One of the most difficulty aspects of leadership is to intentionally invest in others and be consistent until they grow into maturity. This is especially challenging when we must start with people who are far behind. For example, you may have a new employee who is just starting to learn the technical skills in their profession. You may need to start with handholding, watching them miss the marks on many occasions, repeatedly suggesting improvements to their work and becoming patient for them to learn. I have seen many leaders shrug off their responsibility to invest in others. They want to work with ready-made high-flying champions only.

While it is important to select our team members carefully, especially in terms of their ability, it is more profitable to pay attention to attitudes. Those who possess the right attitude will learn and grow. They will become competent with time because of their can-do mindset. Whereas, you may have a rocket scientist who is not that useful because of a negative attitude. In all my experiences, I have found that people who are given to learning will grow with time and will in turn become great within the team. Unfortunately, many so-called leaders are not patient enough to recognize those who have the potential to become great and are too hasty to dismiss the starter or someone struggling as incompetent.
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As leaders, we should not give up on those we lead. We should consistently look for the opportunity to be the source of knowledge, inspiration, and courage to those who work with us. One more thing: people differ widely in their pace of learning and growth. We do not place everyone on the same scale. If people are willing to learn and grow, it is the responsibility of the leader to provide the atmosphere, tools and support needed for them to succeed. Those who were not useful for you today may become the superstars in your team tomorrow. Don’t give up on anyone. They too will grow.

One of the values that I have learnt to embrace in my leadership journey is to stay at the front, showing my team an example of committed leadership. Many leaders only want to boss people around. They want to tell others what to do without them lifting a finger to carry anything. They sit in big offices, calling the shots, issuing policies and commands, without proper understanding of what their followers feel or experience. Yet the most important things happen at the grassroots. Those who work daily at the frontline have a better perspective of situations than those who sit on their thrones in large suites overlooking the cityscape.

What kind of a leader are you? Do you feel the heartbeat of those you lead? When your followers or team members take a position on an issue, do you care to understand their perspective. Do you even know what those you lead daily? Great leaders are not disconnected from their team but rather get engaged. Leadership is not just about vision and direction. It is also about thoughtfulness, engagement, trust in the followers and direct support for the team. Anytime I see a team fall apart, I question the leadership.

This week, I challenge you to be a frontline leader. Your success in leadership hinges on how well you can carry your team from one level to another. Leadership is a hands-on endeavour. Leadership is service delivered with compassion, commitment, and trust. Decide to get to the heart of your leadership by getting involved; by taking the frontline position, showing the way, providing support, and empowering your team to succeed. Stop bossing people around. Be a leader instead.

I dedicated a full chapter in my new book “Rip Off Your Blindfold” to encouraging people who are going through challenging situations. I titled it “Hitting rock bottom is a good thing”. How can an unpleasant experience be a good thing? When we go through situations that are difficult for us to handle, we experience stress, and sometimes apprehension. In many cases we are not sure what the result will be. Imagine someone who loses their job, or a loved one, or who becomes bankrupt or homeless, or gets betrayed by someone trusted. How would you explain to such a person that the situation is good?

Through my journey in life, I have realized that we usually don’t see our situations correctly when we are under pressure or in trouble. We tend to look only from the perspective of our problems and challenges. And that beclouds our understanding of reality. Here is the truth. The experiences we go through prepare us for bigger things. When we think the situation is breaking us, it is making us. We become stronger not because someone tells us to be strong but because we go through circumstances that build strength and resilience in us. Most of the time when we think things are falling apart, they are falling into place.
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Just think about grapes. Grapes need to go through a long process that includes crushing and squeezing before becoming wine. A seed that will grow into a plant needs to become planted in the soil first. When you think you are being buried, you are just being planted and you will grow into a tree that produces great fruits. You are being submerged so that you can emerge. During challenging times, focus on the lesson. Let the hard times do the complete work of transforming you into a better version of yourself. You are on a journey with purpose. Stay on course and be an overcomer. Things are falling into place, not falling apart.

Of all the creatures in the wild, the eagle is quite spectacular. The eagle is physically strong and has a sharp-focus, long-range vision. More importantly, it possesses a mental attitude that guarantees success. The eagle never loses sight of its prey. It keeps the focus, directs its full energy to its target and holds tightly to its catch until it becomes fully secured. We have lots to learn from the eagle. Let us first consider what we have in common. It seems like we also have some strength, although differing only in magnitude. We generally have both the physical sight and an ability to mentally envision. May be a missing piece is the attitude that would always guarantee success – we tend to lose sight of our target.

