In this very special episode of DREAM THINK DO… we’re talking about our “Hiro’s Journey (so far). That’s right! We got a new puppy and I’m sharing some of the fun (and messy) adventures we’ve had in THIS dream journey that’s been 30 years in the making.
We’ll talk about pursuing buried dreams. How prayer played out in THIS story. We’ll talk about road trips involving 1,700+ miles… VEGAS baby… messes… mistakes… and majestic views.
In this end, this is a very real… very raw… look at the last few months and some of the things a very cute (and messy) puppy has been teaching me about pursuing dreams and living life. Let me know what you think!
RESOURCES:
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
KEY POINTS & CUTE PUPPY PICS:
“If one of your dreams isn’t right for this season of your life, it doesn't mean that it’s a bad dream. It just means it’s not the right time to pursue it. Dig into the dreams that are right for this season… and know that the right season will come.”
I prayed a dangerous prayer…
“If you want it to happen, make it an adventure.”
Avoid “Future Tripping.” It’s where you spend all your time thinking about the future. Instead, focus on what you can be doing in the present moment. That’s where the real magic happens.
Some fun pics: Click here to see the pics
MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 2:00 Episode begins
- 3:16 The dream that has been in the works for 30 years
- 11:48 When Mitch’s puppy dream started to come true
- 17:41 How prayer played into Mitch’s dream journey
- 24:51 How even the random people you meet can serve your dream
- 32:06 Looking for the adventure in everything
- 39:15 Remind yourself of the truth
- 39:55 Where the name Hiro came from
- 43:27 The dangers of perfection
- 48:24 The puppy policy and how to apply it
- 50:54 What are your thoughts? Connect with Mitch!
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:
What do YOU think? I want to hear from YOU! Which parts of the story do you resonate with? What clicked with you? What are your thoughts on puppy training? What have pets taught YOU about life? How does prayer fit into your dream pursuits? Seriously… let me know. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Today, we’re talking with Karena and Mia Steir. These are two amazing humans… with incredible stories. But we’re going to focus on ONE particular story from something that started at a BIG Dream Gathering a few years ago. I mentioned this story in episode 311 and you guys let me know you LOVED it. It was the story of Mia… who came to the BIG Dream Gathering and decided that one of her big dreams was to write a book. Well… she was really inspired by a number of people in the room… (and her mom Karena). So… with the support of her parents… Mia got ‘er done and wrote that book (“Victoria… the Drama Investigator) in record time!!! Not only that but she was able to get that book into schools across the country! So, we’re going to dig into their inspiring story… and more importantly, talk about the power of pursuing dreams at ANY age and the surprise gifts that can come along the way. Let’s get to this!
RESOURCES:
Click here to find out more about Mia’s book, “Victoria - The Drama Investigator.”
Click here to connect with Kerena Steir on LinkedIn
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
It’s designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
- STEP 1: Download the app.
- STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
- STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
- STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
PICS from Mia’s Dream Journey: Click here
MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 1:48: Download the dream together app
- 2:50 Karena and Mia Steir
- 4:11 Conversation starts
- 4:57 When Mia knew she could dream big
- 6:23 How Mia turned her dream sheet into a reality
- 11:45 Why Mia’s book should be in every school
- 17:20 What Mia has learned chasing her dream
- 19:40 When Mia went on a mini speaking tour
- 25:11 Learning challenges and gifting
- 31:50 Advice for anyone scared to dream
- 33:06 Advice for parents that have a dreaming kid
- 35:04 Mitch’s biggest takeaways
MORE ON THE EPISODE:
After I shared Mia’s story in episode 311 of DREAM THINK DO, her Mom, Karena, reached out with an update. And once I heard THAT… I asked if I could have them both join me on the show to share it. Because… well… you guys HAVE to hear the “rest of the story!” It’s a great example of what we talk about in the fact that when you start out to pursue ONE dream… you never know where it might take you.
We’re going after the BIG question of “How do you stick with a dream?” This is one of the most common questions we get at LIVE events and as people are using our “Dream Together” app. It’s totally understandable. They get excited about a new dream… but then the fear starts to creep in. They start to wonder if they can stay with it and achieve their goals. So the dream gets shut down before they even get started. Well, in this episode, we dive into 3 powerful strategies in 15 minutes. These concepts will help you START and STICK with it! Let’s do this!
RESOURCES:
3 Things I’ve learned from 250 Episodes of DREAM THINK DO: https://mitchmatthews.com/250/
Forged By Adversity - with Navy Seal Chad Williams: www.mitchmatthews.com/295
Post Traumatic GROWTH: www.MitchMatthews.com/172
Antonio Neves: “STOP LIVING ON AUTOPILOT.” www.MitchMatthews.com/307
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
It’s designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
- STEP 1: Download the app.
- STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
- STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
- STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
QUOTES:
“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the
seed of an equal or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill
“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile,
and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.” – Lou Holtz
“Truth 1: Adversity is going to come…
And Truth 2: You’re tougher than you think!” - Mitch Matthews
“Adversity causes some people to break; others to break records.” – William Arthur Ward
“The most successful people see adversity not as a stumbling block, but as a stepping-stone to greatness.” – Shawn Anchor
Post-Traumatic GROWTH:
“A positive psychological change experienced as the result of adversity leading to
a higher level of functioning.”
PRE-Traumatic Growth - Definition
“Positive psychological changes leading to more focus, energy, engagement and joy in the face of life’s challenges.
MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 1:06 Download the Dream Together App!
- 2:10 Today’s Question: How do I commit to a dream?
- 4:39 The magic of learning something new
- 5:56 Decide to do it! But…adversity may arise.
- 11:11 Learning from others' stories
- 12:54 The power in finishing
- 14:47 Do the math: Go after small wins
MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE (TRANSCRIPT):
All right. DREAM THINK DOer, like I said, this is a part of our Dream Together series. So we're going after big questions, questions that we've gotten at our live events over the years and questions that we get as people are using our Dream Together app to go after new dreams, new goals. The one we're going after today is something that so often happens. It's something that can kind of bubble up. I can remember at so many different live events, people would step to the mic at the end of the event to do this Q&A, and they would ask a version of this question: How can I stick with a dream? And you could feel all the emotions that were tied to a question like this. Sometimes it was fear, sometimes it was weariness, but you can also feel these elements of hope, sometimes excitement, sometimes life, because people had gotten clear on a new dream or maybe unearthed, kind of helped and remembered a very dream.
And now they're asking this question of how do I know I'm going to stick with it? You could tell they didn't want to waste time. They didn't want to look silly. At the same time, they were also maybe feeling a little childlike wonder, giving themselves that permission to ask, what if? That feeling of life that starts to happen when we start to recognize a new dream or an old goal that might be percolating to the top. Right? And if you've had that question, how do I know I'm going to stick with it? How can I stick with it? I want to give you three strategies to help some concepts that you'll be able to apply immediately.
All right. So let's get to this. Truth number one, strategy number one is be willing to be a novice. That's right. Give yourself permission to be new at something. Now, we talked a little bit about this in episode 250. It's something I've had to learn, and it's something that I know a lot of you have had to learn. Here's the thing. With DREAM THINK DO, we've got a lot of people that listen, obviously, a lot of successful people. And success is fantastic, it's awesome, right? But success can also be dangerous because if we're successful in one area, it can also make us start to be scared to be a novice in another area. Right? It's one of those things where a success is wonderful.
But when it starts to make us kind of limit ourselves, to start not allowing ourselves to try new things, to go and learn new things because we don't want to look new, we don't want to look like a beginner, but isn't it amazing? I mean, when you think about it, when you've given yourself the chance to learn something new, hasn't there been magic in that? Maybe that whole thing of not having to be great at something? Kind of feels like freedom to be able to explore something with relatively no expectations other than to learn. Right? That's what we're talking about, to be able to say, "Hey, I want to learn as I go." Because if we give ourselves that permission, there's really no failure. Because as long as we're learning, as long as we're moving forward, there's no failure.
And I know for me, with some of the different businesses that we have launched, sometimes some of our attempts, some of our experiments have gone down in flames. But when I look back, I also realize that's when we've learned the most, whether it's learning the most about what we need to be doing or learning the most about ourselves. And so it's one of those things to be able to say, hey, give yourself that permission to be a novice, to learn something new, try something different. It's what brings a lot of magic to life. It's also what allows us to pursue and stick with those new dreams and goals. Right? So give yourself that permission. Be a novice once in a while. All right.
Truth number two, strategy number two is decide to do it and know that adversity is part of the ride. Now you might be like, "All right, Mr. Good News." Right? To be able to talk right out of the gate about adversity. But I think it's something we have to talk about, and that's something we do with DREAM THINK DO. Right? We operate in truth. We speak to the hard truth of things. And I think if you're a DREAM THINK DOer, you appreciate that. And I know this sounds simple, but it's easy I think for people, when they start to experience adversity, to say, "Oh, I must be doing something wrong. Oh, I must not be supposed to do this." Right? But here's the thing is, when we start to realize adversity can also be a sign that we're onto something big, sometimes that helps us to flip the script.
I love what Chad Williams said in episode 295. You may remember, but Chad is a retired Navy SEAL, and the Navy SEALs are these elite fighting force for the United States, and in many ways they're the best of the best. But they had truly flipped the script on adversity. They've started to appreciate adversity. In fact, one of their main mottos, one of their creeds for a SEAL is forged by adversity. They celebrate it. They know it's coming. And instead of just trying to avoid it at all costs, they know that it makes them stronger, not in some kind of misogynistic way or masochistic way, all that, but they actually understand that adversity makes them strong. And if we're going to be honest, adversity also is sometimes what makes life rich. I love what Napoleon Hill said on this point. He said, "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache, carries with it a seed of equal or greater benefit." One of the greatest coaches of all time, Lou Holtz said, "Show me someone who has done something worthwhile and I will show you someone who has overcome adversity."
So going after our dreams and goals, we know that we're going to face some adversity, adversity is going to come, but also want to encourage you that you are tougher than you think. You are stronger than you think, and I think we need to be reminded of that as well. Right? The topic of grit, the topic of resiliency is a very popular topic right now, and that's good. Right? And I know that sometimes it's easy to look at someone and say, "Oh, that person's really resilient." Maybe it's a World War II survivor, or somebody that's done something huge, and maybe they're further along in their life, and you look at that person, you go, "Man, that person is resilient." They don't have to necessarily be a Navy SEAL, but you can look at that and go, "Gosh, am I that resilient?" And it's one of those things where all of a sudden comparison can start to come in, especially on this topic and say, "Gosh, am I as resilient as filling the blank?"
