Define your Mission and Pursue your Dreams...
In March 2014, an African lady reminded the world of the power of dreams. In accepting the Oscar award for Best Supporting Actress, Lupita Nyongo reminded us that No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid!
Recently on October 9 2014, I had the privilege of meeting an amazing family from Argentina- Herman & Candelaria Zapp. In 2000, the young couple set out on a dream journey by road from Argentina to Alaska in a 1928 old car with wooden wheels. In their journey they covered a total distance of 42,063 miles in 3 years and 7 months. They capture their incredible journey in a book Spark your Dreams and tell an inspirational story of the power of dreams and the courage to pursue their dream.
Everybody is born a dreamer. The difference with those who accomplish their dreams is that they Define their mission and Pursue their Dreams.
Define your Mission
Most successful companies have mission statements that help guide them on who they are and why they do what they do. The best leaders also define their personal mission statements which guide their dreams.
An example of a personal mission statement by Oprah Winfrey is captured below:
“To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be.”
In an issue of O magazine, Oprah recalls watching her grandmother churn butter and wash clothes in a cast-iron pot in the yard. A small voice inside of her told her that her life would be more than hanging clothes on a line. She eventually realized she wanted to be a teacher, but “I never imagined it would be on TV,” she writes.
10 years ago I defined my personal mission statement to “Inspire Others to Greater Heights”. It has provided me great clarity over the years as a leader and Executive Coach. Take the first step in defining your personal mission and set up the foundation for guiding and achieving your dreams.
Pursue your Dreams
Nothing happens without action. To achieve your dreams you have to focus and invest quality time and effort to realize it.
Lupita began acting at the age of 14 and invested countless hours in theatre to realize her dream. The Zapp family invested 3 years and 7 months to realize their dream. Oprah rose from poverty and a difficult child hood to get her first break on radio at the age of 19.
Each one of them invested significant time and effort to achieve their dreams.
The following video clip of 3 men going up against a pack of 15 hungry lions best illustrates the conviction and courage required to pursue a dream.
Set out to define your mission and pursue your dreams!
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What other tips can you share? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments below.
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Thank you for reading this article. Below are links to my previous articles-
Investing in Leadership Capacity
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??Seasoned Legal Practitioner ??PSEAH/Safeguarding Consultant ??Certified PSEAH Expert ??Certified Core Humanitarian Professional
10 年Dreams have no witnesses. It therefore takes the dreamer's action to set the ball rolling towards achieving the dream. As always, your pieces offer fresh insights,
Sales & GTM Professional | Data Analytics | Sales Force Automation
10 年To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal..
Nice.
Leading Planning & Strategy in World Class Organizations.
10 年Hi Andrew, great piece. What seems to be an ongoing theme in these examples you provide, and certainly in my life as well, is that the pursuit of dreams is underpinned by courage. Courage may be a result of circumstance (e.g. the need for sustenance), or personal ambition / conviction. Whatever the reason for it might be, big dreams are realized by big risk takers, those that embrace courage in spite of fear. Regards, Brian.