If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It!
If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It!
"I have heard it said that the first ingredient of success is to dream a great dream."
John A. ApplemanHow often do you dream or aspire? What do you dream of? Why do people struggle to act upon their dreams? Is it fear of failure, insecurity in their abilities or chalk it up to wishful thinking that holds them back? These are questions that my clients ask me all the time. In return I offer, "Isn't it amazing how people only dream of greatness?"I have never heard of anyone dreaming of failure or aspiring to be unsuccessful. Failure does not play any part in dreaming. It is the dreamer that instills failure, not the dream. I have read of many very successful dreamers that failed numerous times before they experienced success. The difference is that failure was not going to end their dreams only motivate them to dream bigger.Many of you fail to seek your purpose in life and you should. You dream and then follow it up with a list of all the reasons why the dream is unachievable. You fill your life with excuses and "I can't." Many great companies were conceived from a dream, nurtured in a garage or basement and grew to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Why not you? Why not your dream? The only true limits you experience in life are those you create or those you allow others to impose upon you. If you can dream it, you can do it!"Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that. But they won through step by step by little bits of wills, little denials of self, little inward victories by faithfulness, and in very little things. They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph, no spiritual maturity. That is the work of the moment."
Amy Carmichael quoted in: Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987,
Word Books Publisher, p. 130.Dreaming is the easy part. Acting on the dream is harder. Recognize that a dream is a journey. On the simplest level, it takes commitment, time, desire, and courage. But rarely is something great easily realized.In Bruce Wilkinson's book, "The DreamGiver," he tells the story of a man named Anybody. Anybody has a great dream, but struggles to break free of his comfort zone and push toward his dream. One afternoon he draws the courage and begins to tell others of his dream. They laugh at him, tell him to stop being foolish and forget about his dreams. "Stop kidding yourself, you can't do it," they would remind him. These "dream bullies" make every effort to push him back to mediocrity. Do not get caught in this trap. I am here today to tell you that you CAN do it.How do I know that this is possible? I have done it. A few years ago, I decided that I was going to step out in faith, believe in myself and God's purpose for my life. I was going to follow my dream. I was in a similar place as "Anybody." I was comfortable but unhappy. I, too, dreamed a greater dream.When I came to the realization that I wanted more out of life, I created a motivational phrase to keep me going when I felt challenged. "If you can dream it, you can do it!" I made it my life's mission statement. No longer was I going to stand in the way of my dreams or was I going to let anyone else either.Many people questioned my decisions and looking back now I recognize why; my dreams impacted them. I challenged their comfort zones. They feared my success because of the implications that it had on their lives. They worried that they would lose their partner in pity or were so locked into mediocrity and their comfort zones that it was impossible for them to imagine my success. They viewed the process or decision with great skepticism. Today, my dream is evolving, but the dream is still very much alive. Has it been easy? No. Has it been rewarding? Yes. Will someday I realize my dream? Definitely.I am here today to challenge you to reach for your dream. Do not be afraid to dream. If you can dream it, you can do it! Many of the people that impacted history came from humble beginnings. We can easily look to the Bible to discover humble greatness. Moses immediately comes to mind. He stuttered and God chose him to speak to Pharaoh. He felt inadequate and unable to achieve the greatness God had laid before him. God often chooses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.He said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel?" Exodus 3:11. Later in Exodus 4:10, he said, "I am not eloquent, neither before or since you have spoken to me, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." Simply, please do not take me out of my comfort zone. I appreciate you thinking of me, but this might be a little bigger than I can handle. He failed to see the dream because he was focused on the obstacles.What about David. When his great army cowered before the giant Goliath, he stood up, grabbed his dream of freedom and through a stone in the direction of greatness. He later became a great King. What if that monumental day, he chose not to pick up the stone?Where would the world be if they had chosen to turn away from a dream? What would have become of them if they chose to listen to all of the reasons "why not," instead of "why not me?" Where will you be when you realize what might have been?What stone might you throw that could change your life? Get focused and make a commitment. Integrate your dreams into your daily life. Many coaches promote goal setting, as do I. I encourage my clients to list their goals and strategically place them in areas where they can be frequently reminded of the goals. I created a wristband with the embossed phrase; Dream It ? Do It. I look at it all the time. It reminds me of the mission and helps keep things in perspective. If you would like to learn more about the "Dream It ? Do It" wristband, visit my website."Those who lose dreaming are lost."
UnknownDreaming is recognizing and embracing the potential for greatness and seeking it in all areas of your life. Believe in your dreams and your ability to accomplish them. Keep your dreams in front of you. Never forget, if you can dream it, you can do it!Copyright Anthony Mullins
Elite Coaching Alliance 2005Anthony Mullins is the President and Coach for The Elite Coaching Alliance. He specializes in personal, and leadership, christian based coaching. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia and is a highly sought after speaker and facilitator. He is also the author of an upcoming e-book "Finding Fulfillment in an Unfulfilling World". He can be contacted by phone at 770.587.3545 or by visiting his website http://www.elitecoachingalliance.com
Motivation By Spring Cleaning
Motivation By Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is a great motivator. Why confine it to Spring?It is arguable that we should not only give gifts at Christmas and make resolutions at the New Year.It is worth giving gifts all year round and making resolutions to improve throughout the year. Why wait until December?In the same way we can benefit from not leaving spring cleaning to April or May alone.The motivational power of clearing up clutter and getting organized is enormous.Piles of paper lying around can weigh you down as much as an extra stone's weight around the midriff. File the paper away and feel lighter, less tired and more agile.When the material rubbish of the house is cleared away, the rubbish of the mind tends to follow. This allows new thoughts and energy to come in.Recently after clearing away rubbish I stayed up till 6 a.m. without feeling tired.A great way to clear rubbish is to burn it. Bonfires are fun so long as they are kept safe. They can shrink huge piles of rubbish into tiny little ashes.Also, while the fire is burning, you get motivated to find more stuff to burn and you end up clearing away much more clutter than you originally planned. Even sensitive documents can be burned as the data will no longer be retrievable.A daily bonfire might not be possible but a daily mini 'spring clean' is a great way to get motivated.You not only clear your house and your thoughts; you discover things that once got you excited enough to buy them.You will renew that excitement and enthusiasm as you see that book, which you were so keen to get, once again. You might even read it this time! As you have probably guessed when I say 'you'
I usually mean 'I' as well.I have an acronym PALACE stuck up on a wardrobe to focus my mind on a daily mini spring clean:PLACE - put at least one thing in its proper place every dayANSWER - answer at least one letter or email a dayLABEL - label at least one thing a dayARCHIVE - archive at least one thing a day i.e. move a less important thing further away from your normal centre of activityCHUCK - chuck out at least one thing a dayEMPTY - empty or clear away at least one piece of clutter off one surface a dayYou will probably find that you apply the above acronym (PALACE) to more than one thing as you start taking action.This daily habit could turn your home into a palace and you into a dynamic, effective person. Give it a try!About the authorJohn Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, Pictures And Quotes...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.phpThe book uses acronyms, stories, pictures and quotations to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.Ezine editors / Site ownersFeel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include the resource box above.
Understanding What Motivates People to Take Action
Understanding What Motivates People to Take Action
So I wanted to buy a car. It was a tough choice but I decided that my next new car would be a Volvo. So I drove down to a local dealer and told him I wanted to take a look at a few Volvos and could he help. "Of course" he replied.After viewing a few of the cars I decided to test drive one of them. As I drove around the salesman went on about how great this car is and how customers don't complain about the car and how they love their Volvos. I then asked him to be more specific about what customers like about their Volvo. He seemed to hesitate. It quickly became obvious no one had ever asked him to be specific. He said, "Well you know, people like the way it drives and how it looks." He rambled on but never got into specifics.After a few test drives and more "oohs, ahs" about how great it would be to own a Volvo I thanked him and left without buying a car. I just wasn't sure and wanted to think about some more.About a week or so later I decided to go back and test-drive some Volvos again. This time I went to a different dealership hoping to get another flavor before making up my mind.The salesman that greeted me was a polite and unassuming individual. We'll call him Jack. Jack asked me simple questions about what I was looking for in a car. I also told him that I had test driven a few Volvos but was unsure of whether to buy or not.Jack listened and nodded his head and said, "Alright. Let's begin with the model you like the most." I said, "Sure."We got into the car and I was ready to start the car when Jack asked me to wait a minute. Jack then went on to explain the features of the car. By the time he was done I understood what every button on the panels, dashboard and doors could do. Then Jack explained how many of these features would make my drive more comfortable. It became quickly apparent that Jack understood how to sell benefits, not features.When we finally started driving, Jack began to go into the history of the Volvo; origin, model transitions and improvements and on and on. It was like listening to a Volvo documentary?with me in it!When we finished driving, Jack stepped me around the car to explain some of the hidden safety features. Volvo is known for being one of the safest cars in the world. And after Jack's mini-tour around the vehicle I understood why. Needless to say, within an hour I was sitting down in his office finalizing the paperwork to purchase my first Volvo.I gleaned a couple lessons from this experience that I want to share with you.First, Jack wasn't a 'slick' salesman. He was an average guy with a very modest demeanor. Most people have it in their heads that to be a great salesperson you have to be a fast and smooth talker. Wrong. Who would you trust more? A fast talking salesperson like the first with slick answers and no depth or someone like Jack who answers all your questions with details and facts?Second, people don't want to be sold, they want to be convinced. Jack understood that giving me a lot of information would go a long way in helping me decide as to whether I wanted to buy or not. Having enough information allowed me, or better yet, convinced me to make a decision.I didn't buy from the first dealership because I didn't have enough information to make an informed decision. All I had were the opinions of other people who had driven the car from a salesman I didn't personally know. Testimonials are great, but unless I know the person behind the testimonials it mean very little to me.More often then not, people reject proposals or making a buying decision because somewhere in the sales process their concerns weren't addressed. They still have lingering doubts about whether it is the right choice for them.Jack's approach reminded me of an adage I keep in mind when trying to understand the link between motivation and action:"An uninformed mind is a confused mind. And a confused mind will NEVER make a decision."In a hyper-capitalist society where we are inundated and bombard with new technology and features, our minds often times can't keep up. The job of a salesperson is to explain the new advances, but more importantly how they benefit the buyer. Whether selling or just trying to convince others, what motivates people into action is 1) knowledge and 2) that it is in their best interest.Think about it for a second. When you know 'how to' do something, you rarely hesitate in getting it done. When you know that it will benefit you personally, you will act!A final note: If you're in management, keep this is mind when someone doesn't buy into your approach, strategy or way of thinking. Maybe the reason they don't has less to do with your ideas, and more to do with them not having enough information to make an informed decision OR how it will benefit them in the long run.p.s., Update: five years later my Volvo is still going strong!Victor Gonzalez, top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of "The LOGIC of Success". For more info go to: www.thelogicofsuccess.comwww.thelogicofsuccess.com or by email victor@thelogicofsuccess.com