And that's why I personally like this term called micro-resiliency. Micro-resiliency, and those are small daily choices to stick, small but significant choices to stay with it. Micro-resiliency literally is being able to choose day to day, minute by minute, to be just a little bit more resilient. I love this quote from William Arthur Ward. It says, "Adversity causes some people to break, but others, it causes them to break records." Come on. And it's one of those things where resiliency, and more specifically, micro-resiliency... Not say or try to weigh whether you're resilient or not, but to say, "I'm going to try my best to be resilient in this moment." Well, that can make all the difference. It also helps to understand some of the fields of research when it comes to positive psychology on this front.
One of the things that's bubbled up is something called post-traumatic growth, which is a positive, psychological change experienced as the result of adversity leading, to a higher level of functioning. Post-traumatic growth. Now we know trauma can be brutal, right? And I'm definitely not trying to dismiss that at all, but it's one of those things where we can also say when we look back on a lot of the challenges. I know that that's also oftentimes some of the most rich times in our life, or at least it produces tremendous fruit. Now here's the thing though... And by the way, we go after post-traumatic growth, that concept, in-depth in episode 172, and I'll include all these show notes in this particular episode, so you can go back and check out those in more depth if you want to.
But as I dug into this concept of post-traumatic growth, later I realized there's also something called pre-traumatic growth, which sounds pretty good. And what that is, is that is actually learning from other people's adversity. Pre-traumatic growth, and what that is, if you want to flip that definition a little bit, pre-traumatic growth is positive psychological changes, leading to more focused energy engagement and joy by learning from other people's stories and strategies of facing adversity. Now, I like that, and that's probably one of the big reasons why you listen to DREAM THINK DO, is you're willing to actually lean into a little pre-traumatic growth, to be able to say, "Hey, I know adversity is going to come. That's life. That's also what happens when you pursue dreams. So I want to learn from other people's adversity. I want to learn from other people's stories."
Because I'm guessing that as you've learned from some of the episodes that you've heard, some of the interviews that you've heard, some of the stories that you've heard, that you can say, "Hey, gosh, I haven't faced that particular adversity, but I can learn from her story. I can learn from his story," and that's what we want to do. So I just want to encourage you to say, "Hey, I'm going to go after this. I'm going to decide to go after this. I know that adversity is going to come. That's a part of life. That's what in many ways makes life rich. And I am going to learn from others. I'm going to learn from my own adversity, but I'm also going to learn from others." And that's why I want to commend you for listening, listening to DREAM THINK DO, investing in yourself and growing. So that's tip number two.
Now tip number three, truth number three, strategy number three is going to bring us home, and that is simply to finish something. I know it sounds so simple, but it is so powerful. My friend and pastor and DREAM THINK DO guest, Antonio Neves, just wrote a book called Stop Living on Autopilot. I talked with him in-depth about it in episode 307. And I got to tell you, Antonio was just interviewed on The Today Show, and he killed it. He absolutely killed it. They were talking with him about this book. And one of the subjects that came up when it comes to not living on autopilot anymore, not living on cruise control anymore, is he spoke to the power of finishing something. Again, the field of positive psychology tells us over and over that regular ongoing achievement leads to higher levels of competence and higher levels of joy.
Now we're talking about small wins on a regular basis, right? But we also know as DREAM THINK DOers that a job left undone, gosh, there is nothing more draining than a job left undone. Right? Now, what I love about this concept, the concept of finishing something is... Antonio digs into this concept in-depth in his book, and again, the book is called Stop Living on Autopilot. You're going to want to check it out. But he makes the point that finishing something doesn't have to be big things all the time. You don't have to finish the Mona Lisa. You don't have to write the next greatest American novel to finish something, to have that feeling. It can really be small wins. And when we're going after a new goal, a new dream, that's what we're looking for is the small steps that you can take and take them over time. Celebrate those wins.
So if you're needing to learn something new, search for a TED Talk on that subject and celebrate watching a kick-butt 18-minute presentation on the subject as opposed to getting lost in your social media feed. Or if you want to expand your network, reach out and do a coffee, a virtual coffee or a real coffee with someone and celebrate taking 30 minutes to connect with someone that inspires you. Don't beat yourself up for not having the whole thing done. Celebrate, finish that small, but significant step. Maybe if your goal is to get in shape, don't beat yourself up for not being able to run a marathon yet, but get out there and spend 20 minutes walking around your neighborhood and enjoy the simplicity of soaking up some sun and actually feel that accomplishment. Or maybe if you're wanting to write a book. I know a lot of people using the Dream Together app, that's one of the big goals that's out there, right? They want to write a book. And maybe you're beating yourself up for not finishing the book yet.
Here's what I want to do is I want to encourage you, go after those small wins. Think about this, just do the math. If you just write three pages a day and celebrate that, finish three pages a day over the course of a hundred days, that's just a third or a little less than a third of the year, you'll have 300 pages. That's pretty amazing. And it's one of those things that you could be celebrating those wins, those mini goals, and finish those along the way. And like we said, when you finish something, it increases our sense of happiness, our sense of confidence and our ability to be resilient. And that's what I want for you. Those are three keys to sticking with it.
Number one, be willing to be a novice, give yourself permission to start something and be new at it. Enjoy that. Number two, decide to do it and know that adversity is going to be a part of the ride. It's a part of the journey. It's something that makes it rich. And number three, finish something. Give yourself permission to finish something. Small wins along the way will make the journey so much better, and it'll also help to bring joy, confidence, strength, and resiliency as you do. Those are the three strategies, three keys, three truths.
And I want to hear from you. What do you think? Plus, I want to hear from you, what's something that helps you stick? All right. Let me know. You can go to mitchmatthews.com\320. That's where we'll include links to all the show notes, as well as all the episodes I mentioned, some other resources to be able to dig into, all of that. Plus you can leave a comment and I do want to hear from you, what's something that helps you stick? Or what's a way that you're going to try one of these truths, one of these strategies today? I want to hear from you. Let me know, again, at mitchmatthews.com/320.
Now I'm going to give you one last bonus, one last tip, and that is don't do it alone. Okay? That's our fourth truth, and maybe even the most important. We're going to keep it short though, because what I can do is to say, "Hey, don't go after that dream by yourself, dream together." Now that's a little bit of a pitch to get you over to download our app called Dream Together. If you're not already there, it's going to be something that's going to allow you to write down some of your dreams, capture some of those dreams, get clear on some of those dreams, but also to not do it alone. You'll be able to dream together with other like-minded people.
So download the app, it's called Dream Together, and when it asks you to create the profile, it's going to ask you for a code. Go ahead and plug in DREAMTHINKDO, make it one word, and that's going to allow you to dream together with other DREAM THINK DO listeners, other like-minded people that are going after their dreams, people that want to dream bigger, think better and do more of what they were put on the planet to do, and they want to see you do that too. So go ahead and download the app and join us because hey, that fourth truth is so, so true. Don't do it alone. Remember to dream together.
All right. That's it for this episode. I think I did go a little over our 15-minute goal, but hey, hopefully, you got a little grace because that's important too as we walk out our dreams and goals together. Have a little grace for each other and it makes it so much sweeter. All right. Hey, we've got some amazing episodes coming your way, some incredible interviews, some additional deep dives and more in our Dream Together series. But until we connect again, please keep bringing your awesome because the world, it needs more of it. Talk soon.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:
Leave a comment and let me know what YOU think! How do you stay resilient? What are some things that you do to STICK with a dream. I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts!
Leave a comment and let me know!
Katie Russell Newland is a writer and sports enthusiast based in Austin, Texas. She has a PhD in language and literacy from the University of Texas. She’s a survivor of both Hodgkin’s lymphoma and melanoma… and I’m grateful to say… she’s fully in remission.
Now… in 2018, Katie took an epic adventure and walked out a life-long dream. She traveled over 30,000 miles to visit 30 Major-League-Baseball parks in a single season to honor her late mother. And this all culminated in her taking the mound at Wrigley Field... home of her absolute favorite baseball team of all time… to throw out the first pitch of a Chicago Cubs game! How cool is THAT? Now… Katie has a brand new that chronicles this incredible journey called, “A Season with Mom.” It’s a true story of love, loss, baseball AND a dream that really did come true. I can’t wait to talk with Katie about it… so let’s get to this!
RESOURCES:
Katie’s Website: https://www.katierussellnewland.com/
Katie’s Book on Amazon.
KATIE’S DOCUMENTARY:
Dig this one? Here are some other DREAM THINK DO Episodes we think you’d like:
Time to Dream Together: www.mitchmatthews.com/311
Permission to Dream (Again): www.mitchmatthews.com/309
Rob Harsh - How to Live in the Moment: www.mitchmatthews.com/157
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 Welcome to 319
MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
Some Key Concepts from the Interview:
- Dreams don’t have timetables.
Even if it takes thirty years, like it did for Katie, or one hundred eight (like it did for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series), dreams really can come true. It starts with finding a way to do what you love.
- Dreams often fade over time, losing the brilliance of their original inspiration.
We’ve all experienced it, even rationalized it. Circumstances change, nudging you to give up. You age, take on family responsibilities, face health concerns, lose loved ones before their time.
As a result, dreams get written off.
But maybe they don’t have to be. Maybe there’s a way of reimagining them. When Katie’s mom died, she thought their shared dream of visiting all thirty Major League Baseball ballparks died too. Six years later, she took a journey of a lifetime, proving our thirty-year-old dream was still alive.
- Baseball reminds us that we can fail often and still be a Hall of Famer.
One bad game doesn’t determine our identity, and one losing season doesn’t define our career. We need to know that in challenging moments, the potential for redemption remains. After all, baseball is the game of perpetual chances. Katie hopes her story sends the message that while you might be down now, it’s never too late to stage a rally or a comeback. Trust that every wrong turn, every challenging moment is leading you to exactly where you need to be.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:
Leave a comment and let me know what stood out from Katie’s story! I can’t wait to hear from you!
We’re doing a deep dive into the subject of asking for help. That’s a BIG question that comes up during our LIVE events all the time. That makes sense though. When people start to get clear on goals and dreams… they’re often struck with the realization they can’t do it alone. We all know that if we want to accomplish BIG things… we can’t fly solo. BUT… asking for help can be hard. So that’s why we’re going after this REALLY IMPORTANT SUBJECT! And… since it’s a part of our “Dream Together” series… we’re keeping it to just about 15 minutes. So let’s get to it!
