The Importance of Dreaming Big

"Aim for the stars; that way the lowest thing you can hit is the moon."

We all have been given a gift of dreaming. Sometimes dreaming helps us to escape reality and create a vision of the future that we want. Every worthwhile goal always starts with the big dream. However, there is a huge difference between dreaming big and having big goals. Dreams are wonderful, but they are only a product of our imagination.

Until we take action and turn our dream into the goal, it will remain a beautiful castle build in the air. Goals, on the other hand, are achievable because they are always followed by an action.

One can't be effective without another. If you have a great vision, but fail to take action, it will remain just a dream. If you act without having a clear vision in mind, you are just wasting your time and effort. Only a combination of great Vision and thought out action will make a positive difference in your life.

I've always admired people, who were not afraid to turn their most daring dreams into reality, even if their goals seemed unrealistic to others. Those are people we read about in newspapers and motivational books. We look up to them, respect and admire them for their determination and willpower, but very rare we think that we are capable of doing same things.

It happens, because most of us underestimate the word "realistic". High goal doesn't automatically equal unachievable.

>> Why is it important to set BIG goals?

We all possess such qualities as self-discipline, determination, self-confidence, and creativity, but some people use them more than others.

If you go to the gym, but only lift weights that are easy and don't require any effort, your muscles will inevitably atrophy and you'll grow weaker. Similar, if you always underestimate your abilities, you are doomed to live your life way below your standards and never discover what you're truly capable of. Just as you need to strain your muscles to make them stronger, you have to challenge yourself by setting goals that is slightly out of your reach.

Only when you go beyond your current capacities, you can find out what you are capable of.

>> How to put an elephant in refrigerator?

A few days ago my niece has asked me a great riddle, "Do you know how to put an elephant in the refrigerator?"

I was struggling to come up with the answer for a couple of minutes, before she cried: "You should open the fridge, put the elephant inside and close the door!!"

That's it! It was so obvious! Why didn't I think about it myself?! Probably because I am a grown up and that's what grown ups do. When trying to find solution to a problem, we usually choose the longest, most complicated and time consuming way to do it. We work so hard, concentrating our mind on little details, estimating what can go wrong in the process, trying to predict problems that can arise in the process that we completely miss the "BIG PICTURE".

Your big goal is an elephant that you have to squeeze into a little door of reality.

How do you go about it?

You are absolutely correct! First you find an elephant (figure out what is it that you want to achieve) and then you open the door (transform your dream into a goal)!

>> Choose the elephant!

There are a lot of elephants in the jungles of your dreams. You need to know what your elephant looks like. Otherwise you might end up with a rhino or a crocodile.

That is why it is critical to decide exactly what you want to achieve. No one is going to give you an answer to this question. You must find an answer within.

When choosing your big goal you need to consider how it makes you feel. Does it give you inspiration? A little thrill? An excitement? In other words, does it feel right?

>> Open the door!

When you know what you want to achieve you can start working on figuring out HOW to do it.

First you need to come up with an action plan. But be flexible to change it. You don't have to have everything figured out to the little details. Just know where you're going and break your goal into smaller objectives, so you can monitor your progress.

Your plan is your route that shows you how to get to the destination point - your goal. But if there are some obstacles on your way, you can always choose another road that will lead you to exact same place. If you see only one road to your goal and refuse to make any adjustments in your plans, you'll most likely overlook other opportunities and have to deal with a lot more problems.

>> Don't be afraid to fail

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
~ Robert F. Kennedy

In our society word "failure" is opposed to the word "success". There's even such term as "fear of failure". In reality failure and success lie on the same side of the coin.

Our success greatly depends on the amount of attempts we make. If we increase the number of attempts we automatically increase the number of times we fail. But the more we fail, the more we learn, the better we become at what we are doing and the higher chances we have to succeed.

Don't be afraid to fail. Even if you set a big goal and fail, you'll learn something new and acquire valuable experience. If you succeed, you'll get all the benefits of your goal (popularity, respect of others, satisfaction, higher self-esteem, financial abundance, happy relationships and so on.) However, if you don't try, you'll acquire neither.

So why not go for a really big goal, if you have nothing to lose?

- Arina

Take the Hit

Take the responsibility. Take the hit. If you do that, you will have no need to blame others or continually find fault with them.

A guy I once knew used to constantly call me to complain about everybody and their brother. To listen to him, you would think that the entire world was against him and that he never made a mistake in his life.

