’t crazy.
• Disprove your doubters, skeptics and naysayers.
• Increase your faith.
• Develop within you perseverance.
• Build your confidence.
• Allow you to exercise your creativity.
• Force you to use your imagination.
• Reveal the “greatness” within you.
• Prevent you from living an ordinary and mundane life.
• Create lasting memories.
• Be a positive impact on the world.
• Maximize your God-given talents and abilities.
• Ensure your personal development.
• Stretch your self-imposed limitations.
• Provide you peace.
• Express your love for others.
• Signify your ability to finish what you started.
• Outlive your life.
• Result in a delightful destiny.
• Leave a legacy worth remembering.
• Fulfill your life’s purpose.

Other than pursuing your dream, is there any other life pursuit that would result in the preceding benefits?!?

I encourage you to be more often driven and led by your reasons as opposed to your excuses!  I am convinced that the life of a dreamer who acts on their dreams is a life worth living!

#40 - YOUR DREAM DEFINED

Here is my best attempt to communicate, what I believe to be…

The Definition of Your Dream

To combine your passions and skills to make a unique, significant and positive impact on the world.

The Definition Breakdown

To combine your passions

You have a love and a consuming desire for something.  Whether it be music, art, technology, government, politics, education, sports, law, agriculture, animals, design, etc. – the point is, you are passionate about something.  This is where your dream begins.

and skills

You have skills. Whether you can sing, dance, write, communicate, play an instrument, listen, empathize, draw, organize, lead, delegate, plan, create, cook, etc. – your skills will be used to make your dream a reality.

to make a unique

The impact you will make on the world around you will be unique to you.  You will not make an impact that has already been made.

For example, if your passions and skills are in the field of computers, your dream is not to make the same impact as a Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.  Your dream is to make an impact and a contribution that has yet to be made!

significant

No one desires to leave an insignificant or small impact on those around them.  If the truth be told, you don’t just want to make a unique impact on your world, you want to make a unique and significant impact on your world!

and positive impact

We cannot only define the dream as being a unique and significant.  Many have made a unique and significant impact on the world that has been negative!  Your dream is for your impact to be a positive one!

on the world.

Whether your dream is to make a difference in one person’s life are in the lives of millions of people around the world, your dream, when fulfilled, will inevitably make the world a better place!

#39 - YOU WERE CREATED

In spite of the lies…

Your life is random.
Your existence is accidental.
Your reason for living is meaningless.

The TRUTH is…

You were created to live out a specific purpose.
You were created to complete a unique assignment.
You were created to make a significant contribution.
You were created to produce a positive impact.
You were created to create a meaningful masterpiece.
You were created to leave a lasting legacy.
You were created to fulfill a determined destiny.
You were created to discover, develop & display your God-given dream.

You were created for greatness. Period.

#38 - 3 ELEMENTS OF A DREAMER'S VISION

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.
Helen Keller

Effective dreaming requires not only sight, but, more importantly, vision.

With that said, to help you further understand vision, the following are three elements of vision that I am convinced all dreamers must maintain, to “see” their dreams to fruition:

Vision Element #1 – Vision to see your blessings.

An effective dreamer must first recognize and be grateful for their many blessings. It is from the recognition of your many blessings and freedoms that your dream can begin formation.

Vision Element #2 – Vision to see past your obstacles.

The vision of a dreamer also enables him/herself to see past their current negative circumstances and roadblocks.  You must see and recognize the importance of suffering and pain and uses your obstacles to strengthen and mature you for your dream journey.

Vision Element #3 – Vision to see your ideal future.

Finally, a dreamer must have a clear picture of what the fulfilled dream looks like. You see how your life and the world at large will be impacted by the fulfillment of your dream, and it is this clarity that pulls you towards your dream’s completion.

#37 - HOW TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY

Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he.
Syrus

Whether you are communicating the vision of your dream to others, the goals of your dream to team members or the needs of your dream to prospective supporters – the fulfillment of your dream requires effective communication.

Here are 7.5 Keys which will help to sharpen your communication ability:

Key #1: Thought

Think before you speak. – English Proverb

Ask Yourself – What am I going to say?

Key #2: Timing

Observe due measure, for right timing in all things is the most important factor. – Hesiod

Ask Yourself – When is the best time to say what I need to say?

Key #3: Tact

It is not the matter you cover so much as it is the manner in which you cover it. – Jim Rohn

Ask Yourself – How will I say what needs to be said?

Key #4: Truth

Honesty is the best policy. – Shakespeare

Ask Yourself – How will I say what needs to be said honestly?

Key #5: Transparency

Sincerity is an openness of heart; we find it in very few people; what we usually see is only an artful dissimulation to win the confidence of others. – Francois de la Rochefoucauld

Ask Yourself – How will I say what needs to be said openly and sincerely?

Key #6: Two-Ears

We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak. – Epictetus

Ask Yourself – Am I prepared to listen after I say what needs to be said?

Key #7: Takeaways

A manager is responsible for the application and performance of knowledge. – Peter Drucker

Ask Yourself – What action steps do I want to see take place as a result of this conversation?

Key #7.5: Thanks

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. – Aesop

Ask Yourself – Will I remember to thank the person/s for allowing me the time to communicate what needed to be communicated?