RESOURCES:
RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:
JT Fox - Scoring Your Dream Job: https://mitchmatthews.com/jt-fox-scoring-dream-job
Mitch Matthews - 3 Keys to Meeting NEW People: www.mitchmatthews.com/198
Jamie Lieberman - HashTag Legal www.mitchmatthews.com/122
Erin Rollenhagen - Be Strong and Authentic: https://mitchmatthews.com/253
Sheri Salata - Finding LOVE for Life Again: https://mitchmatthews.com/312
EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:21 What to expect today
- 1:10 How do I ask for help?
- 2:20 Strategy One: Be ready for it to feel different
- 5:30 Strategy Two: Be open
- 6:17 Strategy Three: Don’t be selfish
- 9:05 Strategy Four: Be real
- 9:33 Strategy Five: Be kind
- 10:15 Strategy Six: Be honoring
- 13:47 Strategy Seven: Keep it simple
- 15:05 Strategy Eight: Be grateful
- 16:15 Strategy Nine: What did you hear and what will you do about it?
THE EPISODE - WORD FOR WORD:
All right. Hello and welcome Dream. Think. Doer to episode 318. That's right, this is another in our Dream Together Series. These are special episodes to get you specific strategies in 15 minutes or less. And this is all about helping those folks that are going after dreams, specifically, a little bit more specifically, those folks that are now using our Dream Together app.
It's been absolutely amazing to see this thing start to reach people around the world. Dream. Think. Doers and others are starting to use the app to dream together, but we've had questions come in, right? And I love this. I love that we're getting to respond to this, but what we wanted to do is go after some of the most common questions with this Dream Together Series. And in this particular episode, we're going to go after specific strategies to answer the question, "How do I ask for help?"
So whether you're using Dream Together or not, I'm guessing that if you're listening to this, you are Dream. Think. Doer. You are going after dreams. And here's the deal, something that I've learned, I'll bet it's something that you've learned. That when we go after dreams, when we pursue dreams, when we are trying to grow something, we eventually have to realize at some point, we're going to need some help. We can't do it on our own. Listen, I know you are a wildly talented, amazing individual, but if we're going to grow something that's bigger than ourselves, we have to ask for help, right?
In this episode, I'm going to get you some quick tips, thoughts, strategies, even dare I say, musings. All of which, each one of these, I could go probably 45 minutes to an hour on, but I'm going to try to get these tips strategies to you in two minutes or less, to get an all total of 15 minutes or less on this episode, we'll see how we do. But the whole goal is to get you what you need so that you can truly get out there and go after and achieve more of your dreams and goals. All right? So let's get after this.
NUMBER ONE: BE READY FOR IT TO FEEL DIFFERENT:
Be ready for it to feel different.
Listen, if you are a highly successful person, you're an achiever, there's a good chance that you know you need to ask for help, but it may not in fact be what is your norm, right? It might feel like there's some dissonance when you go to do it. You'll like this.
Recently I came across some information that may sound tangential, but I believe it relates. And that is we learn to communicate in two different ways. One is called formulaic language theory. You'll be able to amaze your friends at dinner parties with this.
Now formulaic language theory is something that our brain loves to do. It's where we start to use formulas for communicating. There's a good chance that when you walk into a store and somebody says, "Can I help you?" you say, "No, thank you. Just looking." That's formulaic. That's where our brain starts to use these patterns so that we don't have to think as much.
Now the challenge with formulaic language thinking or theory, is that this starts to actually have an impact on all of our relationships. Maybe you have a good friend. Maybe you are in a long-term relationship, maybe your spouse, you start to move into formulaic language theories. Maybe dinner starts to sound pretty similar every night. Maybe those phone calls start to sound pretty similar every day. That is formulaic language theory. Your brain is trying to get you to use patterns, so it doesn't have to think as much.
Now here's the thing. The opposite of that is something called generative language theory. Now it feels different, as you can imagine. But that is where we treat each individual as an individual, each conversation as something to discover, something to engage in. And it's one of those things that, to be perfectly honest, our brain can rail against a little bit, because it takes more energy. But at the same time, that's where the magic happens, isn't it?
If we treat a conversation with an individual, whether it's our spouse, a good friend, or even somebody at the store, sometimes we can uncover some of the most amazing conversations, right? I don't know about you, but I've had amazing conversations with people standing at a cash register, just because I was in the moment and stayed with it, right? That generative language theory.
Now, again, when you start to move into this, your brain rails against it, because it's going against the patterns that you've learned are efficient and all of those things, right? So in the same way that when we start to ask for help, our brain may in fact rail against that because it steps outside our norm. So just because it starts to feel uncomfortable, doesn't mean that it's wrong, right? It just means that it's new.
Okay, so formulaic language theory versus generative language theory. How about that for a little bit of science? Okay. That's a little heady, but the rest of these I think are going to go faster and a little bit smoother. But hopefully that helps to just help you to know that when we go to do this, it might feel a little weird, it might be a little new, but that doesn't mean it's wrong, okay?
Now that leads us to number two…
NUMBER TWO: BE OPEN
which is be open. And that's exactly what we've been talking about. Sometimes when we try something new, as in asking for help, it's going to feel different. And sometimes different feels wrong, right? Our brain is trying to process that as, "Wait, this feels different. This feels uncomfortable," right?
But as we start to grow, as we start to move forward, as we start to go after those things that are bigger than ourselves, we have to know we are growing. And a lot of growing means that we're going to experience new things. And a lot of new things means that it's going to feel different. And what we need to do is we need to be open to saying that different isn't bad, different is new, and I'm going to learn from that. Okay. So be open.
The next one might surprise you.
NUMBER THREE: DON’T BE SELFISH
Now here's the thing. I used to think that it was selfish to ask for help, right? "Oh gosh, I'm going to be a burden. That's just selfish to ask somebody for help." But over the years, as we've done Big Dream gatherings around the country, as I've worked with my coaching clients one-on-one, as I've thought about my own life, my own business. When I look back, I realized that it's not selfish to ask for help. It's selfish to not ask for help.
Because I believe that when you need help, that means you're kind of walking around with a puzzle piece. And you may not in fact know, if you've ever put a puzzle together, you know how satisfying it is. There's those moments where you've got that puzzle piece and you're like, "This doesn't fit anywhere," right? You're about ready to give up, but then you find that locking piece, that piece that fits. And you're like, "Oh," the satisfaction that comes, right? So often when we're walking around needing help, it's like we're walking around with a puzzle piece. And that also means that somebody else has a puzzle piece that needs to lock in with yours.
I'll give you an example of this. One of my businesses is we help coaches around the world; life coaches, success coaches. And what's amazing about this is that I could not do this alone. I have a business partner in this. His name is David Nadler. I should have him on the show. He's one of my great friends. He's an incredible strategist. He's amazing.
Now what's amazing about David is that his skill sets are wildly different than mine. He doesn't want to do what I do. I don't want to do what he does. But we, years ago, were two people walking around with puzzle pieces, right? And I actually almost wanted to hide my puzzle piece, because some of the things that I couldn't do, I was embarrassed about. But David at the same time, was walking around with his puzzle piece and realizing the things that he wanted to do, he was needing somebody else to partner with him. And he was a little embarrassed about that too.
But boy, boom, when our puzzle pieces connected, when we were able to experiment and grow and learn from each other and try things, some things went down in flames; I can tell you ugly, messy flames, but some things have hit. And it's allowed us to reach people around the world to sell coaching programs and training and all of those things to thousands of people around the world, and more importantly, connect with great people, help great people to make more impact, all of those things. We couldn't have done it. If we'd been hiding our puzzle pieces, we only did it because we let those puzzle pieces show brightly.
So don't be selfish. Don't hide your puzzle piece, right? Recognize you need some help, but realize that when you find that locking puzzle piece, you're going to be helping somebody else walk out their dreams, walk out their goals, right? So that's number three.
NUMBER FOUR: BE REAL
Be real. And what I mean by that is, you need to admit you need help.
As a recovering perfectionist… this is so hard. I know for me, it is so hard sometimes, because we want to feel like we got it all together. We want to feel like we're in control. We want to feel like we've got it covered, right? But we have to be real. We have to admit to ourselves and to others that we need help. And confession, confession is good for the soul, right?
NUMBER FIVE: BE KIND
As you ask for help, be kind. I love this quote on kindness that I found from Eric Hoffer, he's an American philosopher, and author. And he said,
"Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind."
How awesome is that, right? He had another quote on the same subject and he talked about the juxtaposition, the opposite of that. He said,
"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength."
So let's be kind. As we ask for help, let's be kind.
Which also leads us to number six, which is be honoring,
NUMBER SIX: BE HONORING
So, as we think about who might we ask for help, maybe we need insight. Maybe we need perspective. Maybe we need experience. Maybe we need wisdom.
As you start to think about those people that may in fact, have some help for you, ask yourself, "Is this someone that makes their living from the area that I need help in?"
And if it is, that's okay. Offer to pay them.
Offer to pay them. Don't expect them to give it away. There's a good chance they have worked hard to learn the knowledge and the wisdom that they've achieved. So if they make their money from where you need help, then offer to pay them.
Here's a good rule of thumb. If you're tempted to send an email or a message asking to pick someone's brain, I just did air quotes. "Can I pick your brain?" ask yourself, does this person's job, does the work the way they make money, the way that they get paid, is it in relationship to the information I'm asking for? And if so, just offer to pay them for it.
Now some of you might be like, "But I don't have much money."
Okay. And that's just fine, right? And if you're in those shoes, say, "Hey, if you make money from this, I want to honor that. I don't have a lot of money right now, but I would love a little bit of time just to run the idea past you." Just even asking 15 minutes. But at the very least, maybe even offer to pay them for 15 minutes.
Now there's a good chance that they will say, "Now, let's meet." There's a lot of people that if in fact they make money from where you're needing help, they will have a way for you to get a little bit of that help without having to pay. I know for me, as I do my coaching sessions and work with coaching clients, I always do a complimentary session on the front end. Because I want people to know what it's like to work with me, and I want to get to know them, see if we're a good fit.
I know that Jamie Lieberman, as an example, she is an attorney that I've interviewed for Dream. Think. Do. I have sent countless entrepreneurs to her. She specializes in working with online entrepreneurs. Jamie Lieberman, as an attorney, she gets paid for this information. She will do an introductory session with someone, get to know them a little bit, spend some time with them to get to know what their needs are. And then to be able to offer a little bit of information and then obviously, if she can help in some way where she gets paid, then she'll walk you through that.
So that's something to be able to speak to that, to honor that. At the same time, if they don't make money from what it is you're asking for help on, still honor them. You might offer it to buy a cup of coffee, take them to lunch. Now I know in our current pandemic scenario, that's a little bit hard to do, or it might be somebody on the other side of the planet. You can still do it though.
