Dream Big … Then Dream Bigger

Those of you who read my posts regularly know we’d planned to go to an RV show this past weekend. It was a safe outing, because I’m not in any position to buy an RV at the moment. But the day is coming, and we’re beginning to look around to see what’s out there.

A friend asked why we’re shopping if we’re not ready to buy. I told him it’s only called shopping if you can afford to buy something. When your bank account is a little shy, that’s called dream-building. But I think it’s an important part of setting goals, because unless you have a reason to accomplish those goals, why bother? Having a tangible reward at the end makes it worthwhile.

As we walked through row after row of everything from small trailers to luxury motor coaches, my wife asked why I was checking out the travel trailers when we’re after something with a driver’s seat. And the reason is simple – in looking through some of those other models, you may find one or two features that you never knew about and, now that you’ve seen it, you can’t live without it.

Isn’t that the way it goes? In a previous life, I was a car salesman. One of the first lessons I learned was to find out about my customer’s budget before I showed them something fully loaded because, once they’ve seen that, they’ll never be satisfied with anything less. And that’s okay, if their budget can stretch like a bungee cord. But more often than not, it just didn’t work out.

But when you’re dream-building, you shouldn’t constrain yourself to a specific budget. Sure, reality tells you where to draw the line, but if you’re not stretching things a little, you’re not trying hard enough. The purpose of dream-building is to let your imagination roam, and then once that dream is crystal clear and you commit to it, your brain will figure out how to make it happen.

Still, as we walked through the show, I was reminded of the time my youngest daughter was sifting through a toy catalog before Christmas, pen in hand. My dad laughed and said, “You must not know what you want if you need a catalog to make your list.” She shrugged and replied, “I’m not making a list – I’m crossing off everything I don’t want.” Now, that’s what I call dream-building!

Whether your dream is a new car, a tropical vacation, or a bigger home, you have to get out there and see what’s available. Some of that you can do from the comfort of your own home. Turn on the TV and check out some of the travel shows. Pick up a magazine. Go to the library and check out some books. There are all kinds of ways to feed your imagination.

And that’s important, because it’s our imagination that allows us to visualize something beyond our current reality. It’s what led the Wright brothers to invent the airplane. It’s what allowed a team of physicists to put a man on the moon. And it’s what allows ordinary people just like us to step beyond the constraints of life as we know it, and into the great beyond.

Most people don’t dream of an ordinary life. We all want something a little out of the ordinary. And that’s the way it should be, because it’s the desire for something better that drives us to be better. Whether that means practicing a musical instrument, learning a new skill, building (or rebuilding) a relationship, or starting a business, it’s that desire that gives us a reason to try.

It would be nice if we had the ability to just go out and achieve every one of our dreams tomorrow. To have enough talent, the right physique, the perfect skills, or enough money in the bank, would mean we could have just about anything we want. It would also mean we’d have nothing left to work toward. And that, my friends, would be a pretty sad existence.

Don’t just dream a little, dream big! Feed your imagination and let it soar. Envision something greater than you ever thought possible. If you start high, you can always come down a little. But if your dream begins with what you can do today, you can never expect anything more. So, aim high. You’re worth it.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

© 2019 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved