TO: FROM:
Dream book.indd 1
2/2/12 4:07 PM
Copyright © 2009, 2012 John C. Maxwell. All rights reserved.
Published by Simple Truths, LLC and SUCCESS Books 1952 McDowell Road, Suite 300 Naperville, Illinois 60563 800-900-3427 www.simpletruths.com Simple Truths is a registered trademark.
www.success.com www.SUCCESS.com SUCCESS is a registered trademark and SUCCESS Books is a trademark of R&L Publishing, Ltd. Published in association with Yates &Yates: www.yates2.com Based on Put Your Dream to the Test by John C. Maxwell. Published with permission from Thomas Nelson Publishers. Printed and bound in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means – except for brief quotations in printed reviews – without the prior written permission of the publisher. Book design by Brian Frantz Edited by J.M. Emmert 01 WOZ 12
Dream book.indd 2
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dream book.indd 3
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dream book.indd 4
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 PART I: W hat Is Your Dream? . . . . . . . . . 5 Five Common Roadblocks . . . . . . . 29 Preparing Your Dream . . . . . . . . . . 43 O wning Your Dream . . . . . . . . . . . 59 PART II: How W ill You Achieve It? . . . . 75 Building Your Dream . . . . . . . . . . 89 Securing Your Dream . . . . . . . . . . 97
Dream book.indd 5
2/2/12 4:08 PM
It’s never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot
Dream book.indd 6
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Introduction
Dream book.indd 1
2/2/12 4:08 PM
dream achieve it
2
John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 2
2/2/12 4:08 PM
3 Own Your Dreams 3
Dream book.indd 3
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dreams come a size too big so we can grow into them. —Josie Bisset
Dream book.indd 4
2/2/12 4:08 PM
PART I:
What Is Your Dream?
Dream book.indd 5
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dreams are valuable commodities.
They propel us for ward. They give us energ y. They make us enthusiastic. Ever yone ought to have a dream. But what if you’re not sure whether you have a dream you want to pursue? I’ve studied successful people for 40 years. I’ve known hundreds of high-profile people who achieved big dreams. And I’ve achieved a few dreams of my own. W hat I’ve discovered is that a lot of people have misconceptions about dreams.
6
John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 6
2/2/12 4:08 PM
A genuine dream is a picture and blueprint of a person’s purpose and potential. Or as my friend Sharon Hull says,
“A dream is the seed of possibility planted in the soul of a human being, which calls him to pursue a unique path to the realization of his purpose.” Sadly, far too many people have dreams that are not genuine, but simply wishful thinking that fills their
Take a look at the following examples of “dreamers” who are unlikely to see their dreams come to fruition.
thoughts but will never fulfill their lives.
Dream book.indd 7
Own Your Dreams 7
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Their dreams are merely distractions from their current work.
8
John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 8
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dream book.indd 9
Own Your Dreams 9
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Their dreams are wild ideas with no strategy or basis in reality.
10 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 10
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dream book.indd 11
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Their dreams are worries that breed
fear and paralysis.
12 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 12
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Dream book.indd 13
2/2/12 4:08 PM
Their dreams are images of the way the world would be‌ if they were in charge.
14 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 14
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 15
Own Your Dreams 15
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Their dreams are lived
through others.
16 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 16
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 17
Own Your Dreams 17
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Their dreams are based on the belief that others will make them happy.
18 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 18
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 19
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Their dreams are based on the belief that career success will make them happy.
20 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 20
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 21
Own Your Dreams 21
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Their dreams are based on the belief that a position, title, or award will make them happy.
22 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 22
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 23
Own Your Dreams 23
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Their dreams are based on the belief that wealth or possessions will make them happy.
24 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 24
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 25
Own Your Dreams 25
2/2/12 4:09 PM
They mistake short-term targets for genuine dreams.
26 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 26
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 27
Own Your Dreams 27
2/2/12 4:09 PM
If you are one of these dreamers, I want you to know that there’s good news. You can reshape your dream. You can overcome obstacles. You can live your dream.
28 John C. Maxwell
Dream book.indd 28
2/2/12 4:09 PM
Dream book.indd 4
2/2/12 4:13 PM