Category Archives: Dreams

Walking with Giants

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“A man has dreams of walking with giants. To carve his niche in the edifice of time.”

—Mr. Banks, in Disney’s Mary Poppins

Image of Mary Poppins flying over the city

I first saw Mary Poppins in 1964. I was seven years old. It was a cold, snowy day. Mom and I took several buses into downtown Philadelphia, to stand in line for the big event.

This technicolor miracle of Disney magic had people buzzing for weeks. Beyond the special effects was a heartfelt story of exceptional characters. Today’s quote by George Banks, the family patriarch in the film, is powerful coaching for young boys and girls, as well as the older generation.

EXERCISE:

What are your dreams? What niches are you carving? What giants do you walk with? How will you leave your mark on the edifice of time?

What efforts can and will you make in the years ahead to make an even bigger impact on the edifice of time?

Follow that Dream

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“Follow that Dream!”

-Author Unknown

Image from nnbtheatre.com

Image from nnbtheatre.com

I was a young boy in the mid-sixties when Man of La Mancha was on Broadway. My mother, Rose, loved the story about Don Quixote, and loved to sing “The Impossible Dream.” Here are the lyrics, written by American lyricist Joe Darian:

To dream the impossible dream
to fight the unbeatable foe
to bear with unbearable sorrow
to run where the brave dare not go

to right the unrightable wrong
to love pure and chaste from afar
to try when your arms are too weary
to reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star,
no matter how hopeless, no matter how far,
to fight for the right, without question or pause
to be willing to march into Hell for a Heavenly cause.

And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest,
that my heart will lie peaceful and calm,
when I’m laid to my rest.
And the world will be better for this:
that one man, scorned and covered with scars,
still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
to reach the unreachable star.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life is it time for you to follow your dream, be true to your own “glorious quest,” and help the world be better because of it?

Who Looks Outside

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“Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakes.”

—Carl Gustav Jung, founder of analytic psychology

Image from zdnet.com

Image from zdnet.com

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of exploring new worlds. I was a fan of Mr. Wizard as a child, and dreamed of being an astronaut. The Discovery Channel is one of my favorites, and my first career was as a science teacher.

As I aged and pursued adventure, personal growth, and my current career in coaching, I found new excitement in taking frequent journeys into the land inside of my mind and heart – without the assistance of a rocket or a space suit.

EXERCISE:

Chose a practice such as meditation, prayer, journaling, or reading insightful, thought-provoking books and blogs to explore the worlds inside of you, and engage in new journeys of self-discovery.

“Never give up on a dream…”

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“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”

—Earl Nightingale, American self-help speaker and author

photo from Flickr by kerolic

photo from Flickr by kerolic

Some say that a vision is a dream with a deadline. Nightingale points out that this “time thing” is a primary cause of many people giving up on their dreams and visions. Of course many, if not most, rewarding futures take considerable time. That is what makes the accomplishment worthwhile.

Another interpretation of today’s quote is the saying, “It’s more about the journey than the destination.” Each small step toward your dream can be a source of satisfaction on its own, without your having to see the mountain you have to scale as unachievable or not worth the time it will take.

EXERCISE:

What dream or personal vision for the future will you commit to today, knowing that every day lived with enthusiasm and passion is what the journey is all about?

“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.”

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“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.”

—Akira Kurosawa, 20th Century Japanese Filmmaker

Image from amazon.com

Image from amazon.com

I am currently reading The Big Idea – How Breakthroughs of the Past Shape the Future, compiled by National Geographic. This visually stunning and well-organized manuscript explores some of the big ideas and big thinkers of the past and the present, who are shaping our present and future.

If you have an interest in health and medicine, transportation and space exploration, information and communication, biology and the environment, chemistry and material, physics, or the cosmos, this book is a gem!

EXERCISE:

What are your dreams for your professional or personal life, or for that matter, the world? How can you realize these dreams by tapping into the big ideas of others and capturing more of your inner genius?