From day one, nothing was ever his fault. Everyone else was to blame. In truth, he was his own biggest blind spot and sad to say, he eventually became a total loser because he never remedied his biggest problem - himself.

So when things go wrong, look at yourself first. Don’t instinctively blame others or the circumstances - or use them to cover your behind. Be the leader. Stand tall and take the hit.

If you accept the glory, be willing to accept the blame.


- By Donald Trump

Count Your Blessings, Not Your Problems.

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a QR.500 Note, he asked, "Who would like this QR.500 note?"

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this QR.500/- to one of you but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the QR.500/-.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.

"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air. My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth QR.500.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.
You are special- Don 't EVER forget it."

If you do not pass this on, you may never know the lives it touches, the hurting hearts it speaks to, or the hope that it can bring.

Count your blessings, not your problems.

And remember:

amateurs built the ark;
professionals built the Titanic.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

- Author Unknown

Inspiring Story - Don't Give Up

One day I decided to quit...

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality...

I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.


But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo see.

I would not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.


Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?"


"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make

the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and bring back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

- Unknown

Lessons Of Life

I feared being alone
until I learned to like
myself.

I feared failure
until I realized that I only
fail when I don't try.

I feared success
until I realized
that I had to try
in order to be happy
with myself.

I feared people's opinions
until I learned that
people would have opinions
about me anyway.

I feared rejection
until I learned to
have faith in myself.

I feared pain
until I learned that
it's necessary
for growth.

I feared the truth
until I saw the
ugliness in lies.

I feared life
until I experienced
its beauty.

I feared death
until I realized that it's
not an end, but a beginning.

I feared my destiny,
until I realized that
I had the power to change
my life.

I feared hate
until I saw that it
was nothing more than
ignorance.

I feared love
until it touched my heart,
making the darkness fade
into endless sunny days.

I feared ridicule
until I learned how
to laugh at myself.

I feared growing old
until I realized that
I gained wisdom every day.

I feared the future
until I realized that
life just kept getting
better.

I feared the past
until I realized that
it could no longer hurt me.

I feared the dark
until I saw the beauty
of the starlight.

I feared the light
until I learned that the
truth would give me
strength.

- Unknown -

The Miracle Stitch

The day Oskar placed his grandmother's sapphire ring on Helga's finger, her mother's wedding trunk came down from the attic. As was the family custom, Helga would begin adding their names to the roster of brides and grooms embroidered on a silk petticoat in the trunk. From the time she was a little girl, she had dreamed of this special day and had practiced her exquisite stitch.

Just as Helga completed her own name and was threading the needle for Oskar's name, news came that the feared Gestapo had taken Oskar away. Even though Oskar had fiercely opposed the Third Reich, no one had believed such drastic action would be taken.

Inconsolable, Helga dropped her sewing with the unfinished names, and the gown was returned to the trunk in the attic. With it went the laughter and the joy of the young girl in love. As rumors of the death camps reached their city, everyone--- even Helga --- doubted that Oskar's name would ever be stitched upon the petticoat.

With each passing day, Helga retreated more deeply into her books, rarely speaking a word. But what could her family do? All their energies were devoted to surviving the war as the bombs one by one destroyed their city and then their home.

When the bombing ceased, the family gathered to sift through the rubble. Helga's mother spotted her wedding trunk, one of the few possessions that had survived the blast. When she pulled the contents from the battered trunk, the petticoat suddenly caught her eye. There was Oskar's name --- someone had stitched it beside her daughter's name! Everyone stared at the petticoat in disbelief, fearing the site of this would drive Helga deeper into despair. Instead, she knelt down beside the trunk and ran her fingers gingerly over Oskar's name.

From that day on, the joy came back into Helga's life, despite her family's warnings that after all these years it was doubtful that Oskar could have survived.

Liberation day came and went without any sign of Oskar, but Helga continued to watch and wait for him. Months later a lone Holocaust survivor hobbled into town. He stood before them, a skeleton of a man, beyond recognition to everyone but Helga. The smile was unmistakably Oskar's. Through the years the trunk has been pulled out again and again for the weddings of the children and grandchildren of this devoted couple. It is far more a reminder of their love---it is a symbol of hope.

No one ever discovered who stitched Oskar's name on the petticoat, but truly the faith and hope of that individual helped this couple's love to survive.