There are many different reasons one may lose sight of the target. Distraction, challenges, repeated failure, oppositions, and lack of enthusiasm are examples. I sometimes wonder if the eagle has its own challenges too. I believe so. It takes a mental attitude that is totally committed to reaching a set goal and achieving a definite feat to succeed. Those who lose focus, shifting their gaze away from their aim in life do not have much to show for their effort. Putting in effort and expending our energy is not enough. We must direct that energy to something specific and never lose sight of it. In fact, the issue with most of us is that we do not stay focused on the target. The challenge is that most people lose focus, majoring in the minor.
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Whatever you are, and whatever you do, you must develop your sight like that of the eagle. It is not about having a superior vision but about focusing on what you must do and getting it done. It is an attitude of the mind. If you are aiming for something, keep your eyes on it and direct your energy toward it. Hold tight to it until it is fully secured for you. Don’t ever lose sight of your target.

Ting-a-ling… ding-dong…jingle-jangle… So does the bell sound from every corner. I have one question for you. How are you doing with your goals for this year? Oh yes, we will talk about goals again. Half of the year has almost passed, meaning that we should be half-way through achieving what we set out to do at the beginning of the year. Some of us may be nailing it, putting check marks on the items we wrote down as we realize the achievements. Some may be behind schedule, with the year passing so quickly and wondering where all the time has gone. Yet, some of us may be having the rollercoaster experience, winning some and losing some as we press forward.

Whatever is the case, it is time for us to review the year; to review the goals that we set at the beginning of the year. Remember that goals can be shaped, updated, and refined. You do not need to get fixed to the plan in a religious way. If a change of direction is needed, here is the time to decide. What is important is that we are making progress toward a worthwhile destination, such that we become fulfilled at the end of the year. I also want to remind you that those who target nothing will always hit it. We cannot afford to let life happen to us. We must be deliberate and determined in our approach to life.
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There is a lot of satisfaction and fulfilment in reaching one’s goals. If you have ever set a big goal and achieved it, you probably know what I am talking about. We find fulfilment through what we do, especially when it is done intentionally and for the greater good – something beyond just our personal consumption and comfort. As you review your goals, ask yourself if what you are aiming for will bring joy to you and blessings to others. Now is the moment of truth; a time to decide if you will make a difference or just live like every other average person.

Nature has hidden something from all of us. Without trying to sound religious, maybe I should state that God has set everything in motion in time but has hidden the future from us. We can remember what happened in the past and relate well with what is happening in the present. However, no one can tell us exactly what will happen in the next moment. We live only one moment at a time, and we are mostly oblivious of what will happen next. Sometimes we sum up our experience and define our lives based on what we have gone through. We settle into the order of life that our circumstances have thrown at us.

But I have good news. What is in our past cannot be all that there is to life. Every one of us can shape our own future. We cannot wait for the future to happen to us. We must forge it, just like you would forge iron into a specific shape. It doesn’t matter how much your past challenges have been. The hard times, disappointments, disgrace, failures, rejections, and all other challenges are only in your past. Similarly, your past successes, achievements, and exploits are in the past. You cannot afford to let your past success or failure stand in the way of your future escapade. Your better days are coming.
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At any point in our lives, we must be able to say, “better days are coming”. We need to constantly remind ourselves that the best things are those that are yet to come. Anyone that would experience good things in their future must start from the way they think. Then put their thoughts into action. Are you going through a challenging or disappointing situation now? Or you are riding on the wave of success and good experiences. Whatever is your situation, know that your better days are coming. It can only get better.

​Until another time,
Dele Ola, Award-Winning Author of Be A Change Agent
​Click HERE to learn about and get copies of Dele’s Books

Every one of us has been given “life” generally at roughly the same order of magnitude. If you live long, maybe you will clock 100 years. Think about it. That is not really a very long time. The time of life is not as extensive as we think. Therefore, it is important to spend our time here doing what matters. Meanwhile, we tend to define what matters in different ways. Some believe that what matters the most is “family”. Others devote their lives to serving their communities. Yet others spend their lifetime innovating, designing, and building things and products for the future. I have also seen those who believe in developing other people and pouring their lives into future leaders.

