Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’m reading one of John Maxwell’s many leadership books where he reprints a poem included at the end of this blog. It has no acknowledged author but it is worth repeating.Before I type it in though, I wonder who the intended audience is…

•A 6 year old aspiring entrepreneur excited to set up their first lemonade stand?

•An 18 year old high school graduate getting ready to take their next step?

•A 22 year old college graduate anxious to put their advanced degree to work?

•A 40 year old breaking away from a large bureaucratic organization to become independent and do things differently?

•A 56 year old longing to leverage their experience in meaningful ways?

•A recently retired 67 year old who still wants to live a full and purposeful life, directed more by weather than commercial need?

•An 86 year old who contends with additional physical limitations but still yearns to add value?

The truth is that all fit into the intended audience. Dreaming big isn’t limited to an age or time of life. It’s an attitude of being deliberately bold regardless of the head trash you’ve momentarily allowed to steer your personal ship. Mustering courage isn’t limited to the battlefield, it could be getting out of bed as a cancer patient tired from chemotherapy or fighting depression for decades or going to work at a job you don’t love.

Here is a short version for those who prefer brevity over art, from Robert S Kaplan,

“Reaching your potential is not simply about dreaming or being idealistic. It is a process that involves specific actions, exercises, discipline and hard work. It is challenging, rewarding and unending.”

Now,
Dream Big

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference
To embark on something worth doing
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily –
But for something that tugs at your heart
Something that is worth your aspiration
Something that is your dream.
You owe it to yourself
To make your days count.
Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though,
That things worth doing
Seldom come easy,
There will be times when you want to
Turn around
Pack it up and call it quits
Those times tell you
That you are pushing yourself
And that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
Determination and the right tools,
You can do great things.
Let your instincts, your intellect
And let your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power
Of the human mind
Of doing something that makes a difference
Of working hard
Of laughing and hoping
Of lasting friends
Of all the things that will cross your path
Next year
The start of something new
Brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible
There is only one you
And you will pass this way but once.

Do it right.

-Author unknown

Have a blessed weekend!