DREAM EVERY DAY

Nurture Your 'Children'

Do you take care of your "children"? You may never have thought of your dreams as children, but that's what they are. They are your offspring—the joy of your today and the hope of your future. Protect them. Feed them. Nurture them. Encourage them to grow. Care for them. For someday, they may take care of you.

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. —Napoleon Hill

Needed: People!

You cannot do it on your own. You will need the help of others—and you will need to give help to others—if you want to be successful. And that will require you to connect with others. To do that, follow these suggestions:

• Focus on people.

• Be likable.

• Show others that you care.

• Remember everyone's name.

• Walk slowly through the crowd.

• Be generous.

Seven Secrets of Success

1. There is no secret of success.

2. Success is for everyone.

3. Your life becomes better only when you become better.

4. There is no success without sacrifice.

5. Success is achieved in inches, not miles.

6. The greatest enemy of tomorrow's success is today's success.

7. No advice on success works unless you do.

A young man from the city graduated from college with a degree in journalism and got a job at a small-town newspaper. One of his first assignments was to interview an old farmer who lived twenty miles outside of town. As he sat with the grizzled man on his front porch, the young journalist looked at his notepad and started asking his questions. One of the first he asked was, "Sir, what time do you go to work in the morning?"

The old farmer chuckled and replied, "Son, I don't go to work. I'm surrounded by it."

We can learn a lesson from the old farmer. Opportunities are a lot like his work. They are everywhere. But the problem is that we often don't have the eyes to see them.

As you approach each day, look around. Be aware. If you don't see opportunities, remember that it's not because they aren't there. You're always surrounded by them. You simply need to open your eyes and see them. Then act on them.

Wanted!

More to improve and fewer to disapprove.

More doers and fewer talkers.

More to say it can be done and fewer to say it's impossible.

More to inspire others and fewer to throw cold water on them.

More to get into the thick of things and fewer to sit on the sidelines.

More to point out what's right and fewer to show what's wrong.

More to light a candle and fewer to curse the darkness. —Author Unknown

You will be as small as your controlling desire, as great as your dominant aspiration. —James Allen

Find Your Vision

One of the great dreamers of the twentieth century was Walt Disney. Any person who could create the first sound cartoon, first all-color cartoon, and first animated feature-length motion picture is definitely someone with vision. But Disney's greatest masterpieces of vision were Disneyland and Walt Disney World. And the spark for that vision came from an unexpected place.

Back when Walt's two daughters were young, he used to take them to an amusement park in the Los Angeles area on Saturday mornings. His girls loved it, and he did too. Amusement parks are a kid's paradise, with wonderful atmosphere: the smell of popcorn and cotton candy, the gaudy colors of signs advertising rides, and the sound of kids screaming as the roller coaster plummets over a hill.

Walt was especially captivated by the carousel. As he approached it, he saw a blur of bright images racing around to the tune of energetic calliope music. But when he got closer and the carousel stopped, he could see that his eye had been fooled. He observed shabby horses with cracked and chipped paint. And he noticed that only the horses on the outside row moved up and down. The others stood lifeless, bolted to the floor.

The cartoonist's disappointment inspired him with a grand vision. In his mind's eye he could see an amusement park where the illusion didn't evaporate, where children and adults could enjoy a carnival atmosphere without the seedy side that accompanies some circuses or traveling carnivals. His dream became Disneyland.

For Disney, vision was never a problem. Because of his creativity and desire for excellence, he always saw what could be. If you lack vision, look inside yourself. Draw on your natural gifts and desires. Look to your calling if you have one. And if you still don't sense a vision of your own, then consider hooking up with a leader whose vision resonates with you.

From The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader

One Step Further

Do more than exist: live.

Do more than touch: feel.

Do more than look: observe.

Do more than read: absorb.

Do more than hear: listen.

Do more than listen: understand.

Do more than think: reflect.

Do more than just talk: say something. —Author Unknown

People who have given up are ruled by their darkest mistakes, worst failures, and deepest regrets. If you want to be successful, then be governed by your finest thoughts, your highest enthusiasm, your greatest optimism, and your most triumphant experiences. —John C. Maxwell

Mrs. Field's Recipe for Success

Love what you're doing. Believe in your product. Select good people. —Debbi Fields

It's Easier

It's easier to settle for average than strive for achievement.

It's easier to be saturated with complacency than stirred with compassion.

It's easier to be skeptical than successful.

It's easier to question than conquer.

It's easier to rationalize your disappointments than realize your dreams.

It's easier to belch the baloney than bring home the bacon.

—Author Unknown

The Door to Opportunity

Opportunities and motivation are connected.

Motivated people see opportunities, and opportunities are often what motivate people.

Great attitudes precede great opportunities.

Who you are determines what you see.

Today is the best day for an opportunity.

Opportunity always takes "now" for an answer.

Opportunities are the result of pluck, not luck.

The people who succeed seek out opportunities, and if they can't find them, they create them.

Opportunities don't present themselves in ideal circumstances. If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you will never leave your driveway.

Opportunity without commitment will be lost. Abandoned opportunities are never lost—they are simply pursued by the competition.

Opportunity is birthed out of problems. If you're looking for a BIG opportunity, find a BIG problem.

Opportunities either multiply or disappear. The more opportunities you pursue, the more you find behind them.

Opportunities must...