I just recently was asked, "Hey, could I pick your brain?" It was somebody that had been a guest on Dream. Think. Do. I loved their story, all of that. And they said, "Hey, I'd love to buy you coffee." And I'm like, "Okay, well you live on the other side of the planet. How are we going to do that?" And he said, "Uber Eats, I will send you a cup of coffee over Uber Eats, and we can have a Zoom call." Now, it was awesome. It's one of those things where I didn't expect that, but that was honoring. And I did, I took him up on it, because you guys know I love coffee. And it's just a great way to be able to say, "Hey, I want to honor your time," right? So that's number six, honor them.
NUMBER SEVEN: KEEP IT SIMPLE
Letting people know, "Hey, I need your help," and be able to speak to it.
To be able to say, "Hey, I can keep this short." And also let them know you have no expectations. Don't expect anything, especially before you have that conversation.
But here's what I'd suggest is, when you do connect, just let them know what you're working on and then just see if it resonates with them. That's what I like to do, is the only expectation is a couple of minutes to let you know what I'm working on, and then let's just see if it resonates. And if it does, then we can talk about the possibilities of working together on it. And if it doesn't, no harm, no foul. I love you. We're all good, right? That's powerful.
Now I will point to an extra tip here. This comes from JT Fox and my conversation with JT in episode 41. You can check it out at www.Mitchmatthews.com/041. JT used this strategy to get his dream job. He worked his way through a company that was his dream company and met and connected with a number of people. And one of the questions he always asked at the end of these conversations, whether the person was able to help him or not, one of the questions he always asked was, "Hey, whether you can help or not, who would you suggest? Who else should I be talking with?" Powerful question. That's the golden question, right?
NUMBER EIGHT: BE GRATEFUL
Be grateful. Say thank you. Be a blessing, right? If that person says yes and they help you, wonderful. If that person says, "No, I don't have time," still be grateful. Say thank you, right? I always say, my goal is that when someone thinks of me, my hope is that I've done something to bless them, so a smile comes to their face. That may sound cheesy. I don't know, but that's a good rule of thumb. And it winds up helping you to be more of a blessing as you walk around. And that's never a bad thing, right? So those are some of the strategies that I want you to be able to think through.
But here's the thing. What I want to do is we're going to wrap up with two last questions. Those questions are, as you think about the things that we talked about today, the things that we covered today, let's just walk through them. Be ready for it to feel different, to be open, don't be selfish, be real, be kind, be honoring, keep it simple and be grateful.
LAST TWO QUESTIONS:
As you think about those things, going to leave you with two last questions.
The question are:
- What did you hear?
- What do you want to do as the result?
As I spoke, as I talked into your ear, as I whispered to you, what's something that stood out to you? What's something that's going to stick with you? And then to follow that up and say, what's something specific you're going to do with that information? What did you hear today, as you listened to this episode? And what's something specific, what's some small but significant action that you can take to move forward on that idea? All right. Those are the things I want to leave you with.
And I will say, as we wrap this up, this whole episode is about asking for help. So of course I want to ask you for help. You're a Dream. Think. Doer. We're in this together. So I've got some specific areas where I need help as well. So hopefully, it's okay. I'm going to ask. And that is hey, if you could help us out with the podcast, I would so love that. And that means that if you haven't left a review, wherever you listen to this podcast, please do. Every review counts. I read every review. It's a blessing. It helps us to grow the podcast. It helps us reach new people.
If you haven't already, hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. We've got more of these Dream Together Series coming your way. And also, please share this with a friend. If you know somebody that's working on something and they need that boost to go after the dream, to ask for help as they do, please share this with them, because that makes all the difference.
I can tell you that it's always amazing, it's always amazing when we get some help from a Dream. Think. Doer out there. I'm so grateful for you. And I'm so grateful that we're on this journey. I'm so grateful for your help along the way. And I'm so glad that we're in this together.
All right. So I will admit, I went a little over the 15 minutes. Hopefully you've got grace for me there, but I'm hoping that also something stuck with you today, because I know you're growing something. I know you're going after it. And as you do, you're going to need help. But know that as you ask for that help, there's a very good chance the person you ask for it, the people that you involve, they're going to be able to walk out some part of their dream as they do as well. So don't be selfish. Share that dream. Let's make it happen, all right?
Hey, I'll tell you what. We've got some more of this series. We've got some great interviews coming your way, so stay tuned for those. But until we connect again, keep bringing your awesome, because the world, it needs more of it. Talk soon.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:
Leave a comment and let me know what’s something that stood out to you from these EIGHT? Just as importantly… what would you add to the list? I can’t wait to hear from you!
Jessica Zweig is an award-winning entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of the SimplyBe Agency. It’s a premier personal branding firm based in Chicago but they’re serving clients across the globe. Jessica’s got an amazing story of going from being a theater major… to launching her own magazine… to growing it to be the largest online magazine for women in Chicago for 7 years running.
That experience lit a passion for digital marketing… AND she realized she was REALLY good at it. Plus… she also started to live by her mantra of BEING fully authentic. All of this set her apart… and led her to create SimplyBe.
We’re talking about her journey and what it takes to pursue your dreams, and do it in a way where you’re true to yourself! Let’s do this!
RESOURCES:
Jessica’s Book - “BE. A no BS guide to increasing your self-worth and net worth by simply being yourself” Click here
Jessica’s Instagram:www.instagram.com/jessicazweig
Jessica’s Website: www.jessicazweig.com
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
MORE ABOUT JESSICA AND THIS EPISODE:
Jessica’s brand new bestselling book is called: “BE. A no-BS guide to increasing your self-worth and net worth by simply being yourself.”
Zweig’s work in defining personal brands has gained her some impressive awards, including being named one of Crain's Chicago's 2020 Most Notable Entrepreneurs, one of Inc.’s Top Digital Marketer to Watch, and she’s been named one of the Chicago Tribune’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs to Follow.
Zweig also received TWO Stevie Awards® of “Female Entrepreneur of the Year.”
Zweig is also the host of The SimplyBe. Podcast, one of the Top 20 Marketing podcasts on Apple Podcast. Guests of the show include NYT best-selling author Candace Bushnell, global peace ambassador Prem Rawat, and designer Rebecca Minkoff to name a few.
We’re going to be talking about the importance of giving yourself room to pursue dreams… and be authentic and true to yourself as you do.
MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 1:36 Download the Dream Together App
- 2:49 Get to know Jessica
- 4:16 Conversation begins
- 5:55 How Jessica found the courage to go after her dreams
- 8:11 How Jessica kept herself going even in the hard times
- 12:09 Does fake it until you make it work?
- 16:22 Branding your dream
- 19:49 The different ways you can share your message
- 26:11 How Jessica lives and remains authentic
- 29:50 Wisdom of the week
- 31:07 Mitch’s biggest takeaways
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
What did you think of Jessica’s story? What stood out to you?
Drop a comment below… and let me know. I want to hear from YOU!
And hey… don’t forget! Join us on our DREAM TOGETHER app.
We’ve got Dream Think Doers who are dreaming together AND some are setting up their own “Dream Together” groups too.
The info is above or at: www.DreamTogether.co.
Lastly, if this episode resonated with you… please share it with a friend!
And as you do it… know I’m so grateful for YOU!
Keep bringing your awesome!
Welcome to our special “Dream Together” Q&A series. We’re going after the biggest questions we’ve received over our 15 years of BIG Dream Gatherings. That’s right. As we held these events around the country, we’d always wrap up with a Q&A with the audience.
That’s when we’d go after the biggest questions and the biggest challenges people face when moving forward on their dreams and goals.
In today’s episode, I’m going to offer some simple but powerful strategies to help you to get CLEAR and help you to get STARTED. So… let’s do this.
RESOURCES:
Episode 195: Shawn Askinosie: Finding Your Call and Feeding Your Soul: www.mitchmatthews.com/195
Episode 250: 3 Things I’ve learned from 250 Episodes of DREAM THINK DO (I talk about perfectionism in this one!) https://mitchmatthews.com/250/
Episode 262: Dan Grec: Finding Happiness Amid Chaos: https://mitchmatthews.com/262/
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Okay… so as we’ve held our BIG Dream Gatherings around the country over the last 15 years… we’d always try to include a Q&A session at the end.
Now… if you’re new to DREAM THINK DO… and you’re not familiar with what a BIG DREAM GATHERING is… the short version of the story is… these are fun… HIGHLY interactive events that we’d hold… that would bring people together in a room… anywhere from 30 to 800 people at a time… I’d kick it off with a talk… but then we’d have people write down some of their goals and dreams on sheets of paper… post them on the walls… and then we’d invite everyone to go around the room to look at each other's dreams and then write notes on the “dream sheets.”
People could offer encouragement… ideas… suggestions and offers to help.
Now… with the current season we’re in… we’ve created an APP called “Dream Together” to provide the same opportunity… to… well… dream together… but now instead of being in the same room… we can do it from our phones and dream with people around the world.
It’s pretty cool!
Well… as I was saying… when we’d hold our BIG DREAM GATHERINGS… we’d do a Q&A at the end to give people the chance to ask any questions about things that were holding them back.
And one of the biggest questions… one of the most common questions… that would almost ALWAYS come up was… “Which dream do I go after?”
It makes sense though… right? People would come to this event… and come up with a couple… all the way to sometimes 20… to 30… dreams.
STORY ABOUT IAN.
So… they get excited… but then their brain starts to spin because they’re thinking, “Great! Now that I have clarity on all these things I want to do… things I could do… where do I start? Which one should I go after first?”
And this is an important question for several reasons.
1. If you’re a perfectionist… this question can KILL your dreams before you even get started! You’re sooooooooo worried about starting out with the PERFECT choice… and doing it PERFECTLY… that you never start.
“Perfectionism is the mother of Procrastination.”
- Michael Hyatt
“The fastest way to break the cycle of
perfectionism is to give up the idea
of doing it perfectly and
instead embrace uncertainty and imperfection.”
- Arianna Huffington
Or as I like to say…
“Progress beats perfection.”
And…
“Let’s learn as we go!”
2. Another reason it’s a BIG question is… a lot of people are VERY busy… busy schedules… lots pulling at you… lots on your plate. You probably don’t have TONS and TONS of time… days and days… to just throw around. SO… you want to be smart with how you’re spending your time. Hey… you’re listening to DREAM THINK DO… so I’m betting you don’t want to waste a day of the time you’ve got on this rock. Am I right?
Those are 2 reasons… and there are many more. BUT… since we’re keeping this episode at 15 minutes… we’ll leave it at that.
