PYDTT: Is My Dream really my dream? (Part 2)

Last time I shared with you how I borrowed belief from my mom and dad to dream BIG when I was not sure of what I wanted to do in the future. Today I want to help you to dream big because you are called to do great things. No matter what your age or condition is, there is still untapped possibilities within you and a new version of you waiting to be revealed.

In the book, Put Your Dream To The Test, John C. Maxwell gives us 10 questions that we can ask ourselves as we consider each dream of ours and think about whether it is worth pursuing.

It is never too late to dream... but then the question is "Are you ready to put your dream to the test?" and can you say that the odds are good for achieving the dream you have. How can you be sure of this? What can you do to get more clarity and identify the factors that you could control to achieve your dream?

We will start with #1 - The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?

In the book, you will find the Dream Test that is designed to help you measure how prepared you currently are to reach your dream. I had a dream of being a Workshop Facilitator and Trainer for companies & organization.

In 2019, I had the opportunity to be a Workshop Facilitator for The Paton Law Firm, LLC . It was just the beginning!

In 2021, I conducted a workshop for the Rotary District 7490 using the Maxwell Leadership Game. This was during the COVID-19 pandemic and we went virtual. It was fun and interactive to play this game with rotarians from Bergen, Passaic and Hudson county.

In 2022, I decided to work with a local community college and train employees from ConnectOne Bank on Problem Solving & Critical Thinking techniques as an Adjunct Faculty for Bergen Community College . That was a time I realized that my main interest & expertise was in helping develop leaders around me with soft skills rather than the hard skills. I had conducted Computer Literacy Program teaching Microsoft 365 tools earlier in the year and it was draining my energy!

In 2023, I had the opportunity to be one of the workshop facilitators for Zebra Technologies and my confidence increased as I collaborated with other Maxwell Leadership Team members.

In 2024, I was invited to conduct a Leadership Workshop for the Employee Resource Group at Fitch Group, Inc. and I enjoyed every moment of it.

I had many excused prior to 2019 for not pursuing my dream, I used to say:

#1: Dreams don't come true for ordinary people.

I used to think that big dreams were only for extraordinary people who were special and gifted from birth. In fact what I have found out in my entrepreneurial journey is that Ordinary People can live extraordinary lives when they follow their dreams. Why do I say that? Because a dream becomes a catalyst to help people make important changes in their lives. I started dreaming of impacting thousands of lives and gave my first webinar in 2021 on Communication Techniques.

On projectmanagement website, it has been viewed by 16K+ members and my 2nd webinar in 2024 has reached 8K+ members in 3 months.

#2: If the Dream is not BIG, it's not worth pursuing.

I used to think that my dreams were pretty insignificant - all I wanted to be was be a devoted working mother and a hard working employee who had great work ethics with the flexibility to work remotely. In fact what I have found out is that a dream doesn't have to be big, it just has to be bigger than me. I started dreaming of being a positive influencer in my own community in Bergen County, NJ. Now I am a positive influencer across the globe!

#3: Now is not the right time to pursue my dream.

I used to think that my dreams could wait till my children's life were settled. I have 3 children who were pursuing college and I did not want to jeopardize their future by giving away the financial stability we had with my corporate job. As I grew older, I felt that it was too late to pursue my dreams of becoming a difference maker to the greater community. I was ready to settle as a positive influencer in my immediate circle of influence - my family, my friends, my colleagues. I started dreaming of influencing the influencers.

Now I am officially on the 100 Yr Celebration Committee and a Trustee of Fair Lawn Main Street, Inc. which is an honor to be selected by government officials in our town in New Jersey.

Thanx to an unexpected turn of events in 2018, I decided to start my leadership journey as an entrepreneur and I decided to:

(a) Be willing to bet on myself

(b) Lead my life instead of just accepting my life

(c) Love what I do and do what I love

(d) Not compare myself (or my dreams) to others

(e) Believe in my vision for the future even when others did not understand me.

The last one was the most difficult for me since I was a People Pleaser and I had to really make a Leadershift from a People Pleaser to a People Challenger which I share in one of my earlier editions.

Next time, I will share with you the second question you can ask yourself to get more clarity on the vision that you have.

On a personal front, I am proud of my younger teenage son who has become a Positive Influencer himself. SUBSCRIBE to his channel and help him reach his goal!

I want to encourage you to grab hold of your dream and take ownership of your dream, prepare to start moving forward. If you want to work alongside a Leadership Coach who will hold you accountable as you identify and pursue your dreams, contact Anupama Kinatukara, PgMP?, PMP? who has been helping others to Be Challenged & Lead On. She can do the same for YOU - block a 15 minutes Complimentary Discovery Call on her calendar to find out more.