A sore knee, clock tower and Dreaming Big
If you spend long enough around our team it won’t be long until you hear the phrase "Dream Big".
So what does "Dream Big" mean to us and why is it so powerful?
Firstly, I can tell you what isn't.
It isn't about feeling like you have to commit to some "Big" goal measured by some external measure in society or us judging what you’re doing.
Dreaming Big, is about giving yourself permission to dream, visualise or indulge in a desired future state, whatever that may be, and for you to feel safe to do so.
Our goal is to create an environment where you dare to dance with possibility, and flirt with the idea of trying something you have always wanted to do but never felt possible.
It is in this space of possibility that we often feel most alive and learn the most about ourselves.
To Dream Big, requires courage. Committing to a future state that you may feel unworthy of, or that it is unachievable, is fearful. But, this is what courage is, doing something despite fear.
It is for this reason that surrounding yourself with people who support and enable you increases the probability of success and expand your appetite to do a shimmy with your fears.
The truth is, you can not tell if someone is Dreaming Big by simply knowing what their target is or by looking at their Instagram or Facebook feeds.
Without really knowing a person, their personal constraints, fears, values and dreams how could you know if they are being courageous and Dreaming Big?
If our ultimate goal is to live a fulfilling life, practically then, we need a target to work towards. It creates focus and allows the practical implementation of time, money, effort and energy.
An experience not felt possible is the perfect Trojan Horse for creating a target that allows you to Dream Big and embark on a journey of self discovery and growth.
It is in these moments of walking the tightrope of fear and excitement towards something worthwhile, that we cross the void and look back as a different person.
On a personal note - One of the most salient examples in my life of the power of Dreaming Big was in 2012 when I had the privilege of treating a retired lady called Carole.
Carole waddled into the treatment room with sore hips and knees.
It was clear she didn’t want to be there and was only seeing me because her GP told her to come as she was having difficulty walking up the 6 stairs into her house.
On the 3rd treatment with Carole, I said to her, “ Even though you can’t, if you could, what is one thing you would like to be able to do?”
I will never forget the look.
Like someone possessed Carole’s somewhat frosty demeanour changed and she looked at me with a perching look as if she was looking into my soul.
In a soft yet assertive tone Carole said,” Matthew, it is my 50th wedding anniversary this year. On my first date with my husband we went to the top of the clock tower in the city. We promised each other we would do it for our 50th wedding anniversary. But due to these knees I will never be able to do it and I am very scared of falling”
I asked Carole, if it was possible, would she like to climb the clock tower?
Without hesitation, Carole said “yes, but I can’t”.
What happened next is that Carole decided that she would make the courageous decision to commit to doing everything she could to get to the top of that clock tower with her husband.
The truth is, Carole didn’t believe that she would actually get to the top of the clock tower.
That said, it meant enough to her to try and even if she did not make it, she would know that she did everything possible, and the process regardless of the outcome, would leave her in a much better position than if she never tried.
Carole did climb that clock tower with her husband and now there is a new page in Carol's book of life, one that she will remember forever and one that would not exist if she did not have the courage to Dream Big.
My hope for you is that you Dream Big, surround yourself with the people who will encourage and believe in you, even when you don’t, and for you to have an experience you never felt was possible. An experience that creates a page in your book of life.
Matthew Stewart – Founder and CEO
#DREAMBIG