So let’s get to those questions I promised you.
All right… maybe you’ve been using the DREAM TOGETHER app… and you’ve got a few dreams in mind… let’s help you decide on which one to go after next.
So… the first question I like to ask in this scenario is…
“Of all the dreams and goals you could go after… which might be the best in THIS season of your life?”
It’s a simple… but powerful question.
It’s all about thinking about your CURRENT SEASON… and then weighing out which dreams would be the best fit for you… right now?
And I think it is important to mention… that just because a dream isn’t right for “this season” of your life… it doesn’t mean that’s a bad dream… or a silly dream. It’s just not right for THIS season. So give yourself some grace and say, “It’s a good dream… it’s just not for right now.”
At the same time… a powerful follow up to our SEASON question can be:
“What might be a way to take a small but significant step towards one of my bigger dreams?”
I’ll give you a few examples.
You may have a big dream of traveling the globe… but right now… there’s a flippin’ pandemic… so it’s not physically possible… or maybe you’re in college and the funds just aren’t there quite yet… or… you’ve got little kids and you’re navigating a full house… so the thought of global travels lights you up… but then almost starts to feel soul crushing… because it might be a while.
Well… what if you gave yourself permission to run some experiments…
To run some drills.
To have some fun with it.
What if you gave yourself permission to take 15 minutes a few times a week… to plan a dream trip. To ask, “If I had the time… where would I go?”
Or… “How have people like me taken a trip like this?” And do some research.
Heck… we’ve even talked to people about this very thing on DREAM THINK DO.
People like Dan Grec… who got the idea to drive from Alaska to Argentina in a Jeep. He didn’t have the money or the vacation time when he got hit with the idea… but over 3 years… he just gave himself permission to do the research on how he MIGHT do it. And then gave himself permission to take mini-trips… to see if he even liked taking short road trips… to be sure he’d actually want to do a marathon trip like that. But as he kept experimenting… he kept falling deeper and deeper into more loooooooove with the dream. AND he kept finding more doors opening to make it possible. And the dream… the one that seemed IMPOSSIBLE when he started… became a reality. He drove from Alaska to Argentina… and then he drove AROUND Africa… and he continues on… and adventure travel and photography is now his day job. Just because he was willing to ask these two questions.
https://mitchmatthews.com/262/
Another example… might be… that you don’t LOVE your current job… and one of your big dreams is to find a job… or a career that you LOVE. BUT you’re not even sure what THAT dream career might be.
Well… maybe you can ask yourself…
“What might be some small but significant steps towards figuring this out?”
I’ll give you an example of this type of approach. In episode 195, I talked with Shawn Askinosie who had been a successful criminal defense lawyer… but he’d fallen out of love with it. So he started to give himself room to experiment with other types of types of work. As he did… he allowed himself to take night classes, watch TED talks, invite people he was curious about to coffee to hear more about what they did… and as he did that… he discovered an unknown passion for chocolate.
This journey eventually inspired him to start a bean-to-bar chocolate factory and he’s never looked back. And NOW… Askinosie Chocolate is a small batch, award-winning chocolate factory located in Springfield, Missouri.
They source 100% of their cocoa beans directly from farmers across the globe… and Shawn is active in helping to create sustainable farming in each area he partners with.
NOT ONLY THAT… but Askinosie Chocolate was recently named one of the 25 Best Small Companies in America by Forbes and Shawn himself was named by “O magazine,” and Oprah Winfrey as one of the 15 guys who is literally saving the world.
How cool is that?
But he found that passion… because he was willing to give himself permission to DREAM… to start small… to experiment… and to learn as he went.
His dream was to find his DREAM CAREER.
But he didn’t know what that was. So he asked a better question for THAT season.
“What might be some small but significant steps towards figuring this out?”
So… if you’ve been wrestling with the question: Which Dream should I go after right now?”
Some questions to ask yourself can be:
“Of all the dreams and goals you could go after…
which might be a good one in THIS season of your life?”
If the dream seems TOO big to pursue right now, you can ask:
“What might be a way to take some
small but significant step towards
one of my bigger dreams?”
And hey… if your dream feels pretty BROAD… like how Shawn wanted to find his next dream career, but he wasn’t sure what that might even be, you can ask:
“What might be some small but significant
steps towards figuring this out?”
And then… it’s all about giving yourself permission to START.
Keep taking those small but significant steps forward… and more clarity… will come. Not to mention some amazing experiences too!
It’s like Abraham Maslow once said,
“In any given moment we have two options:
To step FORWARD INTO GROWTH
or to step back into SAFETY.”
And hey… I don’t know about you… but I find the best moments in life tend to come when we’re growing.
Amen? Amen.
Let’s do this!
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:
Let me know. Join the conversation at mitchmatthews.com/316. You’ll be able to grab the questions we talked about… you can check out the episodes and interviews I mentioned… plus you can grab the DREAM TOGETHER app too… if you haven’t.
Plus, leave a comment and let me know about one of those small but significant steps you’re going to take this week. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Also, know that we’re going after topics like… “How do you ask for help on your dream?” and “how to make space for your dreams” in this DREAM TOGETHER series. So be watching for those… and heck… leave a comment on subjects YOU would like me to go after!
Until then… do me a favor. Please leave a review for the podcast wherever you’re listening to it… and please share it with a friend. Because those are the ways we can work together to help the world to dream bigger… think better and do more of what we were all created to do!
Let’s do this!
Talk soon my friend!
EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 2:32 Download the Dream Together app
- 5:31 What dream should you focus on?
- 7:01 The underlying problem to today’s topic
- 8:23 Breaking up with perfectionism
- 10:20 What is the dream that makes sense for this season?
- 14:38 Getting clarity on what your dream is
- 17:48 How can you start today?
- 18:13 How to get more resources
We’re talking with Jamie Kern Lima! Jamie is the founder of IT Cosmetics. She and her husband Paulo started IT in their living room in 2008. Through a long road of overcoming the tough knocks and naysayers… they were able to build it into the #1 luxury makeup brand in the United States! Not only that but they were able to sell IT to L’Oréal for over a billion dollars… and… as they did…
Jamie became the first female CEO in L’Oréal’s 100+ year history. It’s an incredible story… that Jamie chronicles in her brand new book, “ “Believe It - How to go from underestimated to unstoppable!” We talk about the journey… but more importantly… we dig into the backstory of how she got clear on this dream… how she found ways to dump the doubt… and defy the naysayers… to do it her own way. It’s an inspiring and very raw conversation.
Plus... Jamie tells us a heartfelt story she doesn’t typically share about the specific and surprising “nudge” she got the first day she set foot in her brand new office! It shocked her… but also set her up for this next exciting chapter in her life. I loved this convo and I think you will too!
RESOURCES:
- Jamie Kern Lima’s Website: https://jamiekernlima.com
- Jamie’s book: Believe IT!: https://www.believeit.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieKernLimaPage
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiekernlima
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
Jamie Kern Lima didn’t grow up sitting at the “cool kids table.” She was dismissed because she didn’t look like what people told her she needed to look like. But… she’ll be the first to tell you that it was tough and felt like a “set back” at the time… but later she realized all of that was a “set up” for an amazing future.
That’s because when she and her husband Paulo started IT Cosmetics… they did it in a way that industry experts said would NEVER work. As a result, she was shut out. She was turned down. She was told “NO more times than she could count.
But they stayed with it. And as they did… they featured REAL women of REAL beauty in the REAL world. She pushed through and went from the underestimated… dismissed underdog… to become an unstoppable force for good that she is today.
MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 2:31 Get to know Jaime
- 5:40 How Jaimes journey started
- 10:15 When Jaime’s business turned into a mission
- 12:24 The secret sauce to business
- 15:40 Finding courage to take the next step
- 19:08 The honest feedback that changed everything for Jaime
- 24:08 Lighting round questions from YOU!
- 24:34 What Jaime had to unlearn to achieve success
- 28:19 How Jaime stays true to herself
- 34:54 Mitch’s biggest takeaways
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
What did you think of Jamie’s story? Have you read the book? Are you enjoying it? What was a stand out story for you? Drop a comment below… and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!
If we’re going to achieve our 1 million dreams goal for the year… we need some help. And for me… one of the biggest places I go for help… is prayer. Over the years, prayer has brought me a sense of peace in tough times… it’s brought me clarity when I felt scattered… it’s brought me hope when I felt like I was down for the count… AND it’s brought me encouragement when I needed it. And that’s what I want for you too!
So that is what we’re talking about in today’s episode. If prayer is your jam… awesome. Or… if you’re curious about prayer… hang with me. I think this will help. BUT… if prayer is NOT your jam… or… worse yet… you’ve felt a little beat up… or judged… when it comes to the subject of Spirituality… or prayer… I’d really invite you to stay with me in this convo.
Trust me. I’m not trying to convince you that way of thinking is right… I just want to offer some stories, some strategies AND… specifically… I want to pray FOR you. See how you feel and then we’ll go from there. My hope is you’re going to be encouraged to keep moving forward as you go after your dreams and do more of what you were created to do! You with me? I hope so. Let’s do this.
RESOURCES:
We’ve talked a little about prayer before on DREAM THINK DO.
If you want to dig deeper on the subject… here are a few episodes:
“Surprised By Prayer” with Melissa Johnson-Matthews: www.mitchmatthews.com/207
The “We Agree to Pray” Project with Mitch Matthews: www.mitchmatthews.com/293
“We Agree to Pray” BONUS Episode with Hope Generation’s Ben Courson: www.mitchmatthews.com/285
“We Agree to Pray” BONUS Episode with Human Rights Advocate, Ashleigh Chapman: www.mitchmatthews.com/287
“We Agree to Pray” BONUS Episode with “TLC’s: Say YES to the Dress’” Lori Allen: www.mitchmatthews.com/289
“We Agree to Pray” Bonus Episode with Bestselling Author, Brant Menswar: www.mitchmatthews.com/291
“We Agree To Pray” Bonus Episode with Illusionist, Harris III: www.mtichmatthews.com/293
Mitch’s 6-Miracle Day Post: Click here
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
I’m excited about this episode. In it… I want to show you a way where I get encouraged… where I get help… where I get bolstered… on those days where I’m excited and charged up… AND on those days where I’m sad… or tired… or feeling overwhelmed.
So this episode is extra special for me… because I’m going to get to tell some stories… and THEN… I’m going to get to pray for YOU… yes YOU. And I believe… that even though we’re not in the same room as I’m recording this… and as you’re listening to this… I believe that something amazing can happen… when we pray together.