Whichever is your view, you are right. All those pursuits are worthwhile. In fact, we probably have a long list of worthwhile causes. But there is just one thing that truly matters. When you and I get to the end of our lives and we look back, that only one thing will matter. The money we owned, our fleets of exotic vehicles, the positions of authority we held, the power we possessed, our houses and lands, and our silver and gold will not matter. The only thing that will matter is “Did I do my best?” Doing our very best to live for truth, to impact others positively, to build people, and to leave a positive memory in the hearts of people – that’s what matters. It is all about the lives you touched; the people whose lives became better because of you.
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In all our endeavours, we must remember that there is just one thing that matters. The difference between those who enjoy fulfilment at the end of their lives and those who experience regrets is what they lived for. This message is a charge to each one of us to focus on what really matters – to focus on doing our best to leave positive memories in the minds and hearts of people. That is the only thing that matters.

Our societies are built such that we are expected to think and behave in a certain way. We are somewhat conditioned to accept the opinions of others as important to our undertakings. And there are lots of those opinions. In fact, in our world today, if you do not fit in the mold, you are either ignored or belittled. It seems like you need other people’s permission to succeed. If you have a dream or ambition, and people get to know about it, they may tell you 1001 ways things won’t work. Unfortunately, many people have fallen into the trap, thinking that the opinions of the majority matter to their own conceived ideas. It is the reason a lot of dreams are aborted; why many visions are abandoned.

While it is true that we need to work with others to achieve something significant, every individual is still responsible for the fulfilment of their dreams. When your big dream or lofty aspiration does not make sense to those whose minds are myopic, do not let them talk you out of it. Most of the groundbreaking achievements in our world did not make sense at first, but someone decided to spearhead the unknown to do what others think impossible. After all, Napoleon Bonaparte told us that impossible is a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools.
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Here is the key. You do not need to explain your dream, vision, ambition, or aspiration for the whole world to accept. If it is big enough or seems incredible, they will reject it. Nevertheless, the dream is yours and not theirs, and only you are accountable for fulfilling that for which you are here in this world. If you truly believe in what you are doing, then you owe nobody an apology. Those who believe with you will gravitate toward you and become part of your journey, while scoffers will continue to grapple with reality. 

I do not want to underestimate what many people are experiencing. We all have our share of challenges related to work, home, and other areas of life. If you own a business, you probably have real business challenges that keep you alert. If you are working in a team or whatever your workplace looks like, there are usually problems you face. Sometimes we even personally face failures, setbacks, rejection, roadblocks, hurdles, and similar seemingly negative situations. However, we also have moments of success, fulfilment and laughter and the sense of enjoyment that comes with positive things. Our days go in successions of brightness and darkness. Life is like a sandwich with meat, vegetables and bread all layered together. If you are on a rollercoaster, there will be high points and low points. When one person is at the hill crest, another person may be crestfallen. Life goes in cycles.

Meanwhile, those who continue to experience success and fulfilment have one thing in common. They expect better things out of life than the bad things; they focus on the brighter side. If you and I are to live a fulfilling life, we must understand that success is fabricated from several raw materials, and that the challenges we face in life are part of the equation. When we overcome challenges, we learn and become stronger. We must focus on the positive things and draw strength from our desire to reach our goals. No one told you the road will be easy. It has not been an easy road for those before us, but it is a worthwhile journey.
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Let us do what achievers do. They look at the brighter side of things. They have expectations of good things. They believe passionately that they will achieve their goals and become successful. In most cases, achievers inspire other people along the way. Do not allow your challenges to get you inundated. Always look at the brighter side and you will be on top of your circumstances. You are blessed. You are loaded with talents. You can do whatever you believe you can do.

​Until another time,
Dele Ola, Award-Winning Author of Be A Change Agent
​Click HERE to learn about and get copies of Dele’s Books

I have met a lot of talented people in my journey through life. These people possess greater abilities compared to the vast majority. You probably know them too. They are at the very top of their cadre. They show superior competence, skills, and abilities. Some are talented in the arts, others in fields of science, and yet others in business. Humans have displayed exceptionalism across various fields of endeavour throughout history and today. However, the best that anyone that has a genius can produce is still very limited. It is limited to the ability of the individual.

