We all have dreams. The ability to dream is one of our unique abilities as human beings. We can look into the future, imagine a bigger, brighter, better life and world, and then return to the present to make that vision a reality. It is an extraordinary gift... and yet often, it goes unemployed. We get caught up in the day-to-day drudgery of our lives and lose sight of our dreams... and when we turn our back on our dreams, we turn our back on ourselves.
Some of our dreams are small and some of them are unfathomably large. Sometimes we run toward our dreams and sometimes we run away from them. Dreams: we love them and we fear them, we yearn for them and we avoid them.
What are your dreams, and what are you doing about them? Regardless of where you are in your journey, I'd like to help. Nothing animates the human person like the pursuit of a dream. Chasing our dreams brings us to life. We are driven by our dreams. But sometimes we just stop dreaming, either because of a broken dream or because our dreams seem impossible to us. This is a tough place to be.
Over the past decade I have had the tremendous privilege of traveling in more than 50 countries and speaking to more than 3 million people, and I have discovered that our common denominator is our desire to build a bigger future than our past, to expand our horizons, to chase our dreams. But in my travels I have also discovered that millions of people are miserable at work, miserable in their primary relationship, and sometimes just miserable with their lives. It was these encounters and observations that lead me to write The Dream Manager, a story about finding the connection between the work we do everyday and our dreams.
I want to spend the rest of my life helping people identify, chase, and achieve their dreams... and I want to invite you to join me in that mission. So start now. Here are five things you can do this week to start living your dreams... and helping others to do the same:
1. Make a list of 10 dreams you would like to accomplish in the next five years (your Dream List).
2. Start a conversation with your family, friends, and colleagues about their dreams... and yours.
3. Reflect on your Dream List for three minutes each day.
4. Do one thing each day to further just one of the dreams on your list.
5. Visit www.thedreammanager.com and share one of your dreams with us.
6. Order a copy of The Dream Manager... so that I can help you to start living your dreams.
So, what are your dreams...to travel in Europe, have a baby, start a business, write a book, spend more time with your children, look and feel healthier, fall wildly in love, learn to speak Italian...or French ...or Spanish, learn to play the guitar... or the piano, see U2 live, live long enough to know your grandchildren...
It's time to start dreaming again! Even if you don't read the book or share one of your dreams with us... do the first four steps. Dreams play a powerful role in our lives and our relationships. What's your dream?