My husband and I had the privilege of attending a Leadership Summit last night. It really lit a fire under my very, very pregnant butt - and I wanted to share with you some of the wisdom I jotted down. I am JottinMama, after all :)
Dr. John Maxwell was the speaker, and he spoke about dreams. As I sat in that auditorium last night listening to this man talk about commitment, stamina, and success - I realized just how much I'd changed in the past few years. In good ways - and in bad.
You see, I used to be a dreamer. I filled notebooks with plans, preparations, and possibilities. Famous quotes and snippy little phrases were plastered all over my dorm room walls, school binders, and bathroom mirror. I wasn't afraid to approach successful people - at all. I wasn't shy about sharing my hopes and dreams with others. I longed to be around other people wanting to do big things with their lives. And I so enjoyed recognizing potential in others - rooting them on in their pursuits.
But then, things began to change. I'm not exactly sure how - but they did. Somewhere between getting married, having a baby, working, moving, and becoming a stay at home mom - my optimism, my wherewithal, my hoopla.... diminished. Some of it needed to. Coming to terms with reality is a good thing. But, I kinda wish that more of the dreamer had stuck around. This brings me to last night's summit....
Listening to Dr. Maxwell - I realized, the girl who used to believe and conquer and actually cared enough to wash her hair once everyday - had become a woman who doubts, runs away, and washes her hair about once every week. The girl who believed, has turned into a woman who doubts. The girl who oozed optimism - has turned into a woman who produces pessimism. Yuck. But as I hurriedly scribbled notes on a scrap piece of paper last night - that girl began to emerge again. Maybe reading a few of my notes will bring her out in you, too.........
Random Wise Words from Dr. John Maxwell
Add value to people.
Do something that is a little bigger, a little better than you are.
Don't climb the ladder of success only to realize that once you've reached the top - the ladder is leaning against the wrong tower. Make sure your dream is yours - not someone else's.
At the beginning, the picture you have of your dream should be clear, but not total. The picture gets bigger only when you walk toward it.
Fuzzy leadership makes for fuzzy followership.
Understand that disappointment lives in the space between expectation and reality.
Are you a fantisizer or a dream builder? Fantisizers merely dream when dream-builders actually do.
Teamwork makes dreamwork. You can't achieve greatness by yourself. If you can achieve your dream all by yourself - you don't have a big dream.
Action changes our lives.
SECURE
S: State all your positions.
E: Examine where you are.
C: Consider all your options.
U: Utilize all your resources.
R: Remove all non-essentials. They keep you from doing the essentials.
E: Embrace all of your challenges. Don't erase them.
The dream is free - the journey isn't.
As soon as you take action - the friction starts.
Have you ever heard a successful person say, "the journey was easier than I thought it would be."?
Sometimes successful people are no more gifted or talented than anyone else - but they ARE more committed.
It IS possible to pay too much for a dream.
A lot of you are closer than you think.
Waiting for everything to be right is wrong.
Do five things everyday that will help you achieve your dream.
Have passion and energy. Some people are already dead - they just haven't made it official yet.
You are a success when the people closest to you - admire you the most. There is something wrong when the people who know you the least, like you the best.
(That last one is a real good one, huh?)
Be blessed as you go about your day today, friends. And maybe do a little dreaming, too :)
