Realizing Your Greatest Dreams

Ever wondered how many people in the world realize their greatest dreams? Unfortunately, very few live to their highest potential and that is at the source of the unhappy mess that we see in the world - both our inner world and the world outside. 

We are destined to realize our greatest dreams in deepest communion with our highest self and Have It All -
i. Deeply fulfilling, successful, profitable business supporting us to live our purpose of life; gifting us with impact, contribution and financial freedom
and
ii. Loving, harmonious, positive, uplifting relationships at work and at home
and
iii. Happy, healthy, responsible, confident kids with their genius joyfully expressed
and
iv. Nourishing, nurturing ourselves to the highest level of health, fitness and joyous well-being - physically, energetically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually
and
v. Making a massive difference through the work we do

But, WE come in our own way. Not because we want to but because we don't understand the art and science of realizing our dreams.

My favourite question in a conversation is - What is your biggest dream? I get one of three responses:
a. A confused look 
b. A cynical look
c. Stars in the eyes
It becomes an unforgettable conversation when I am able to get past the first two walls to connect at the third level because everyone has the capacity to be in the (c) state above if they let go of their fears to connect with their true authentic selves. It usually requires me to drop my walls to dance in conversation with another human being as they animatedly bare open their heart to share what they long to create in this lifetime. It is the most fulfilling experience. 

The first step in realizing our greatest dreams is to be aware of what our heart wants so that we can follow it - It could be leading your organization from good to great and make a huge impact in the world or becoming a published author or successful entrepreneur or wonderful parent or critically acclaimed artist or golfer with single digit handicap or top-ranked sportsperson or globally respected coach or skillful musician or get invited to teach at an ivy league college or having a deeply fulfilling joyous relationship with your spouse or anything that your heart desires.

Realizing our dreams is like a 3-legged stool. Even if one leg is not there, the stool will fall down and our dreams will lie broken on the floor. The three legs are:
1. Craft Mastery
2. Business Excellence
3. Leadership Depth

1. Craft Mastery - Usually this leg, everyone figures and is the place everyone starts. Whatever your craft (business, technology, finance, banking, sports, writing, art, parenting, coaching, consulting, interiors, medicine etc.), if you are not playing to be the best in your craft and are not learning, growing and evolving on a daily basis; at some point, your dream will dissipate.

2. Business Excellence - I like to define business as an opportunity to be of service. If you pick up a loaf of bread from a nearby grocery store and pay 30 bucks; you have paid 30 bucks in exchange of the farmer, baker, packager, transporter and the grocer being of service to you.

If the wagging of the dog's tail is wealth creation, profitability, money, love, appreciation; you can't beat the dog or work hard at moving its tail from right to left for it to wag its tail. If the mouth of the dog is being of service, you feed the dog and the tail will wag effortlessly. So it is with business, you make a huge difference to your customer community and be of service; the customer will chase you instead of you having to chase your customers.

In our conversation of realizing our dreams, the customer is anyone from whom you will receive something in return for your being of service. The customer could be your employee, your external or internal customer, your publisher, your sponsor, your child, your client. What you receive in return could be money or the energy of respect, love, appreciation.

Business Excellence means to be of enormous service to your customer community. Remember Newton's third law - Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Your being of service, making a difference is the action. What you receive in return is the reaction in the eco-system. You cannot control the reaction but you can impact it by increasing the velocity and force of the action.

3. Leadership Depth - Imagine 2 players on the tennis court in the finals of Wimbledon. One is cool, calm and composed; playing for the inner joy of the game. The other is shouting at himself and everyone around, every time he makes a mistake.

Imagine 2 CEOs running their businesses from their corner office. One takes responsibility of the mistakes made by the organization and gives the credit away. The other blames his leadership team, the market or the customer for any mess-up. One in whose space you feel your highest potential and the other in whose space, you feel small and not good enough. 

Imagine two writers. One works when the mood calls her. The other works up her mood to write daily consistently.

No marks for guessing who has leadership depth and who hasn't; and who in the long term will create joyously fulfilling success and realize their greatest dreams in deepest communion with their highest selves.

May your stool keep standing and you realize your greatest dreams in deepest communion with your highest self to have it all. Then, you would be living your destiny. And, if each one of us realize our greatest dreams; there can only be love, gratitude and reverence in the world. If you want to create such a world, you owe it to the world to realize your dreams sitting on your stool as it stands in perfect balance.

Loving you,
j.