Today, my boss had a day full of meetings, so the office was a little quiet. I don’t usually answer the phones because I’m usually working on packing and I’m typically not the only one in the office, but today was a little different. Since I was the only one there, I had to make sure and try a little harder to get to the phones this time around. Just a few minutes before quitting time, I got a call that just made me smile.
I was a little worried about the potential of this call being a telemarketer because what she was saying sounded very rehearsed. However, it didn’t sound like she had done this before and she sounded very nervous. When I finally got the message of what she was calling about, I was a little taken off guard. Collin has just finished her first children’s book and was calling all the publishers in the phone book to try and get some help or advice. As the new guy in the office, I may have not been the best to answer this phone call, but then again, we’re not really that type of publisher so maybe I was the right person.
Before I even got the chance to say anything, Collin had told me all about her book, her dream, and how everything had come together. I told her all the decision makers were out of the office, but I would help her talk through anything she needed. It turned out we were literally the first “professionals” she had called. Her whole life, people have told her that she was a great writer and a great communicator to children, so this was her first stab at getting something published. I could tell she was still nervous, so I explained to her that I was the low man on the totem pole, so I would be a good guy to practice on.
I think she may have been a little disappointed to find out that I didn’t have any power to help make her dream come to life, but I think she became a little more relaxed too. It was still obvious though that this was important to her. I tried to encourage her and told her to take a deep breath. Then I asked her a question that I wasn’t totally expecting, “Was your dream to publish and make money off of this, or was it to write something that could effectively communicate to children in an entertaining way?”
That question may sound a little redundant at first, especially to the business minded people out there, but it’s a question that all of us as dreamers need to ask ourselves. Is it our dream to accomplish our goal by using the best of our gifts, or is it to be successful in the eyes of others? One of those I can determine the outcome, the other isn’t up to me at all, and will often lead to compromise. When I’m focused on how others view my dream, my eyes are “looking to the sidelines” and to everyone else’s input. When I’m focused on how I can personally best fulfill my dream, my eyes are pointed towards the goal because I know that’s where I’m headed. If my main goal for my dream is to be productive and successful, then I have to rely on the opinion of someone outside of myself. If my main goal is to fulfill my purpose and live my dream, then I can take the risk to put myself out there, because nothing else will satisfy.
This may not have been the conversation Collin was expecting, but it definitely got me thinking. I have some big dreams, but I want them to be successful. I want people to like them and long to be a part of them. I want people to think my ideas are effective and I want them to see my objectives as successful. But if any of those wants turn to fears or even selfish desires, then my motives are shifting and my dream is being compromised. We all have a call in our lives and a dream of how we’ll respond to it. I just hope we’ll stay true to our calling and we’ll pursue it despite doubt and fear…
