“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.“
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Do you fear taking the step towards what you dream about? The magic comes from taking the first step. It’s about being brave and bold when others would rather retreat for fear of failure and even success. I remember reading “The Dream Giver” a modern-day parable by Bruce Wilkinson years ago when a Nobody named Ordinary who ventures off from the “Land of Familiar” to become a “Somebody”. The young boy realizes that there is no limits in what you are able to accomplish when you choose to pursue your dreams.
“Before he could stop himself, Ordinary started talking about the Dream Giver, and about his Big Dream. “I was made to be a Somebody and achieve Great Things!” he said. And then he told his Father the Name of his Dream. As he spoke, his voice trembled. He was sure that his Father would laugh or call him a fool.
But his Father didn’t. “I’m not surprised to hear you say these things,” he said.
“You’re not?” said Ordinary.
“No,” his Father said. “You’ve had that Dream ever since you were little. Don’t you remember? You used to build that same dream with sticks and mud in front of this very house.”
Then Ordinary did remember. He’d always had his Dream! It was what he’d always wanted to do, and what he’d always thought he’d be good at doing. His eyes filled with tears. “Father,” he said, “I think I was born to do this.”
Ordinary and his Father sat together quietly. His Father seemed to be remembering something, too. After a while he asked, “When you woke up to your Big Dream, Son,
did you happen to find…a feather?”
Ordinary was shocked. “How did you know?” he asked.
“A long time ago, I woke up to a Dream, too,” his Father said. “And it came with a long white feather. It was a wonderful Dream. I kept the feather on my windowsill while I waited for a chance to pursue it. I waited and waited. But it never seemed possible… One day I noticed the feather had turned to dust.”
Of all the sad words Ordinary had ever heard, these were the saddest.
BRUCE WILKINSON, The Dream Giver
It can get frustrating as not everyone may understand your dream or what you feel called to do. There will be people who challenge you and doubt you. Know this in advance. Thank them for sharing their concern or advice. Ask them if they have followed through on what they feel that they needed to do. Those people who have followed through on their calling will not be the ones challenging you. Be mindful of who you seek advice from. Trust that the dream you were given to pursue was meant for you. Notice that not everyone was given the same dream or purpose.
Don’t let your feather turn to dust.
Be Brave. Be Bold.
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