7 Reasons Why You Need a Dream

“A dream is the visualization of your goal and the motivation for your soul,” insists Kristoffer Howes, entrepreneur and CEO of Weal Media. Michael Gerber, author of Awakening the Entrepreneur Within, describes a dream as “a statement of the greater good you want to create in the world.”

What’s your dream?  A dream moves and inspires you. It awakens your passion. It fills you with hope and pumps your life with purpose and meaning.

In Put Your Dream to the Test, John C. Maxwell adds that a dream is “an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.” Ask yourself:

• Do you want to fully experience your brilliant potential?
• Is living in alignment with your core values important to you?
• Are you ready to use your gifts to make a difference in the world?

More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle advised his students, “First, have a definite, clear, practical ideal – a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends – wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.”

You may have lost touch with your own dream or forgotten what fills your life with purpose and meaning. Consider these passion-provoking questions:

• What would I like to BE?
• What would I like to DO?
• What would I like to EXPERIENCE?
• Why is what I want to BE, DO, and EXPERIENCE important to me?

Joel Brown, CEO and founder of Addicted2Success, provides a powerful list of reasons which explain why it is so important to pursue your dreams:

1. The secret of living is giving. If you follow your dreams, you have something to share with others: hope, inspiration, and purpose.

2. Dreams inspire us to be hopeful and young-at-heart.

3. Great dreamers are independent. They understand they have power within them to make a difference in the world.

4. Dreams fill you with a positive perspective. Negative drama is obsolete when you are passionate about following your dreams.

5. Dreamers understand failure is a directional arrow that propels you forward with new lessons, new information, and opportunities to develop new skills.

6. Dreamers understand that age is irrelevant.

7. Dreamers are focused because their lives have purpose and meaning.

In my book, Dreams to Action Trailblazer’s Guide, I explain how to dream big, plan well, and transform your dream into manageable chunks that can be incorporated into your daily routine. As you develop your own plan of action with attainable goals to pursue your passion, consider these essential dreams-to-action steps:

The skills and tools I share to create a dreams-to-action plan was forged in fire. Several years ago, I lost my job after a large urban district downsized and closed many of its schools. I received a letter from the district shortly after I completed my doctoral degree. I showed schools, churches, and organizations how to create meaningful vision and mission statements and engage in collaborative planning for more than 30 years. I had to figure out how to use these organizational processes and make them personal. The struggle of redefining my dream and reinventing myself opened new doors to a new career.

Look for resources that will help you refine your skills. Write a personal purpose statement. Create SMART personal goals that will help you pursue your dream with direction. Download these free printable tools that will help you pursue your passions with confidence.

Connect with positive people who support you and your aspirations. Be open to learning new information. Create positive affirmations such as:

• I am the architect of my life; I use my gifts and talents to build a strong foundation.
• I am filled with energy and overflowing with joy.
• My business is growing, expanding, and thriving.
• Creative energy fills me with new and brilliant ideas.
• Rewarding opportunities flow easily and effortlessly to me.
• Obstacles disappear. I am destined for greatness.
• I face today with strength of heart and clarity of mind.
• My heart is tranquil and I am at peace.
• I am courageous and bold. I have within me the power to change the world.

Passion fuels dreams. Commitment fuels action. Get clear about what you want to do and why you want to do it. Allow time to regularly reevaluate and refine your goals. Make adjustments within your schedule to engage in goal-related activities. And, most importantly, commit to the work of pursuing your dream. Take action.

Your time is now!

What is your dream?

 

Use these tips to Write a Personal Purpose Statement.

Get clear about who you are and where you’re going. Create Personal Vision and Mission Statements with these tips.

Discover How to Write SMART Personal Goals.

Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, explains Why You Need a Definite Chief Aim to steer your direction.

Young people desperately need to talk about their aspirations. Start a conversation and find out Why We Must Talk to Young People About Their Dreams.