How many times have you been on the verge of greatness, but something or someone stopped you from leaping forward?
How often have you had gorgeous art swirling in your head that never made it onto the page, screen, easel, or microphone?
How many times have you watched your dreams die because you didn’t have what you needed to keep them alive?
If you’re anything like me, way more times than you care to count.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Your dreams don’t have to rot in your belly. Your vision doesn’t have to wither in your soul. And your big ideas don’t have to fade into the mist because you couldn’t capture and nurture them.
Dreams need oxygen. Fire. Grit. The will to persevere in the face of insurmountable obstacles and the audacity to scale, blow up, or move every mountain littering your path.
Dreams need incubation time. Freedom. The space to soar, twirl, morph, and meld together in novel ways.
Dreams need room to grow. A deft touch. The patience and skill to wrangle clarity and order out of chaos and confusion.
If you want to do big things and pump your dreams full of oxygen, you must be willing to start small right where you are.
You can’t afford to wait for the perfect conditions.
You can’t afford to wait for someone else’s stamp of approval.
You can’t afford to stand still because you’re waiting for permission to soar.
You must decide that you’re ready before you think you’re ready. To begin before you think it’s time. To carve out the hours to pour into your dreams and stop hiding behind being “busy.”
It may be the bravest thing you’ve ever done.
It may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.
It may grow you, change you, challenge you, and expand your world in ways you never imagined.
It may lead to a deeper, more vibrant life than anything you’ve lived.
But you’ll never know how spectacular “it” is until you dive in and begin.
I’m learning that I have to dive in and begin right where I am if I want to experience the spectacular.
I want to do something big, creative, profound, and exciting.
I want to shape my world and soul in ways that bring out the best in me.
I want to rock my star ideas and sing the song swirling in my soul.
And before I can do all that?
I need to start small and let it evolve organically.
Grow deep roots and immense wings.
Show up every day and focus like a laser beam.
And trust that the big life roaring in my veins will be heard by other ears.
I can’t build a magnificent cathedral from a single stone, but I can build it stone by stone.
I can’t write a thrilling book in a single word, but I can write it word by word.
I can’t craft a vibrant body of work with just one pebble, but I can craft a stunning mosaic pebble by coloured pebble.
It’s not about the size of our first efforts, but the heart and soul we pour into those efforts.
It’s about nurturing the seeds of brilliance that become our beautiful dreams and world-changing initiatives.
It’s about sculpting our nascent thoughts into star ideas that challenge our limits and birth our best work.
It’s about clearing the way for our souls to dance and grow in rhythm with our exuberant dreams.
You can choose to fire up your dreams and make them count, or you can let them suffocate and bear the burden of the unsung greatness within you.
You can start now and gather what you need as you stride forward, or you can stay stuck in limbo and never know the freedom of living your big dreams.
You can be a champion or you can be complacent, but you can’t be both.
This is your fork in the road. Your chance to begin again. Your shot at greatness.
Your time is now.
Own it.
In a time that many people give up so easily and give in to contrary situations, this is what we need. That motivation to put in our best shot and not worry whether or not we hit the bar. This is what we need to hear. To read.To Believe in. And to work with.
Thank you as always, Jasmine, for always steering the wheel of our heart forward.
Damiiii! Thanks for commenting, bruv. You’re welcome! I do what I can to encourage forward movement. 😉
Yeah, we totally need to buckle down and hang on ’til the end. It’s incredibly hard sometimes, but those are the times we grow the most and learn a ton from our experiences. We might not be able to do it all at once, but we can do it one step at a time.
Here’s to greater endurance!
Wonderful piece ! Motivating. Vibrant. Vintage Otiti. Thank you.
*blushing* Thank you for being here, Mummy. I put my heart into it. You’re welcome! 😀
This resonated with me as something a close friend needed to hear so i shared. Thank you Chica
Yay! Thank YOU for reading and sharing, sis! 😀 I hope it helps your friend and encourages them to dream big!
You must decide that you’re ready before you think you’re ready. To begin before you think it’s time. To carve out the hours to pour into your dreams and stop hiding behind being “busy.”
I’m pretty sure this one will hunt me for a long time if I don’t take the chances that are before me right now.
Thanks so much for sharing this.
Hiii, Priscilla! You’re welcome! Yes, start now. Now is all we have to make a difference and grow into our best selves.