2019: Dare!

Today is the last day of 2018. Perspectives about the year would be as variegated as the experiences of everyone who made it to the end. To some, it has been their best year ever. To others, things couldn’t have been worse than they have been in the year. Whichever way the pendulum swings for you, yesterday ended last night. A new vista opens in less than twenty-four hours when we usher in a new year. 2019 is coming with its thrills, challenges, curves, twists and turns. There is one word that has featured in my mind like a recurring decimal each time I think of the possibilities in the year that begins tomorrow. It is the word DARE. I would like to use it as an acronym.

In 2019, if you want to make it more thrilling than 2018, you must dare to DREAM. By that, I don’t mean the drone state of slumber where you snore productive hours away. I am talking about having a picture of an enthralling future that is so clear and inspiring that it puts a spring in your steps and a smile to your face just by thinking about it. Vision is the raw material for greatness. Great leadership is predicated on great vision. Vision is the clear picture of a preferred destination that not only inspires a journey but supplies the motivation for travelling. As the Holy Bible tells us, without a vision, people cast off every sense of restraint. Dreams alert us to possibilities we never before thought existed. They serve as fodder for the creative spirit. They are the compass of destiny. Every man is as limited as his vision. Dream and dream big. Nobody taxes you for dreaming. For a dreamer, there is no end of the road. There may be bends, but every true visionary understands that the road only ends when and where the dream ends. Meaningful leadership is only yielded to visionaries.

Our greatest problem is not that we achieve too little. It is that we usually dream too little. A great dream must however be supported with clear goals and a corresponding plan of action.

It is noteworthy that no matter how good a vision is, it remains in the realm of daydreaming until you do something about it. Every plan is only as good as the paper on which it was written unless acted upon. In the words of Will Rogers, “Even if you’re on the right track, you won’t get anywhere if you’re standing still.”

So, ACT on your dreams. Take action and take action massively. You never know what is possible until you venture. And there is no way you can experience adventure without the ‘venture’. Until you move, nothing moves. One quality action is better than a million intentions. Intentions may generate ideas, but decisions and action create events. Don’t expect God to guide your path if you have no intention of moving your feet. It is good to be prayerful. As a pastor, I do not discount the place of fervent prayers. However, if various prayer excursions to mountain-tops and extended periods of fasting don’t produce an actionable template, they may just as well be exercises in futility. Prayers can inspire action but they can never become a substitute for action. Overcome the paralysis of fear by moving in the direction of your dreams. When you do, you activate the forces of creation to work together for your success. Great accomplishments are consequences of purposeful action.

• Having a dream is not sufficient

While you are acting on your dream, you must take time to REINVENT yourself. To significantly do this, you must be willing to re-strategize when the need arises. Failure is not fatal. It is only an alert to the limitations of your current strategy. Your mistakes must be seen for what they are, they merely set the limits of your competence. And that is a direct invitation to self-improvement. The process of self-reinventing entails an unending drive for excellence in the recognition that the only competition that you have is yourself. So you endeavor to do each day better than you did the previous day. To be outstanding, do not even permit the word “competition” to feature in your lexicon in 2019. The competitive spirit only places undue focus to the perceived competition. Consequently, instead of benchmarking yourself by your destination, you benchmark yourself by your competition. The consequence of this is that you are hardly able to focus on the peculiar uniqueness that distinguishes you from others. Yet, life does not significantly reward you for what you do like everyone else. Common may be comfortable but it does not bring out the best in you. Distinction is what makes you distinguished. It is the goal of champions. Mediocrity is characterized by a patent comfort with the mundane. Excellence is the exact opposite of that. To be outstanding, you must stand out. When you do this constantly and consistently, it is a given that you will not only be noticeable, you will be noticed! So, in 2019, be the best of you!

Finally, dare to EXPAND. The first area where this applies is your mind. You cannot make giant strides with grasshopper steps. The greatest defeat a man can suffer is the defeat that comes from within. To grow your vision, grow your mind. Be rabid in learning. When you stretch your mind, it never comes back to its original position. What you know today may become antithetical to progress tomorrow. There was a time when science believed that the earth was flat. Until Columbus proved the contrary. There was a time when science defined the atom as the least indivisible particle of an element. Until the atom was divided into protons, neutrons and electrons. We live in the information age where information seems to have a maximum life span of two years! To be effective, invest in the development of your mind.

Secondly, expand your network. No matter how good you or your vision may be, its success is a function of your ability to connect it with people. You must deliberately seek to connect more with people. Let more people know what you have to offer them as opposed to what you need from them. Attend social events where the people who need what you have to offer gather. Become the go-to person; the needed rather than the needy! Leadership is about influence. The more people a leader influences, the more effective his leadership is. Make room for more meaningful people in your life. Seek more mentors in your chosen field. Court the company of those who need your services. The more you work on your EQ (Emotional Intelligence), the higher your chances of success.

2019 will be full of goodies for everyone. However, if you won’t dare, you won’t get your share!

Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!