This week, many of us will pause to remember the life and teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr.
As he stood on the steps of the Washington Monument on a hot August day in front of thousands in 1963, King galvanized a movement with these words:
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
We may never have the impact that King did, who changed the course of a nation, but we all have dreams within us that could shape our realities – and maybe even those of the people around us. The legacy of MLK is deep in America, but for me, one of the lessons is the importance of having a dream and creating a personal vision to achieve it.
So, I’ll ask. What’s your dream? And are you doing anything to achieve it?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions than take inspiration from Dr. King.
For example, when you’re dreaming of retirement, ask yourself: How do I set myself and my family up for retirement? Do I want to retire/semi-retire? With who? Do I want to write a book or get into politics? Do you want to volunteer? How do I want to spend my time?
The truth is that many of us fantasize about a retirement that lead to dissatisfaction for most of us. The reality is that there are few of us who would be happy in the long run sitting around, eating bonbons and playing golf. Create a dream that fits into the life you envisioned for yourself. Create a dream that uses your talent. Create a dream that helps others. Create a dream that fulfills your deepest needs.
If you’re a workaholic, you can take it slow and wean yourself off of work over time by committing to taking three-day weekends. Or you could set a goal to be home for dinner or a couch your daughter’s (or granddaughters soccer team.) Both of these approaches will help you ramp down your involvement in the business.
You also need to develop a vision statement that defines your dreams and goals in 100 words or less.
I hope I can help you define your dreams. Good luck!
By Blair Koch
