Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions that Will Help You See It and Seize It
Sometimes we have a dream and begin going after it, but stumble in the process. We stop and questions our decision, not sure if our dream is ‘it’, the right one. Or, we may have more than one dream and feel stuck, unsure which one to follow. Maybe we are afraid to voice our dreams, afraid of what people will say, afraid of what it will cost us.
In his new book, John C. Maxwell does an excellent job of drilling down and helping you get to the heart of your dreams. His questions do not coddle or console. They hit hard and deep. His probing questions are meant to help you get your head out of the clouds and face your dreams with an open and honest heart.
He poses ten questions, built around ten themes, one in each chapter. Each question builds on the previous question. It is expected that you can honestly answer ‘yes’ to each question before moving onto the next. You cannot answer ‘no’ to the first question, “Is my dream really my dream?” and then expect to move on and be able to answer ‘yes’ to the second question, “Do I clearly see my dream?”
Each chapter forces you to hold your dream up to the light and examine it from all angles. His goal is not to discourage you from following your dreams but to give you a solid base of understanding them so that you can be successful in following them and fulfilling them.
Chapter 3, “Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?” and Chapter 4, “Does my dream compel me to follow it?” both ask us to examine if our dreams play to our strengths and if we focus on good habits to build our strengths. “If you know your strengths and build on them by doing what is needed to make your dreams a reality, and you do them consistently until they become habits, the odds are very high that you can achieve your dreams.” (p. 66)
Chapter 5, “Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?” and Chapter 6, “Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?” both focus on what I consider the ‘how’ of following your dreams.
For me, Chapter 7 really hit home with the question “Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?“. He talks about moving from the fun, dreaming stage to the stage when you actually commit to turning your dream into a reality. “Every journey toward a dream is personal, and as a result, so is the price that must be paid for it.”
This ‘price’ scares a lot of people at this point in their journey. Personally, I have reached this point twice before and stopped. The third time, I could not turn away. I knew that achieving my dream would be more difficult and that the price may be higher because I had waited so long to commit to it, but, I also realized, just as John Maxwell states, “It’s better to live your dream in part than to miss the opportunity entirely and regret it later on.” (p. 144)
Chapter 8, “Am I moving closer to my dream?“, is where your commitment is put to the test and is an appropriate follow-up to Chapter 7. If you are not willing to pay the price to go after your dream, you will not have the perseverance and follow through to continue moving closer to your dream. “People who achieve their dreams don’t have an easier path than those who don’t.” (p. 169) Once you commit to your dream, you have to “just keep moving forward.” (p. 172)
The last two chapters and questions really force you to dig deep. “Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?” and “Does my dream benefit others?” . First your dream must fulfill you, and if it does you can seek the answer to how it benefits others. A ‘yes’ to both questions with a true evaluation of your motivations will secure your foundation for fulfilling your dreams.
Throughout the book there are inspiring stories which help demonstrate how a positive ‘yes’ to each question looks when someone is committed to their dream. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bob Taylor, John Wooden, Terry Fox and William Wilberforce are just some of the people whose stories will engage and inspire you. You may not know their stories before you read this book, or you may have only known part of their story, but after reading this book their inspiring examples will stay with you as you pursue your own dream.
Overall, this is a powerful and inspiring book. Read it once and then read it again.
Answer all of the questions and be inspired by your own answers.
This review really only touches the tip of the iceberg in regards to the depth and breathe of the information in this book. It is a worthwhile investment if you are serious about living your life to it’s fullest potential and fulfilling your dreams.
Commit to your dreams, change your life and change the world.
Chapter Themes and questions:
1. OWNERSHIP: Is my dream really my dream?
2. CLARITY: Do I clearly see my dream?
3. REALITY: Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?
4. PASSION: Does my dream compel me to follow it?
5. PATHWAY: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
6. PEOPLE: Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
7. COST: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
8. TENACITY: Am I moving closer to my dream?
9. FULFILLMENT: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
10. SIGNIFICANCE: Does my dream benefit others?
