In 1969, Dr. John Maxwell*, began to dream, about making a difference in the lives of people.  After ten years of following that vision, he thought about whether he was succeeding.  To his surprise, the first thing he discovered was that his dream to help others, also helped him.  Here’s how:

• His dream has helped him to focus. Every time he was distracted from his purpose, his dream kept him on track.
• His dream has helped him to stretch.  Often he wanted to stay in his comfort zone, but his dream required that he step out of it and forced him to grow.
• His dream helped him to sacrifice.  When the price for success got high, his dream encouraged him to pay it, reminding him that there are no shortcuts to success and the payoff was worth it.
• His dream has helped him to persevere.  His commitment to his dream, meant quitting was not an option.
• His dream has helped him to attract winners.  The size of his dream required that he be surrounded by successful, determined, optimistic people and that’s who he attracted.  Small dreams attract small people and big dreams attract big people.
• His dream has helped him to tap into his belief in something larger than himself.   His dream was too big for him alone.  He needed to trust God and the Universe. 

Sometimes the big things that we’re up to feel hard.  They sometimes require a lot of our time, much of which is outside of our comfort zone.  Sometimes, we feel like they require us to give up a lot.  And, when we focus on those aspects, it is easy to become discouraged, exhausted, overwhelmed and disengaged.

But, when we notice that through it all, we are learning, growing, contributing and becoming our best selves, the toil becomes lighter, no longer a burden but a wonderful, well earned gift.  Consider the value of meeting and surrounding yourself with supportive, excited like minded people.  Think of the enormous gift it is to learn to give up trying to control everything and give yourself over to the universe.  Imagine the sense of empowerment coming from your growing faith in yourself!  Envision your sense of accomplishment as you look back at the legacy you have left, the contribution you have made and the sense of peace and pride that follows. 

As I review the BIG things I’ve done in my life, I notice that those that I was successful at, those that I saw threw and really enjoyed, matched Maxwell’s discovery.    I’ve come to notice that the best things I do in my life are things that help me AND others all at once. 

Big ideas and big dreams are bigger than ourselves.   Go for it!!