At the time of writing, May 2020, many people worldwide are still in lockdown – confused and scared about their business and their futures. If this is you, or has given you an unwelcome glimpse of an unappealing future, here's encouragement to unmask your dreams and turn them into action steps.
But despite the references to masks, this isn't a post about Coronavirus – it's a post about your dreams and not letting anyone, or any circumstance, mask them.
It's actually a poor summary of a fantastic online Church service I stumbled across; but don't let the thought of Church deter anyone from reading further because I was really encouraged by how the words resonated with a realistic business message – even specifically using business analogies.
I have no copyright to this, and all rights belong to SoulChurch.com. Any errors of interpretation are mine. I hope you will be inspired by my short summary to watch the video below and subscribe to their YouTube channel. This particular service gave me special comfort today as I pursue my own dreams of an online business – part-time for myself, although it could be full-time alternative for others who have lost their current business or career dreams.
Unmask Your Dreams
Theme: “As long as you have a dream you'll never grow old”, based on the book of Habbakuk, a prophet near the end of the 7th century BC.
The 7 step action plan unfolded in the video below is as follows:
- Unmask your dream – what could your life and / or business be like? Dare to dream.
- Write it down before you forget it, or are distracted onto other ‘bright shiny objects'
- Test it! It should be bigger than you are, seem impossible, and involve change. It should be something you can't do alone. Test its validity as a work that ‘your God' (or conscience) can approve of. How? Is it just self-centred, or do you have aims to help the wider good. Is it a dream worthy of pursuing? You can dream for free – but travelling the journey to fulfilling your dreams will not be free. It will involve work and probably learning. You will need to change. A dream is like a jigsaw puzzle, not a photo. You put the picture together piece by piece, so…
- Wait for it! These days we're conditioned by the Internet to expect instant gratification. We want it NOW, if not yesterday. Understand the power of slow patience. Most dreams fall away when we lose the excitement. A dream without obstacles isn't challenging enough.
- Hold onto your dream and it'll surely come about. BUT guard against your enemies – (a) the dream stealers, however well-meaning they may be. Don't get close enough to catch their anxiety or scarcity mentality. (b) The dream-distractors that will take your time away from pursuing your dream. For instance, don't love pleasure more than your dream. My friend's daughter had a dream to become a medical doctor, and while her contemporaries were enjoying their social life at uni, she pursued her dream single-mindedly and is finally seeing her life-long dreams come true. (c) Self-sabotage: back yourself and your dream – with time, work and prudent investment.
- Run with your dream. Do you have the courage to act on your dream without a completed plan? Without action your dream perishes. Start before you're completely ready. If you have the privilege of being a parent, were you ever completely prepared for parenthood? I know I wasn't – I made it up as I went along, and satisfied myself with being a ‘good-enough Mum'. Certainly not perfect. My reward has been two wonderful human beings who, miraculously, are better human-beings than I have ever been. So even if your business plan isn't perfect – go with it just the same and refine it as you go along. But take action – run – don't just sit there and let it wither.
- Share it – unmask your dream to encourage other like-minded action takers who are going along the same journey.
Unmasking My Dream
My dream is of a scam-free, part-time business that I can share with people who are looking to improve their lot in life – but without:
- Spending every waking minute learning skills that make their head hurt,
- Spending more than they (ultimately) earn.
My dream is for a time when I WILL have more surplus income that I can donate to all the good causes I'd love to support more generously than I already do.
As of ‘today' I am lucky enough that I already have all I need materially, and have no yearning for fancy holidays and the trappings of success. However, this income still comes from working – trading my hours for money. There'll come a time when (a) I no longer have the intellect to do what I already do (computer programming) (b) My physical care needs may increase such that I can no longer look after myself. This has happened to both my own parents and two of my four grand-parents, so I am pre-warned.
My dream is of an income sufficient that I can comfortably support myself, in my old-age, without being a burden to hold my sons back from pursuing their own dreams, and without relying on the state to support me, when there are far more deserving cases than mine.
Hopefully this passes the test as a dream that God (or whatever higher power you give allegiance to) would approve of. Even for those who have no spiritual inclinations – there's a practical message!
For goodness sake – just 3 months ago, who would ever have imagined we'd find ourselves in this current situation?
More to the point, where are we going from here? I hope and pray that YOUR job and business dreams will survive unscathed, but if not….will you be relying on family, friends or the state?
What is YOUR business dream?
How does it stand up to the 7 steps above?
The Full Version of Unmask Your Dream
As I said earlier, my ramblings above are a mere shadow of the power of the original presentation. For the uplifting and complete version, give yourself a treat and watch the video below.
All credits and rights belong to SoulChurch.com.
If your dreams resonate with mine, please subscribe to my newsletter below, or comment to share your own dreams.