So that’s it. This is not a debate. This is sure not me trying to prove myself right. This is just me… wanting to encourage you… in a way that I get encouraged.
To put some more tools in your tool box.
If this is new to you… I invite you to be open to it. If prayer is NOT new to you… I’d still invite you to be open to it… because it might sound a bit different than you’re used to… or I might point to a different version of the Bible than you’re used to..
But hang with me and see how you feel. See what resonates with you.
Now… if that’s STILL not your thing… no harm… no foul. I’d just invite you to jump to one of our other 313 episodes of Dream Think Do… and as you do that… know you’re loved and I’m sooooooooo glad that you’re here.
BUT… if you’re still with me… I think we’re going to have some fun.
And again… the game plan is to:
- get you a few stories
- share a favorite scripture
- I’m going to pray FOR you
- Then… offer you a short prayer that you can pray yourself… if you want to.
Sound good?
Cool… Let’s go for it!
QUOTES ON THE SUBJECT:
I like how Bono talks about his spiritual journey…
“For me… it is probably more accurate to say,
“I was really lost, I’m a little less so at the moment…
And then a little less and a little less again.
That to me is the spiritual life… it has slowly rebuilt me...
It has taken years though and it is not over yet.”
- Bono
BY the WAY… as I was doing my research for this episode I also found this quote:
“Dream up the kind of world you would want to live in.
THEN… dream out loud.”
- Bono
-----
“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer
is too small to be made a burden.”
- Corrie Ten Boom -
Dutch Watchmaker,
Along with her family - helped
many Jewish families survive the Holocaust
______________________
“I remember my mother’s prayers and
they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.”
- Abraham Lincoln
______________________
“Prayer is talking with God.
God knows your heart
and is not so concerned with your words
as He is with the attitude of your heart.”
- Josh McDowell
“BIBLICAL CREDIBILITY:”
We’re going to dive into some specific scripture.
There are TWO THINGS I’d love for you to hear:
- God LOVES us… God LOVES you.
- He wants you to live an AMAZING life (adventure).
Ephesians 3:14 - 21 - New Living Translation:
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. to God, who is
able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
The word we dig into is: perissos: “Exceedingly Abundantly Beyond…”
Here’s what it looks like in the Greek: click here
Here’s me getting my tattoo of the word (also… looking away so I don’t pass out because of the needle!) click here
A PRAYER FOR YOU!!!!
This is a prayer you can use… and/or adapt for yourself:
Lord… Thank you for loving me. Thank you that I don’t have to understand how that works to know it can be true.
Help me to walk with you and walk in your love today. Help me to LOVE others well today.
Help me to experience more of the life you want for me and help me spread that around too.
Help me to know that achievement is good but it has nothing to do with my worth… in your eyes.
You are amazing Lord.
You say I am priceless… that I am carefully and wonderfully made. Help me to remember that today… and help me to remind others of that they are too.
Help me to DO… BE… and Experience ALL you have for me today.
Help me to partner with you… to be loved by you… and to love my neighbor well… whomever that neighbor may be today.
Thanks!
Amen.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
Okay… I hope you dig this. If you do… let me know. Drop a comment below. If you have questions OR an “amen,” let me know. And hey… if you don’t dig it… let me know too. I want to hear from YOU!
And hey… no matter what… join us on our DREAM TOGETHER app (details in the RESOURCES section above). We’ve got Dream Think Doers marching towards our million dreams goal and I want you there. The info is above or at: www.DreamTogether.co.
Cool? Cool.
Please share this episode with a friend who might need it… and when you do… tag me! I’d love to thank you personally. And know that I’ve got some awesome interviews coming your way… so stay tuned for those. But in the meantime… keep bringing your awesome!
We’re talking with Jonathan Pitts who’s a bestselling author, speaker and he’s an executive pastor at The Church of the City in Franklin, Tennessee. He’s also the proud dad and a big dream advocate for his 4 amazing daughters. Jonathan has pursued a number of big dreams… and has encouraged his family to dream big too. In fact, his oldest daughter had a major role in the movie “War Room” at the age of 10!
But Jonathan will be the first to tell you that life can bring major challenges and tough setbacks too. In fact, Jonathan was married to his beautiful bride Wynter… who was a successful author and magazine publisher. And just as they were putting the finishing touches on their book on marriage… Wynter passed away unexpectedly… leaving him a widower and the father of four grieving daughters. As you can imagine… this totally rocked his world and the future and the big dreams Jonathan and Wynter had planned together completely dissolved.
So he… along with his daughters had to decide how they were going to live life and move forward. And it’s been a tough… beautiful… messy… and wonderfully inspiring journey since. Now… Jonathan has written a new book that offers us a real... intimate… raw... and ultimately hope-filled look at grief… and how to live life to its fullest after tragedy. It’s called, My Wynter Season: Seeing God’s Faithfulness in the Shadow of Grief. We’re going to talk about it… and what it takes to continue to dream… and encourage others to do the same on the other side of grief. Let’s do this!
RESOURCES:
Jonathan’s newest book: My Wynter Season: Seeing God’s Faithfulness in the Shadow of Grief.
Jonathan and his wife, Wynter, co-wrote Emptied: Experiencing the Fullness of a Poured-Out Marriage and She is Yours: Trusting God as You Raise the Girl He Gave You.
Jonathan now serves as president of the ministry he and Wynter founded together, For Girls Like You––a nonprofit organization featuring a magazine and resources for girls that grew out of Wynter’s desire to empower and equip their own girls and to provide parents with the resources and support needed to raise strong women.
Jonathan’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/pittsjr26
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
As you probably know… this year we’re going after launching 1 million dreams this year! It’s been amazing to see your response and your support. LOVE that so many of you are on board with this mission.
At the same time… we need to acknowledge that in the midst of a global pandemic where many people are hurting from the loss of family members, it’s important to speak to the “tough stuff” too. That’s exactly why we’re talking with Jonathan Pitts… because his unique perspectives can bring comfort and encouragement based on his own first-hand experience with unfathomable loss.
In his book, “My Wynter Season,” Jonathan takes his readers on the emotional journey from “love at first sight” to complete blindsided loss in the midst of a season of losing family members (in a period of two years the Pitts family lost 6 family members including Wynter), to finding the beauty in seeing Wynter’s continued impact on the world.
During our conversation… we talk about the importance of finding hope amidst the hardest days and the deepest grief. Plus, we dig into ways to dream and/or dream again… after experiencing loss.
I think you’re going to love this conversation. I sure did!
DREAM THINK DO MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 What to expect today
- 2:08 Download the Dream Together App
- 3:12 Meet Jonathan
- 5:05 Conversation starts
- 5:59 When Jonathan and his wife started dreaming
- 8:45 The best thing about dreamers
- 11:24 When Jonathan and his wife started building the company together
- 15:35 When everything changed for Jonathan
- 19:20 How Jonathan and his family started to move forward
- 23:22 Jonathans advice for anyone learning how to dream again
- 30:05 Who Jonathan's new book is for
- 31:36 Mitch’s final thoughts
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Powerful stuff. What did YOU think? I want to hear from YOU!
Leave a comment below and let me know what stuck out to you! And hey… please share this episode with someone who might need it! Thanks.
Our guest is Sheri Salata. She’s a writer, producer and podcaster. Her current adventures are an evolution of her twenty+ year career with Oprah Winfrey.
Over that time she served as executive producer on The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as co-president of Harpo Studios and The Oprah Winfrey Network. But after years of telling other people’s makeover stories and featuring so many inspiring journeys... Sheri decided to “produce” her own life transformation.
Out of that… she wrote her bestselling book, “The Beautiful NO - and other tales of trial, transcendence and transformation” which beautifully and authentically chronicles her journey to find LOVE for life in new ways! So… we’re talking about ALL of THAT!
RESOURCES:
- Sheri’s Website: sherisalata.com
- Sheri’s Podcast: thepillarlife.com/sheri-nancy-show
- Sheri’s Book: The Beautiful No
Check out Sheri in the Documentary: “25: Oprah Behind the Scenes:” Click here
THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
Let’s do this!
MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
When Sheri decided to write her book, “The Beautiful NO - and other tales of trial, transcendence and transformation,” she knew it meant digging into her past successes and setbacks, excavating the lessons she learned, and boldly reimagining her future.
Some might say it’s equal parts “cautionary tale,” mixed in with some stand up comedy,solid life strategies AND a really loud “Middle-of-Your-Life Rebel Yell!”
It’s a powerful and fun example of someone giving themself permission to choose to dream bigger, to think differently and to do even more of what they were put on the planet to do! And to lay some things down and boldly enter into a new season on her own terms! That’s why I’m so excited to get to this conversation!
LISTENER LIGHTNING ROUND QUESTIONS!
Stephanie asked:
She’s held some impressive positions… how does she stay creative at all levels and what word(s) of advice does she have for staying creative?
Tracey asked:
(She can’t wait to hear the episode btw...)
I'd ask what does Sheri think is one the most important things to dream… think… or do for a woman who is reinventing herself in the middle-of-life?
Mona asked:
What was one of her most important Ah-ha moments as a leader?
Helen asked:
Her work with Oprah was so demanding. What’s one key for motivating staff in really busy times?
EPISODE MINUTE-BY-MINUTE:
- Welcome to 312!
- 0:15 What to expect today
- 3:20 Download the Dream Together app
- 4:28 Get to know Sheri
- 7:35 A look into Sheri’s book
- 13:16 The downside to quick success
- 15:28 How Sheri started to take control of her life
- 19:06 Use your past success can give you the confidence to dream bigger
- 22:20 The healthy fear that should drive every dreamer
- 26:16 How to bust out and stay out of any rut
- 28:39 Listener lighting round!
- 37:29 What's on the horizon for Sheri
- 40:00 Wisdom of the week to anyone who needs help dreaming
- 41:26 Mitch’s biggest takeaways
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Wow. What a conversation. What did YOU think? I want to hear from YOU!
Leave a comment below and let me know. One of the things that really stood out to me was Sheri’s willingness to reinvent herself. To go from a “typist” and a manager of a 7-Eleven to running one of the most successful media brands of all time… to then giving herself permission to do it again in THIS season. Yup… I loved that. It’s such a good reminder that it’s never too late!
Yeah… that was one thing that stood out to me. How about YOU? Comment below and let me know. And hey… please share this episode with someone who might need it!
