Dream Big (thanks to Tim Klabunde)

Tim Klabunde's most recent CofeBuz blog posting is brief, and I don't think he will mind my stretch of copyright rules to republish it in full.

I like being comfortable. It is so easy to enjoy the normal flow of life, the moment by moment interactions of daily living. Yet every once in a while my life is shaken from the inside out by a force that boils up from within me, a force that demands that I do something incredible, achieving something that is greater than myself.

It is in these moments that I truly understand what I am capable of, the realization that I am able to do so much more. I struggle to find dreams that are big enough; I look in vain for obstacles that can’t be conquered.

I find it strange that throughout my life I have worked to suppress this force through logic and rhetoric. ”I can’t do that because…” and “if that were possible someone else would be doing it.” Yet today, I can see that success isn’t found in a single accomplishment, it is one’s approach to life that makes greatness. It is something that I can do and live today. A choice to rejoice in the past, plan and dream for the future, and live life to the fullest in the present.

Your turn

Monday morning has its own way of reminding us that life happens not in individual moments of greatness, but during everyday actions. It is the culmination of your actions today and tomorrow that will turn into your greatest successes. So today what are you going to pursue that is greater than yourself?

I certainly share and believe in these thoughts. Through our lives, opportunities arise to change course, to take risks, to adventure beyond our safety zone, but we need to be ready spiritually, financially and physically. Then, at crucial points -- we generally know in our heart when they are -- we can take the risk and seemingly dive off the deep end, though we often know the risks we are taking are more in the perceived fears of others than in the practical dangers we are about to experience.

(So, at 25, I went off to observe a war in Africa, for a while riding a motorcycle around Bulawayo as Rhodesia turned to Zimbabwe. Sounds daring, and the experience certainly opened doors for my life, but I used common sense and local knowledge to stay out of trouble. And, at 34, I flew to Washington, D.C. with non-preference U.S. immigration visa applications for about 300 people, but I knew I was complying with all the rules and laws, and having some fun while helping others to achieve their dreams. Yes, the scheme delivered the goods and helped me to find my current passion and connection with the Washington-area community.)

If you are in business for yourself, or if you have discovered your passion is marketing and business development and you are reading this blog in part to grow in your own abilities, you may have found part or all of the answers related in Tim's posting.

But there are other aspects you can only find in your own heart and soul. When you let go of your fears, when you accept responsibility for your mistakes, and when you take risks and reach beyond the ordinary by combining your strengths and your solid moral codes, you'll achieve greatness, too.

Go for it.