I sat in front of my computer, wracking my brain to remember the brilliant idea for a new book title that occurred to me as I was walking the dog yesterday. It was so clever! Guaranteed to draw eyeballs and prompt more than a few curious potential readers to investigate its message. The **BIG** Dream just waiting to be actualized!
After a few moments of trying on a variety of words, I sat back and chuckled aloud. “Well, there goes another possibility,” I thought. “It marched across my psyche for a nanosecond, fired my imagination, and then poof!”
Reflecting on the slew of inspirational messages I’ve heard for decades, I appreciate their intent and certainly have benefitted from the jolts of energy they provided. I’ve written a fair number of them myself!
I also acknowledge that while sparks can start something much bigger, they can often fizzle like a Fourth of July sparkler that has reached its end.
Isn’t this the magic of humanity? It can take so little to ignite a truly great effort. Isn’t it also the tragedy of humanity when so many noble attempts add up to little more than a soon-snuffed sparkler?
The cynic in me wonders why any of us keeps trying. The pragmatist in me recognizes that one in a million or maybe a zillion ever finds market success. The reality is that I am an encourager who believes in the remarkable and often untapped capability of each person. And I am called to write about it. Sometimes I realize that what I am writing to and for others is also a message I need to hear.
It’s tough to stay positive, keep working, and accept a day’s effort as enough. Sometimes a perceived setback leads to the progress that is impossible when striving becomes its own thing. Sometimes we push so hard we forget what we’re pushing for. Money? Fame? Attention? Acceptance? Sure. All those things and probably a bunch more you can come up with.
What if The **BIG** Dream quietly unfolds in tiny increments each day? What if those little achievements stack up without our even noticing them? What if that stack becomes something we never thought was possible? Yep, that’s what I believe happens. So keep being you. Keep moving forward. Keep trusting. That **BIG** Dream is your life.
