Many of you have had dreams of something you wanted to create or pursue, but for some reason you did not. Let me encourage you to go back, pick up those dreams and dust them off. Take a good look at them from different angles and write down the feelings you would have in your life as if your dreams were a reality. Use a notebook and don’t let anybody rain on your dreams.
Nothing would ever be created in this world if it weren’t for people just like you pursuing their dreams. I strongly encourage you to pick up the video “Rudy” and play it for yourself, play it for your children. Then pick up the book “The Ultimate Secret” by Mike Hernacki, read it three times, and you will have all that you need.
A famous German philosopher said, “Whatever you dream or think you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now!”
One of the greatest gifts you can give to your children, to yourself, to your employees or to your leadership team is the permission and encouragement to create and follow their dreams. Now that is a gift of true leadership, helping others find their voice. That is the eighth habit mentioned in Stephen Covey’s latest book. It is what a true coach is all about: Everyone has talent.
If you help others bloom, you bring a significant gift to the world. People will follow you into battle; they will give you their all. You will develop your leadership skills. As you then develop your vision of what can be, others will buy into your vision, and you will create the momentum to make it happen. This is true in business as well as in your personal life; ask Arthur Blank.
Another great leader once said, “Reasonable men adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable men attempt to adapt the world to themselves. There would be no progress in the world were if not for unreasonable men.”
What are we talking about here? I think that if you have your passion and heart in something, you can build it and they will come.
Oh, it doesn’t have to be perfect. People will sense your passion and commitment, they will want you to succeed, and many will help you without even asking. Your passion, thoughts and actions will bring the physical manifestations of your dream into reality.
Let me share with you a story I believe demonstrates this concept. When I began the Executive Roundtable (a coaching organization of executive peer groups and leadership development programs), participation was small. But it grew rapidly, then caught on like wildfire. I had the credentials plus many years of experience and training, I knew I could do it, but nothing existed in the field of executive education and leadership training that resembled my vision. That was the seed that sparked the development of the Stein Model of Executive Peer Groups.
The same holds true for actors, athletes and politicians. They couldn’t succeed without their dreams, and those dreams are full of passion, commitment and the will to succeed.
You will never be so happy as you are when working toward your dream. Sometimes there is a letdown upon achievement of that dream. That’s when you must create another dream. It is then and only then that you are at your best, fully energized and mobilized. That is when you feel most alive. And that’s what it means to enjoy the journey. The destination is fine, but the joy is in the journey. All of you have a dream — build it and they will come.
Jerry Stein, motivational speaker and executive coach, can be reached at
jerry@careercoach.com or (770)
988-0500. Go to careercoach.com for more
info and sign up for his free newsletter.
