Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is starting off just right.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a way to envision your future with absolute precision? To know right now that you may go through some hardships along the way, along a path that was nothing like you’d imagined, but on the other end of it all was the best life you could imagine, in just about every respect. Would you work a little harder? Would you worry a little less?
We’ve talked about this concept several times over the years. The life you dream about can be the life you live, as long as it’s in line with your deeply rooted values. Sure, we can all fake it for a short time or even try to change our values to match our situation, but any success we find in that scenario will be short-lived. For lasting success, we must be true to ourselves.
As a teenager, I saw myself as a rock star. Not just a star, a mega-star. I would travel the world in a private airliner with me at the controls. I would live on the water in Fort Lauderdale with a large yacht at the dock. I would have my own helicopter to get me to the airport, and I would play for thousands of screaming fans every night. You can stop laughing now.
I look at where I am today, and it’s so completely different in almost every way. I’m not rich, I’m not well-known, and I can’t play the guitar any better than I did fifty years ago. But I am living the life we’ve dreamed of for at least the past twenty years. Sure, there are some things I’d like to improve. And I know how to do that. So, any failure at this point is on me.
Have you ever taken time to nail down a vision of your perfect life? I’m not talking about a passing fancy, but really thinking about the various aspects of your ideal reality. Where would you live? What would you do? What kind of people would you be around? What would you do for fun? What kind of person would you be?
That last one is important, because some people are content with being a jerk. And if that’s your thing, more power to you. But most of us have a vision of ourselves in which we’re both successful and kind. We see ourselves as strong in the face of adversity, but magnanimous in the face of mistakes. Something like an honest politician, as if such a thing exists.
But the point is, we should all try every now and then to envision the future of our dreams. I’m not talking lottery-level dreams, but things you believe you can realistically achieve in your lifetime. Once you have that vision in mind, you can begin to see ways you can make it happen. If it’s a matter of money, figure it out. Make the math work. Cheat if you have to.
A close friend used to ask, “What would your dreams look like if you knew you couldn’t fail?” That’s powerful. Though maybe that should be, “… if you knew you wouldn’t fail.” I’ve met people who could mess up a peanut butter sandwich. But if you knew everything you want is within your reach, would that change the things you spend your time chasing?
Take some time this weekend when things are quiet and try to define a vision of your ideal life. Get a clear image in your mind and then write it down. Try to define as many aspects as possible of the life you want to enjoy and the person you want to be. Put it somewhere that you’ll read it from time to time. Try not to always do that on your worst days.
Your vision will change over time, and that’s okay. That may be because your values or goals have evolved, and it may be something forced upon you by circumstances over which you have no control. Life can change in an instant. But when it does, we need to reassess our abilities and assets, and plan a path forward within our new constraints.
Well, that’s all for today. My wife and I have a sign on the front of our house that says, “Our Happy Place.” What would it take to make you do the same? And whatever that is, I sincerely hope you achieve it. That’s my wish for every one of you. Enjoy your day and please have an awesome weekend!
© 2026 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
