Step 15 – Dream Big – What Does It Even Mean?
How many times have you heard this sentence: “Dream big!” And how many times you actually didn’t have clue what was meant by that? How many times did you ask yourself: “OK, but… How big?” For some people, “big” means a journey they always wanted to experience. For someone else it’s getting married, for some others, it’s having the finest car they can imagine, and yet for others, it’s to write a book or to buy an amazing house. It’s different for all of us. I always thought I dreamt big enough, but now I realize I didn’t know what I was talking about.
I recently listened to a woman I admire – Lisa Nichols – and she said a few things that made think differently; she literally shifted my thoughts: “You have to be willing to dream big enough to scare yourself. If your dreams don’t scare you, you ain’t dreaming big enough”. So? What do you think? Is your dream big enough? Does it scare you? If it doesn’t, it means you don’t aim high enough. I read this book “168 hours”, where the author, Laura Vanderkam, asks you to write down 100 wildest dreams, things that you think can’t happen to you: no boundaries, no hesitations, no shame, everything amazing that comes to your mind. Have you ever written a list like that? I sat down and it took me 2 weeks to finish it. I remember when I was writing these things I was happy that no one could see my list, because I would be embarrassed if they found out how “stupid” and bold I was. I bet it’d take me 2 days now because I’m not afraid to dream big anymore.
It’s true what they say – the only limits out there are in our head only. Now, not only I’m not ashamed; I’m not afraid to show my list to anyone, because I know the things I put on it will come true. Some of them already did happen! Isn’t that crazy? I wrote down I wanted to meet Jerry Seinfeld, my favorite comedian and a few weeks later one of my friends asked me to go with him to see Jerry in New Jersey during a surprise stand up that not many people knew about. I didn’t meet him, but I was sitting a few feet from him and I was happy like never before. I also wrote down I wanted to meet the most famous athletes in the world and a few months later I was introduced to Michaels Phelps – the most awarded athlete of all times! And I know it’s just the beginning.
What also struck me in what Lisa said was this: “If you already know the how, you’re not dreaming big enough”. Girl… now you raised the bar. So let’s say you set a goal for yourself and you already know, step by step, how to get there. That means one thing – you still don’t dream big enough. Why you should dream big? And why not?! Don’t you want to experience life to the fullest? Don’t you want to see what life has in store for you? Go for this amazing ride and don’t be afraid to let yourself dream. Raise a bar for yourself, be kinder to yourself and believe in yourself. You’re capable of more things than you think. Don’t make yourself small for others to feel better about themselves. Sit down and write your 100 dreams. Start today, don’t wait for a new year to begin and let yourself be wilder and bolder than you’ve ever been. Just dream the biggest you can!