Okay… it’s time to DREAM TOGETHER! This is a REALLY special episode. That’s right. We’re marching towards our big audacious goal of launching 1 million dreams in 2021! And in THIS episode… we’re launching our new app called, “Dream Together,” which is going to help us all to connect and help each other to pursue and achieve our dreams and goals this year! Now… it’s DREAM THINK DO… so we’re also going to talk about the power and the importance of not going after dreams alone. That’s right. We’re going to share some fun stories and offer some powerful strategies to help YOU (whether you use the Dream Together app or not) to get clear and achieve more of your dreams and goals in 2021! You in? I hope so. Let’s get to this!
RESOURCES: THE “DREAM TOGETHER” APP IS HERE!
That’s right! The beta version of our DREAM TOGETHER App is finally here!
The “Dream Together” app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can “dream together” to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!
We’re working hard to grow this in a way that attracts people from around the world who really want to encourage each other and work together to make dreams happen. So... everyone needs a group code to join!
HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS:
Since you’re a DREAM THINK DO listener… you can join with the code: dreamthinkdo.
So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!
MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:
As a DREAM THINK DO-ER… you know that we can’t go after dreams and goals alone. There’s a VERY good chance… you’re going to need some help along the way. But asking for help… doesn’t mean you're weak! It can actually allow others to shine!
I talk about this in-depth in the episode but here are a few of my favorite quotes on this subject.
“You can do what I can not do.
I can do what you can not do.
Together we can do geat things!”
- Mother Theresa
Charlie Mackesy’s book, “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse.”
It’s true. Asking for help doesn’t mean you're weak. It means you are brave! It means you’re brave enough to acknowledge we’re not supposed to do this alone!
I tell some stories during the episode.
Here are a few pics but you’ll have to listen to get the FULL story on each!
DREAMING ABOUT WRITING A BOOK AT 9? LET’S DO IT!
Meet Mia. She wanted to write a book (at 9 years old) but she wasn’t sure. She was scared. She was nervous. But she was willing to “Dream Together.” And when she did… a group of fellow dreamers (and her mom Karena) encouraged her to do it. So… she did! And got it done in one year! Plus… be sure to listen in to the episode to hear what Mia and her mom did next!
DREAMING ABOUT JUMPING OUT OF A PLANE? LET’S DO IT TOGETHER!
Then there's THIS motley crew of dreamers who all decided they wanted to skydive… BUT they also realized they probably wouldn’t do it if they didn’t do it TOGETHER! Did they ALL do it? Well… you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear how it went.
DREAMING ABOUT HELPING KIDS IN AFRICA:
And then there’s Mandy. When she originally posted her dream of helping kids in Africa… it felt a little bit like saying she wanted to visit the moon! She didn’t have a plan, the time or the money… but she was willing to put it out there! As she did, Mandy received some help from some unexpected sources and it changed her world! Plus, it changed the lives of the people who were willing to DREAM TOGETHER with her too!
By the way… it’s been a few years since Mandy’s first trip to Africa. But you’ll have to listen to the episode for a VERY special update to THIS dream! Trust me… it’s absolute proof that you just never know where a dream might lead you.
PERMISSION TO DREAM TOGETHER:
Then… there’s these two. They didn’t know each other before coming to a BIG Dream Gathering we held at the University of Reno. BUT because they were willing to share they’re dreams and be bold about where they needed help… they found each other! As they did… they realized they had “complimentary dreams.” One wanted to be more intentional about her fitness and overall health and the other wanted to experiment with wellness coaching. The best thing is that as they started to help each other out… they also got to have some fun and become friends in the process! Again, you just never know where YOUR dream journey may take you… especially when you’re willing to DREAM TOGETHER!
Those are some of the stories of what can happen when you dream together.
What might happen as YOU start to give yourself permission to set some goals and start in some small but significant way? Let’s find out!
But again… don’t do it alone! Let’s DREAM TOGETHER!
AGAIN… HERE ARE THE STEPS FOR DOWNLOADING THE DREAM TOGETHER APP:
STEP 1: Download the app.
- Find “Dream Together” for your Apple Device: HERE
- Find “Dream Together” for your Android Device: HERE
STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
STEP 3: Be inspired by some of the dreams that are already there. Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
STEP 4: Post at least one dream and invite some friends to join you!
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
How about it? Do you agree that it’s important to not go after dreams alone? Why do YOU think it’s important? What are some ways you invite people into your dream journey? More importantly… how do you encourage others to dream? I want to hear from you and hear YOUR stories! Comment below and let me know.
Plus… let me know your thoughts on going after this crazy goal of helping to launch 1 million dreams this year? What do you think? Are you in? Do you think we’re crazy? Who’s someone that YOU are inviting to join us? Leave a comment and let me know. I can’t wait to hear from YOU! #letsdothis
Episode Minute By Minute:
- 0:21 Welcome to 311!
- 0:52 Drum roll please… The app is here!
- 2:00 Progress not protection
- 3:16 Let’s talk about our big goal
- 5:51 The story of David and Goliath and how it applies to every dreamer
- 10:33 What if we did dream together this year?
- 13:02 One of Mitch’s favorite Big Dream gathering stories
- 16:39 You never know what dreams people will share
- 19:18 When one of the first Big Dream Gathering dreams came true
- 25:41 There is always a ripple effect to every dream
- 26:31 Make sure you are asking for help along the way
- 31:42 Experimenting with your dreams
- 33:24 Be open and be curious
- 37:29 A deep dive into our app
Amberly Lago is our guest. Amberly is a mindset coach and fitness expert. Her story and her thoughts on resilience and transformation have been featured in her successful TEDx talk… the Today Show and in publications like Shape, Heath and Keynote Speakers Magazine. Her bestselling book is called “True Grit and Grace” and she’s got a wildly popular podcast by the same name. Now… you might hear phrases like “True Grit and Grace,” and resilience… and wonder what’s made her an expert on these subjects. Well… at the age of 38… Amberly was totally living the life she wanted… but a near-death motorcycle accident changed all of that. After 3 months in the hospital and 34 surgeries… she found ways to not only persevere but thrive! And… by the way… she loves teaching and helping others do the same. Since we’re going after launching 1 million dreams this year… no matter what the year throws at us… I wanted to have Amberly on to talk about ways to pursue dreams… and live your best life… no matter what!
RESOURCES:
- Amberly’s Website: www.amberlylago.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/amberlylagomotivation
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmberlyLagoSpeaker
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/amberlylago
- Twitter: twitter.com/amberlylago
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/AmberlyLagoMotivation
RELATED PREVIOUS DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:
We’re talking about our BIG… AUDACIOUS… Dream of working together to launch 1 Million dreams… this year! Here are two episodes to help:
PERMISSION TO DREAM: Here’s an episode to help you to get clear on some of your own dreams. Plus, it will help you to give yourself permission to dream (again): mitchmatthews.com/309
THE YEAR TO LAUNCH 1 MILLION DREAMS: This is the episode where I kick off the idea and invite YOU to be a part of it! A million dreams… in one year? It’s only possible if we do it together! You in? I hope so. mitchmatthews.com/306
We mentioned our mutual friend, Laura Gassner Otting during the interview, so I wanted to point you to my amazing interview with her as well. It’s called, “Carve Your Own Path - How to Ignore the Naysayers and Create a Life You Love!” mitchmatthews.com/laura-gassner-otting
MORE ABOUT AMBERLY:
Through her book, coaching methods, and workshops Amberly Lago has curated unique tools to teach others how to tap into their superpower of resilience and persevere through any of life’s challenges. She offers hope and solutions for anyone (like her) living in chronic pain to live life to the fullest. Amberly has most recently been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, The Doctors, Hallmark, Good Morning Lalaland, contributed to magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Health, and Disability Magazine and made the cover of Keynote Speakers Magazine.
EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 Welcome to 310!
- 1:50 Meet Amberly
- 4:05 Conversation starts
- 4:50 When everything changed for Amberly
- 7:40 When depression set in
- 10:54 Acknowledging the facts while remaining hopeful
- 14:22 How prayer has played a role in Amberly’s journey
- 18:51 The life-changing power of gratitude
- 23:17 How to dream in any situation
- 27:58 Wisdom nugget of the week
- 31:16 Mitch’s biggest takeaways
- 32:58 What to expect on the next
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Wow. What a conversation. What did YOU think? I want to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know. I have to say that I loved Amberly’s story and her wisdom… but one of the things that really stood out to me (and I didn’t know the story at all) was of her recent trip to the hospital with her daughter Ruby. As you heard, they’d both been struck by a car while they were on their scooters. Now, I can tell you… based on the situation… it would have been easy to be scared… or frustrated… or worried… or mad. BUT Amberly and Ruby chose to be grateful and that changed things. It changed things for them and it created a ripple effect around them too. So simple… but such an important reminder that we can find things to be grateful for in any situation… if we’re willing to look for them. And when we do… it helps to change our outlook and it starts to have a positive impact on you, your surroundings and the circumstances. So good!
Yeah… that was one thing that stood out to me. How about YOU? Comment and let me know.
Oh, and are you IN for the 1 million dreams? You don’t have to know what the dreams are (BIG or small) that you want to go after. It just starts with saying, “YES!” I’m in on the journey. We’ll figure it out as we go. Because… I can tell you right now… the only way this is going to work is if we go after it together! And I can’t wait to DREAM TOGETHER with you!!! More on that next week, but for now… just comment and say, “I’m IN!” #letsdothis
In this deep dive, you and I dig into stories and strategies to help you to start to dream (again). Let’s face it. We know a LOT of you are really excited about our goal of launching 1 Million Dreams this year… but if we’re honest… a lot of our dreams have gotten beat up in 2020. All sorts of curve balls have been thrown. Set backs. Valleys. Tough stuff. So, if we’re going to be real… we have to acknowledge that it might be a little “tender” to give yourself permission to dream. Well… if you’re a long-time DREAM THINK DOer… you know there are countless stories of real people doing amazing things against incredibly challenging circumstances… BUT they had to give themselves permission to dream first. So, that’s what we’re going after in this really important episode! Let’s get to it!
RESOURCES:
J.T. Fox’s Story:
During the episode, Mitch tells the story of meeting J.T. at Chicago O’Hare. They were both heading to the same leadership conference in New York, so they started to talk about J.T.’s dream job. It seemed impossible, but he gave himself permission to dream and… well… you’ll have to listen to hear the rest of the story!
Listen to Mitch’s interview with J.T. Fox: www.mitchmatthews.com/041
John Howard’s Story:
During the episode, Mitch references John Howard’s story of pedaling a bike and hitting 152 mph! If you want to see footage from the actual event… check it out here: www.mitchmatthews.com/309
Mitch’s Book: IGNITE
Mitch mentioned his book, “IGNITE: 3 Simple Steps for re-sparking Your Buried Dreams and Building a Plan That Finally Works.” It’s something he created with Visual Author and Photographer, Jocelyn Wallace. It’s a reading experience that will help you to get clear on your dreams, but a simple but powerful plan and then take action! Click here to find out more and grab a copy.