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Faith is the way of holding onto what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)
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Shared by Joe Gatuslao
Bacolod City, Philippines

The Need For Planning

As in any journey, planning defines the course of travel. With planning, a traveler is better prepared as he/she encounters intersections and Ys in the road. In order for a traveler to be successful in their journey, he/she must also be prepared for the expected as well as the unexpected. One way to be prepared is by evaluating any possible considerations which serves to reduce apprehension thus instilling a higher confidence in success. People are more able to face diversities with confident when they know and expect a particular outcome. Success is born from a clear understanding of how to achieve and appreciate its’ benefits. It’s a known, while a mystery, that humans are born for success. God provides for it, equips for it and prompts the human spirit to achieve, when and if they are obedient and comply to His nature.


"You think you know the truth? Think again, one man's truth is another's folly."

It’s the rewards of life that makes it meaningful.

While many rewards of life hinge on doors of opportunity someone still has to swing them open. Granted, there is no one simple answer to all the problems of the world, there are only responses to questions. It is the anchor of mediocrity that deprives man of spirit while the soul cries out in desperation for freedom. Yes, the sad truth is, many people live lives of desperation that are dull, drab and uneventful. They incapable of truly waking up from their self-made destiny.

I once knew a man who died and they revived him. He said it was like waking up for the first time. His life experience changed in a heartbeat. Everything was new and fresh, and he saw life in an entirely new light. Because his perception was from another place, he was able to see and feel opportunity from his heart and revere the second chance afford him. Even colors became more vibrant, sounds were crisper and everywhere he turned he saw opportunity. His relationships were from his heart and truth became his viewpoint. Before where he saw only survival as a potential reward he now envisioned life as a glorious new experience. God had gotten his attention in a very distinctive way.

The search for truth is within man.

From the beginning, man has searched for truth. He/she first turned toward God and then to him/herself in the quandary of understanding and an answer to an unanswerable question. From the earliest recorded literature, there have been arguments, debates and dissertations on what constitutes the ingredients of success. Because success is a personal acquirement, one common factor is that a personal involvement of action must take place before success can result. Another common factor is motivation; nothing takes place without a driving force. Yet a third requirement is passion or desire, there must be a passion or desire for the goal for it to become a reality. This is where God’s “law of cause and effect” must be employed before one can progress toward any successful conclusion. Like it or nor, you must get up and act before any kind of success can happen.

Arise and chase a rainbow

Today you must lift your head and begin a new understanding. You have been bottle fed all of your life -- and now it's time to break away and stand on your own two feet. Truth has been kept from you but now it's time to be the person you were meant to be. Face life eye to eye and demand your rightful place. How strong are your desires and your willingness to sacrifice?

No matter how well prepared you may think you are, circumstance can change suddenly. All of your dreams and aspirations can be a thing of the past. Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Because no one knows when the end will come, strive forward like the end is in the next minute. Be hard-working and watchful for only you can make your life meaningful. It is a truth that while success is written on the human heart, action is its force.

You must make the first move

The fact is, you must step off the curb to cross the street. You are standing on the curb now, aren’t you? The traffic is horrendous, frightening, seemingly endless and there it is, a break, a chance, should you take it, or stay on the curb?

There’s safely on the curb, you know because you have been standing there for a lifetime. How long will you continue to stand there, contemplating, wishing, desiring to be across the street? A few minutes, hours, days years, until death? The traffic will always be there and with each passing year, it will get worse. You stand there and with each passing day others join you as you stand on the curb? Look around at the fear, anxiety, sadness, it’s all there, lost dreams, false hopes . . . countless lives left unfilled. Countless dreams drifting away, countless beliefs washed down the drain and you, still stand and wait . . will the traffic ever stop? No, it will always be there. It will always be the barrier between you and your dreams. Your ambitions your real meaning.

Success is not far away

Over there, across the street, is wealth, love, satisfaction and the true essence of life. Over there is who you are. Yes, over there is TRUTH. But you have not been able to see it, because of the traffic. You are consumed about the traffic, you worry about it, you fret about it, it makes you sick and frail and unable to function. You make excuses, I can’t, I don’t know how, I just can’t take a chance. And you rot on the curb until one day, they come and get you. Life is over now, and what did you accomplish? Nothing, you were afraid to get off the curb. Now is your chance to get off the curb and excel as you were born to do.

You only need to believe

First you have to believe, in your self and your abilities. Second dream the insurmountable dream, and third commit your all to the dream. Find what you love most, and commit to it. Once you commit by stepping off the curb, then you have to go all the way. If you love life and it will respond in love.


- By Donald Yates