Hey there, this is Charlotte with your tip for the day.
One of my favorite quotes comes from John Adams. He said, “There are only two creatures of value on the face of this earth; those with a commitment and those requiring the commitment of others.” His quote reminds us that our stories and dreams need to lead us to more. Hopefully, they lead us toward a commitment to make and/or the commitment others need to make.
A commitment is simply a pledge to do something or to offer someone. We have a commitment to make in seeing our dreams through to fruition. It is not enough to have a dream, hope, and walk through a process. A dreamer needs commitment to persevere and live it out. The dreamer also has a commitment to lead. An interesting thing happens to those who dream: People watch, follow them, and see those dreamers as people to be admired. The dreamer does not create a commitment from others, but people follow because of the example of courage and fortitude shown by the dreamer. I have never seen a dreamer walk through a journey without gaining followers to watch the movement toward a commitment.
A commitment drives us toward our goals. A commitment drives us toward our purpose. We can easily obtain a goal without a commitment. However, it is impossible to reach our potential, fullest possibilities, and our purpose with being committed.
PURPOSE
Often words like purpose, potential, and calling get mixed up in definition. While they have similar aspects, they are not the same. Our purpose is vital. It is something set up as an object or end to be attained.
It is important to know that our values and beliefs influence our purpose, which is similar to our goals. Purpose, however, goes much deeper and broader than a goal. Goals are the point or place we wish to achieve through a plan or action. They have specific targets that can be seen. We can measure our goals, check off accomplishments from the list, and establish specific, realistic objectives. None of those things is applicable regarding our purpose.
Unlike a goal, our purpose does not have a specific target or hold a time line or a deadline. It is not short or long term but only pertains to something personal and is deeply rooted in a person.
In some cases, a person’s purpose will never be completed until their death. A purpose is not seen; it is experienced and ultimately known to the person. Our purpose is the reason we achieve a goal, and it cannot be measured. Our purpose gives meaning to our lives and allows us to feel as though we matter and have worth.
On any given day, I can sit in my cozy overstuffed chair, lean back and begin to dream about situations, positions, and events that I desire and hope to come true for my future. My dreams are never too big, crazy, or out of reach.
Not a day goes by that I don’t imagine my place in front of thousands, reaching millions through the media to influence, motivate, impact, and exhort lives to Dream Madly, Pursue Wildly, and Trust Completely for a life that matters despite their past or present situations.
My dream is so large and so clear that I can write the details of what the venues look like. I can envision how many different books will be sold in the back of the room, the words I will speak, the staff I will have, the global extensions of the company, and the foundation that will help young people to recapture their dreams and hopes. I even know which days of the week I will schedule for down time. Like the dream of Martin Luther King, I can grasp it so clearly and passionately that time, not possibility, holds the promise of its coming to fruition.
My dream is a reflection of my passions, themes throughout my life, my burdens, my story, and my deepest desires. My dream gives an indication of how I am wired and how the events and journey of my life play into my purpose and potential. However, my dreams and purpose are not the same, nor do they evaluate the potential placed inside me.
When we are walking in our dreams, no matter how big or small, we often get a sense that our dream and purpose are the same because of the fulfillment. While our dream can include our purpose, it rarely contains our purpose.
LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS
A while ago, I was refreshed and greatly impacted by the words of my pastor. Although he stated the message was for him, the message spoke to me. It is a message that I believe addresses why it is vital to continue moving through to your dreams and toward your purpose in living a life that matters.
My pastor spoke of the fact that like Mary’s virgin birth, similar miracles of birth happen inside us. He was referring to dreams, visions, projects, etc. that God impregnates in us that we are not able to do in our own ability and will always seem impractical, impossible, unknown and incredibly difficult. He was referring to natural dreams and hopes that we have longed for since childhood but failed to step out upon.
His message spoke to me because as I end this book, I realize there are many of you who are experiencing the pain of going into labor. You have traveled through experiences, pain, loss, difficulty, discouragement, directionlessness, frustration, fear and struggle to the point of wanting to shut down. You have tried to make your life work and pushed along wondering if you or having a dream is really worth the cost.
I encourage you to ponder this. Perhaps a dream, goal or vision that is unknown, difficult, and seems impossible to your eyes is being birthed in you for a reason, a purpose. Lord knows, you have or will experience times that cause you to wonder if you are losing your mind. Be encouraged. You are not crazy because things seem so difficult and trying. The closer you are to labor, the rougher it will be. The war will always be against your potential. The lies will always be in place simply to cut off your potential. The dream stealers will always be lurking to steal away your potential.
Whatever had been placed on your heart to do … Do It! If you have been given a vision to pursue, you must follow through because you have been chosen in order for that vision to take place as designed. If you have a dream, please do not let me, dream stealers, employers, financial situations, depression, friends, Christians, busyness, life or anything else get in the way of grasping it as though it were your last breath.
I am convinced that the more difficult the journey, the greater the vision and the result. If your dream is easy and costs you nothing, give it up because it is not a dream, it is simply a task you completed. You can do this because your dream, your vision, your passion, your purpose is so worth the trouble.
At the end of your days, how do you desire to be remembered? As one who lived safely but had big dreams, or as one who lived courageously, pursing their dreams and visions yet fell short sometimes? As for me, I refuse to accept what is easily obtainable and safe in exchange for the great madness and pursuit of Dreaming Wildly.
I encourage you to view each day as a new opportunity to start fresh. It is easy to look at our past or our present situations and believe we are fated to failure or remain in the ordinary and hopeless. I encourage you not to believe the lies of what you feel but trust in the truth that is reality. Walk in courage, knowing nothing is impossible. You can do this!
To my fellow wind fliers: “Do not allow those who prefer to dwell on the safe land of ‘I won’t’ and ‘It can’t’ to pull you down or discourage you. Continue to dream, asking, ‘Why not?’ knowing ‘you will’ in time. Soar so high that you only hear faint echoes of those on the land and you’re only pushed forward by the wings … of those flying among you.” – Charlotte D. Hunt
Take care
Charlotte
Dream Madly, Pursue Wildly, Trust Completely
www.charlottehunt.com
Copyright © 2012 by Charlotte D. Hunt All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, or otherwise without written permission from the author except for brief quotations in printed reviews.
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