There is an innate desire that stirs in us from birth. A desire we all hold deep within our hearts. This desire pushes us to be, do, and have more. It is the desire to achieve. That desire holds the key to unlock all of our potential. The potential everyone has within ourselves. Michelangelo, said, “Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.”
As children, we are born achievers.
A drive to explore, to ask questions, to create, and to simply act. Kids treat the world as their playground. Our two daughters amazed me with their ability to turn an empty room into an amusement park in a matter of moments. They could turn the bathtub into an ocean. They could turn their bed into a spaceship that is taking them on a joy ride across the galaxy. Kids are innovative dreamers who aren’t controlled by their limitations. They dream it and then put those dreams into action.
As a kid, Walt Disney drew faces on his flowers during an art class.
When the teacher informed him that flowers do not have faces, he simply responded, “Mine do.” Walt Disney was a dreamer who never stopped achieving more. As a result of Walt putting his dreams into action, Disney has become one of the largest and most successful companies in the world.
Years ago our family went to Disney World for a spring vacation.
During one of the performances we enjoyed in the Magic Kingdom, Mickey Mouse prompted the crowd to chant, “Dreams come true, dreams come true…” in their loudest and most heartfelt voices. Our youngest daughter, Allie, joined in and screamed at the top of her lungs, “DWEAMS COME TWUE! DWEAMS COME TWUE!” At that exact moment, fireworks shot out of Cinderella’s Castle! Allie’s eyes were as wide as hubcaps. She was so mesmerized by HER ability to cause fireworks to shoot out into the air. She looked at me with amazement that she actually wielded the power to cause fireworks to shoot off–she just knew it was all because she really did believe that DWEAMS COME TWUE! I was reminded of her belief as I saw signs all over Disney World with this quote from Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Kids walk by faith and not by sight.
They imagine possibilities and see through the lens of genuine belief. They are not bound by the limits of their environment. But what happens when kids grow up? What happens when they start to experience social, financial, and personal setbacks? The adventurous playground they once loved slowly turns into a desolate prison cell they resent. What once felt like an endless opportunity to be whoever they wanted to be and do whatever they wanted to do becomes a lost hope. Instead of thriving, life now becomes an overwhelming attempt to survive and make it out alive at best. If we are not careful, as we grow older, we will lose our belief that dreams do come true and with that belief will go the desire to achieve more. Blinded by “reality,” we can stop chasing after our dreams. Our child-like faith is rationalized away based on our experiences rather than being fueled by the possibilities. So we now become a product of our situations rather than our potential. But, great leaders never grow up. They are driven by the desire to achieve even under the most adverse conditions.
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Napoleon Hill stated, “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”
Never stop dreaming and never stop working to make those dreams a reality.
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Written by John Barrett of The John Barrett Company LLC
To check out John Barrett and all of the awesome things that he does, visit his site.
To check out John on one of my most downloaded podcast episodes of all time, listen to this: Episode #16: The Faith, Leadership and Innovation Experience with John Barrett.