Our Truest Life

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“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”

– Henry David Thoreau, American author, philosopher, and transcendentalist

568Image from Flickr by martinak15.

What does it mean to live your dreams? Where would you live? How would you spend your days? Who would be with you on this journey? What purpose would you fulfill? What memories would you make?

Exercise:

Answer at least one of the questions above and take at least one committed action toward living your truest life today.

Feel free to come up with your own questions on this subject, and keep selecting daily actions to live the life you once only dreamed about.

“Thankfully, dreams can change. If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses.”

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“Thankfully, dreams can change. If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses.”

– Stephen Colbert, American political satirist and comedian

556Image from Flickr by ljguitar.

When you were young, what were your dreams? Some of my friends dreamed of being great athletes or superheroes, and a few wanted to be movie stars. My dream was to become an astronaut with the “right stuff” to rocket into space on great adventures.

Today, many of us find ourselves earth-bound with our feet more firmly planted on the ground. It doesn’t have to be this way, and it is very much OK that our dreams have changed, perhaps many times, since our youth.

A critical component of this quote for me is to always have my sights out there and to continue being a bit of a dreamer.

Exercise:

Exercise your dreaming muscle, particularly your day-dreaming muscle, to explore some of the personal and professional accomplishments you wish to pursue.

“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”

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“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”

– Norman Vincent Peale, minister and author

547

Image from Flickr by Marco Gomes

In the personal development world, the phrase “breakthrough results” has become a cliché. It reminds me of one of those late-night infomercials for some special non-stick cookware or a Ginsu knife that can cut through a pop can without getting dull.

A key to these claims, as well as the claim of professional and personal breakthroughs, is that the product, system, or method must have the inherent ability or capacity to achieve a result not previously possible by other means.

Peale is suggesting that when our heartfelt commitments are involved, they will inspire and motivate us to scale the highest life fences to realize our sincerest goals.

Exercise:

Select at least one heartfelt professional and/or personal fence you wish to scale, and share this intention with others who are committed to your success.

With their commitment and support, you will find yourself on the other side sooner than you ever imagined.

“Dreams are powerful reflections of your actual growth potential.”

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“Dreams are powerful reflections of your actual growth potential.”

– Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt, authors

The vast majority of individuals who work with a coach have “personal growth and development” as a core value. They’re constantly engaged in challenging themselves (and their own current skills and abilities) in order to be a better version of themselves tomorrow.

Dreaming and envisioning a new and brighter future has an amazingly attractive power that works as a catalyst and mobilizes these individuals to passionately and courageously act in the direction of their dreams.

One of the roles and responsibilities of a coach is to elicit, cajole, tempt and even pull these visions and dreams out of their clients with powerful and provocative questions.

Exercise:

Create a list of engaging and powerful questions for yourself and those around you that will strengthen and grow your “dreaming” muscle to expand your potential to grow into your very best self.

Consider visiting my past post for a list for another exercise to help you explore your potential: www.thequotablecoach.com/potential-2/quote-from-psychologist-and-philosopher-william-james

“Dream big, but allow yourself the opportunity to start small and have your share of struggles in the beginning. The world’s greatest composers weren’t writing symphonies the day they first sat at the piano.”

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“Dream big, but allow yourself the opportunity to start small and have your share of struggles in the beginning. The world’s greatest composers weren’t writing symphonies the day they first sat at the piano.”

– Kevin O’Rourke, American film, stage, and television actor

O’Rourke is suggesting that we consider our life as a splendid symphony and that we are all composers.

Image from Unsplash by Paige Cody

The other day, my wife Wendy downloaded a piano app onto her iPad and began to play around with it. She began with scales and made an effort at Chopsticks. She eventually wants to play the piano that was given to her by her father many years ago as a gift when we were first married.

Exercise:

What are a few of your big dreams and goals? What small steps and potential struggles must be taken now to help you develop the mastery to compose your personal and professional symphonies?