SPECIFIC HOMEWORK:
STEP 1: Listen to the episode to get some stories and strategies to help in this process. Let’s pour some gas on that fire!
STEP 2: Ask yourself some questions:
- What are some things I’d love to try?
- What are some things I’d love to experience?
- What are some things I’d love to do in the next year?
- What are (at least) 10 things I’d do… if I won $100 million in the lottery?
STEP 3: Create a list of (at least) 10 dreams (big or small) you’d love to accomplish.
STEP 4: Get ready to DREAM TOGETHER!
- Invite a friend to join you on this journey! (Or get a group of friends to join you!)
- Have them listen to the episode.
- Then connect and talk about a few dreams (big or small) you want to go after this year.
- NOTE: Our app (the beta version will be available in early February) will help you to work together on this. So get ready by coming up with your list of possible dreams and goals to pursue. #letsdothis
EPISODE MINUTE-BY-MINUTE:
- 0:02 Welcome to episode 309
- 0:31 What today is all about
- 1:16 Recap of our 2021 goal
- 2:03 Unexpected feedback
- 6:09 Why Mitch host his podcast
- 8:08 Where dreaming starts
- 14:47 Don’t move on from dreaming too quickly
- 16:48 Don’t let overthinking kill your dreams
- 18:37 The bicycle story
- 31:40 What do you want to try?
- 33:16 Write down 10 dreams
- 38:11 Do the homework!
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
We want to hear from YOU! What’s one of the dreams (big or small) you’re putting on your list? How did you go about it? Did you grab a lottery ticket or did you do something else to get the ideas flowing? Click comments and let us know. We can’t wait to hear from YOU!
ONE FINAL THOUGHT:
Albert Einstein once said, “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.”
Whew! That’s powerful. Now… that’s not to say we shouldn’t THINK and put together an awesome plan to get those big dreams done. BUT like Mitch said in this episode, it’s important to give yourself room to DREAM first. Then, once we have some of those dreams (big or small) clarified… then we can begin to THINK and plan.
So… who’s in for some DREAMING? Let’s do this!
We’re talking with Laura Sanchez-Greenberg. She’s the founder of Verde Associates… a performance acceleration firm focusing on transforming individuals and the companies they lead.
She’s incredible and a true expert on grit and perseverance. And… as you listen, you’ll hear some simple but powerful strategies to beat that feeling of “meh” that can creep in. You know. Covid’s causing a lot of our days to be the same. Plus, now that a lot of us are facing cold temps… so we’re feeling more limited on the stuff we can do.
So yeah… we need some real-world strategies to beat the crap out of the “meh.” THAT is what we’re talking about and I think you’re going to love it! Let’s get to this!
RESOURCES:
Dr. Fredrickson’s Positivity Self-Test:
Here’s where you can Track your Positivity on Dr. Fredrickson’s website and some of her interventions to increase positivity resonance. Go to “tools” on the website menu and click on “positivity self-test” - it will give you your positivity ratio for the day and also track it across time. It’s got some neat features which is that it will let you map too.
Positive Image, Positive Action: The Affirmative Basis of Organizing:
Laura mentions a study by David L. Cooperrider from Case Western Reserve University. Download the study here. The “Implications for management” around positivity starts on pg 14, but a really good read overall. Enjoy!
“We are sometime truly going to see our life as positive, not negative, as made up of continuous willing, not of constraints and prohibition.” – Mary Parker Follett.
TRAVIS ENSLEY: Manage Time & Live Intentionally
Laura and I got connected through my good friend and DTD guest, Travis Ensley. So, I wanted you to have access to his episode too!: www.mitchmatthews.com/182
Laura is a true “PRACTITIONER SCHOLAR.”
She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business... a certificate in Change Management from Harvard Business School, and has studied Group Dynamics and Organizational Design from Georgetown University, and Negotiation and Mediation at the University of Chicago.
Plus, Laura is currently pursuing her PhD in Values Based Leadership. Specifically... her research focuses on strategies and traits of teams that have experienced accelerated growth and maintained excellent cultural, people, and financial success.
And… as you guys know… at DREAM THINK DO… we’re always encouraging experimenting and stretching yourself… and Laura is a big believer in this too!
So much so that in addition to the academics… Laura has trained in improv, culinary arts, and she’s certified in over 25 different types of assessments.
Yeah… she’s wicked smaaaat and pure awesome. So let’s get to the conversation.
EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 Welcome to episode 308
- 1:32 The Dream Think Do App is coming!
- 3:46 Get to know Laura
- 5:52 Conversion starts
- 5:57 How Laura became passionate about the topic of positivity
- 7:44 Practical tools for being positive
- 12:58 Small things that lead to big impact
- 15:26 You have to start slow
- 16:32 Novelette vs. new
- 21:17 Practical ways to beat the “meh”
- 25:01 Lauras encouragement to you today
- 25:58 Mitch’s biggest takeaways
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU!
I want to hear from you. What’s something that stood out to you? What’s something you’re going to try as the result? Comment below and let me know. Can’t wait to hear about YOUR experiments.
We’re talking with Antonio Neves. Antonio’s one of my favorite people on the planet… and his list of accomplishments is long. He’s a bestselling author. He’s the host of “The Best Thing” podcast. He’s an internationally recognized speaker and a wildly effective success coach. He’s an award-winning journalist! AND… Okay… let’s get to why we’re talking today! We’re kicking off our YEAR of LAUNCHING 1 Million Dreams… and I had to have Antonio back to talk about his BRAND NEW BOOK that’s going to help us to do it. The book is called STOP LIVING ON AUTOPILOT - Take Responsibility for your life and rediscover a bolder, happier YOU! It’s amazing and through it… Antonio’s giving us some specific strategies to help us to get clear… launch those dreams… and live a bolder and happier life as we do. So let’s do this!
DREAM THINK DO RESOURCES:
- Antonio’s Website: www.TheAntonioNeves.com
- Antonio’s Book: theantonioneves.com/stop-living-on-autopilot-book
- Antonio’s Past DREAM THINK DO episodes:
- 3 Keys to Beating a Mid-Career Slump!: mitchmatthews.com/241/
- It’s Not About Where You Start!: www.mitchmatthews.com/004
- Don’t Rush The Mountain Top: www.mitchmatthews.com/077
EPISODE 307 - MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 0:02 Welcome to 307
- 1:01 Recap of our big goal this year
- 2:20 Meet Antonio
- 4:21 Conversation starts
- 7:00 Why should “successful” people start dreaming
- 10:42 When Antonio looked like he had it all
- 12:05 Angels could be anywhere
- 15:25 Giving yourself permission to make changes
- 18:50 What being bold and courageous truly means
- 20:42 Start with the small things
- 25:27 Make this the year you are more YOU!
- 27:34 Tips on learning how to dream again
- 33:22 What did you think?
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU!
I don’t know about you but I loved this convo! What’s something that stood out to you? What’s something that resonated? What did you dig? What didn’t you dig? I want to hear from YOU! Leave a comment and let’s chat!
And hey… keep bringing YOUR awesome!!!
We’re kicking off 2021 with a bold and audacious goal. It’s to launch 1 million dreams in one year! I know… I know. That might sound crazy… especially following all the wildness of 2020 and the first few weeks of 2021. BUT it feels like it’s needed now... more than ever! That’s right! We need a shared goal. Something to focus on. Something that could bring a much-needed injection of good, connection and collaboration into this world! In this episode, we talk about the genesis of the idea, who should join in and some strategies to get started! It’s a crazy weird dream… but hey… it’s usually those types of dreams that change the world for the better… right? And make life a lot more fun too. So… let’s do this!
DREAM THINK DO RESOURCES:
Episodes mentioned:
Chandler Bolt: 3 Keys to Publishing Your First Book - www.mitchmatthews.com/160
Kelsey Merritt: Getting Clarity on your Dreams - www.mitchmatthews.com/153
Introducing Kelsey to Bee Keeper, Brent Wesley: www.mitchmatthews.com/153
MORE FROM THE EPISODE:
“Sometimes our setbacks are SET UPS for something better!”
CALL TO ACTION:
PART 1: Give yourself permission to DREAM.
- Get clear on a few new goals or dreams for this year.
- Consider Dreaming in “Categories”
- Do the following categories make you think of new and different dreams?
- Career, Education, Travel, Service, Media and Entertainment, Spiritual, Health & Fitness, Family and Relationships, Financial and Real Estate... AND Dreams that Defy Categorization.
- SPECIFIC: Write down at least 1 to 3 dreams
PART 2: Invite someone to DREAM with you!
- Dreaming together is a LOT more fun.
- So invite someone to listen to this episode... and then dream together.
- Set up a phone call or a zoom call to talk about some dreams (big or small) you might want to pursue in the coming days. NOTE: Don’t worry about whether they’re “big” or “small.” If they matter to you… they’re important!
- Then, encourage each other! The encouragement can come in the form of:
- Just listening (because someone really listening can be pretty rare these days)
- Encouragement (let them know you’re excited for them and the dream)
- Connections, suggestions and ideas (Don’t worry! You don’t have to have all the answers, but if you do have something that might help the person… offer it!)
- that’s pretty rare
Don't invite your grumpy uncle!!! (NOT YET... at least.)
Invite that crazy cool friend of yours... the one who's just the right amount of crazy. Just like you.
Have 'em listen to the episode... and then set a time to connect.
Then talk about what you might want to go after this year!
Let's get ready to make 2021 our biggest and best year yet... NO MATTER WHAT!!!
EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:
- 1:08 Sometimes setbacks are setups
- 8:39 Entertaining the idea of “what if?”
- 13:15 Focusing on the good
- 14:03 Dreams can vary but the dream journey can be shared
- 16:35 You’re more resilient than you think.
- 18:04 If we’re gonna be crazy, we may as well do it together
- 19:06 Give yourself permission to dream
- 23:42 Give yourself permission to be imperfect
- 25:00 Be like Bruce
- 29:10 The story of the Big Dream gathering
- 40:37 A call to action for the new year
- 50:05 You don’t have to do it alone
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:
Yes! That’s right. I want to hear from YOU! Are you IN? Let me know in the comments with a quick “I’m IN!” or a “LET’S DO THIS!”
Plus, let me know your thoughts on whether this is something that feels important right now. I think it is… not because it’s easy… but because it’s needed. But... I want to hear YOUR thoughts! Let me know.