“Dream big, but allow yourself the opportunity to start small and have your share of struggles in the beginning. The world’s greatest composers weren’t writing symphonies the day they first sat at the piano.”

“Dream big, but allow yourself the opportunity to start small and have your share of struggles in the beginning. The world’s greatest composers weren’t writing symphonies the day they first sat at the piano.”

– Kevin O’Rourke, American film, stage, and television actor

O’Rourke is suggesting that we consider our life as a splendid symphony and that we are all composers.

Image from Unsplash by Paige Cody

The other day, my wife Wendy downloaded a piano app onto her iPad and began to play around with it. She began with scales and made an effort at Chopsticks. She eventually wants to play the piano that was given to her by her father many years ago as a gift when we were first married.

Exercise:

What are a few of your big dreams and goals? What small steps and potential struggles must be taken now to help you develop the mastery to compose your personal and professional symphonies?

“I get a chance to be anyone I want to be.”

“I get a chance to be anyone I want to be.”

– Johnnetta McSwain, author of Rising Above the Scars

As many people know, Oprah has had a phenomenal career of over 25 years, living by the motto “Live your best life.” McSwain’s quote points us to the opportunity to be whoever we wish. One way to explore the possibility of your best future self is to identify people who you respect and begin to practice and express their most admirable skills and qualities.

Exercise:

Develop a list of three to five people in both your professional and personal life, and capture the admirable qualities about each of these individuals. Consider sharing your intentions with each of these people so that they can support your development.

A bonus to this exercise will be an improved relationship with these individuals, due to the acknowledgement they will likely experience.

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprint of your ultimate achievements.”

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprint of your ultimate achievements.”

– Napoleon Hill, early self-help author

As a parent, I believe one of our most important jobs is to help develop the capacities of our children to dream and envision a bright and wonderful future.

It is exciting to imagine that we are all born with an inner blueprint that, through our capacity to dream, gets revealed and clarified along life’s journey.

This quote is encouraging all of us to exercise the muscles of our soul and fully realize our capacity to grow, in order to express our fully authentic self.

Exercise:

How can you revisit your exuberant and authentic inner child and recapture (or more fully discover) the blueprint of your soul?

Google the phrase “vision quest” and consider some of the various means to explore this idea further. Feel free to email me (barry@dempcoaching.com) regarding what you discover.

From Douglas Everett

“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.”

– Douglas Everett

This quote sums up a primary reason why I am a coach. It may have been the reason I was inspired by the 1992 Olympic Games to pursue a coaching career.

The fundamental idea of turning one’s dreams into reality puts a smile on my face whenever I see the realization of this through the individual and collective efforts of my clients.

Two books related to this subject by Wayne Dyer are The Power of Intention and Manifest Your Destiny.  What will your dreams include as you envision a gold medal life?

Exercise:

Consider reading Dyer’s books and some other recommended books from my website to further realize your dreams:

http://www.dempcoaching.com/recommended-reading

To My Loyal Readers:  The Quotable Coach will be taking a few days off to enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday, and I encourage you to do the same.  You will be receiving my next broadcast on Monday, November 26.  Have a great week!

Nothing happens unless first a dream

“Nothing happens unless first a dream.”

– Carl Sandburg, 20th Century Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet

Close up image of a blue eye

Image from Unsplash by Daniil Kuželev

A dream, a vision, a goal, an objective: Words that convey a view of the future. When we envision the future, a magical attractive power begins to pull us towards its realization.

Without this first thought of what we want to see, we are left exactly where we are – with something neither good nor bad unless we make it so. However, the moment we think about, imagine, and envision a future, we find the ability to reach our destiny.

Exercise:

What are your personal and professional dreams?
How can you exercise your personal and professional capacity to envision your future, and use this capacity to enhance your world?