Someone may achieve something reasonably good by working solo, but they cannot achieve something great and magnificent singlehandedly. That is why it took a team of talented people to put the first human on Mount Everest. It is the reason it took an entire crew of astronauts, scientists, engineers, program managers and governments to put the first person on the moon. I have always seen people struggle through life because they work solo. Many people are unable to go beyond a spot because they think they can achieve greatness alone. They have forgotten that most of the greatest things we have ever seen were achieved through the collective effort of those who have determined to do what no individual can do.
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Each time I am attempting something significant, I ask myself who my team members are. I tend to think I am talented, but I know that there are many other talented people who can boost my effort. The power of synergy cannot be underestimated. Here is the key. Stop struggling. Think about who and who else you can work with to achieve things that are bigger than what you alone can do. Well, you may need to share the praise, accolades, benefits, and the outcomes with others, but is that not the whole essence of life? Are we not here to make impacts, put smiles on other people’s faces, become fulfilled and make the world a better place for all. In whatsoever you are doing, always exploit the wonder of collective capacity for the greater good for all.

We sometimes think that our future is ahead of us. The concept of the future being yet to happen makes us think that we need to start chasing after something, so we can have a great future. Some chase after money and possessions, others after fame and recognition, and yet others after pleasure and enjoyment. Unfortunately, none of the things we chase after provides us with a fulfilling future, and we know exactly why. Nature has taught us many lessons. The things we need to know and do to live a successful and fulfilling life have been exemplified by nature. The challenge is that most of us do not learn from nature. We try to reinvent what has already been done. We try to make up our own unproven methods, whereas all we need to do is to study what already is.

Let us look at what nature teaches us about the future. If I ask you what the future of an apple seed is, you may tell me it is to become a tree. The tree is trapped inside the apple seed. The destiny of an eaglet is to become an eagle and soar above the mountains. The eagle is trapped inside the eaglet. We understand that our universe is ever-expanding with new stars continuously being born. New stars are trapped in the galaxies. Why do we think that we humans are any different? Is our future not trapped within the inside of us?
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Everything that anyone will become in the future has already been trapped inside of the individual. The majority keep looking outside of themselves for what they need to succeed without realizing that it has been inside them all along. This is a call for us to start looking more inwardly rather than outwardly. Inside each one of us is an enormous number of talents and natural abilities. If you do not focus your attention on using the gifts and abilities inside of you to create your own future, you will always feel unfulfilled and insecure. Humans are the only entities that try to become who they are not. Fish don’t try to fly. Buffalos don’t hunt lions. You do not need to look away from your intrinsic abilities. Your future is not ahead of you, so stop chasing after it. Look inward instead and create your own future.

I have observed the same thing repeatedly. What it takes to stand out in the crowd is not as daunting as many of us think. We usually assume that those who would rise above others necessarily need to do something incredibly brilliant. We tend to complicate the meaning of the word “extraordinary” as if it means something out of this world. Yet, that word simply means “remarkable” or “unusual”. Meanwhile, before we can do something unusual, we must first know what is usual. All you need to do is to look around you. What you see everybody does daily is the “usual”, the commonplace pursuit that keeps everyone busy, but does not result in anything remarkable.

The whole world is full of “average” – average thinking, average results, and average lives. However, I found that living the average life, which the vast majority do, is only a matter of choice. What it takes to stand out is for you to just do something above average, to put something extra on what is already ordinary. In my own life, I usually study to see what an average individual does. I will try to define what is usual and ordinary. Then I’ll go ahead to do more than that. I stretch myself beyond the average. I push the boundaries and raise the bar for myself.
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The result of doing above average is an outstanding outcome. Most of the people we praise as outstanding are those who dared to put an extra on their ordinary. You do not need to be the most naturally talented in your area of niche to become outstanding. You only need to start doing above average, pushing your boundaries, and becoming a better version of yourself daily. Decide to stand out in the crowd by putting an extra effort into your endeavour. That may mean extra time for thinking, planning, setting goals, working, learning, practicing, or expending energy. Whatever you do, become extraordinary.

Anytime we talk about leadership, the picture that is easy for us to see is someone who calls the shot, directs everyone, or makes decisions. We usually visualize the leader as the one in the front; the one who visibly makes others do the work. However, leadership is much more than providing direction or even influencing others. A real leader does not only influence, but also provides support while allowing others to express their own leadership. After all, the hallmark of leadership is the building of other leaders. What kind of a leader are you? Are you the lone star that performs for the whole world to see or you are the source of illumination and support for others?

Leading from behind means empowering others to innovate, make decisions and take initiative. The reason many people have reached a plateau in their leadership, with their ability capped, is that they are always holding the steering wheel, not allowing anyone else to drive. Every leader can only do so much, no matter how skilled or talented we are. The way to multiply our effort is to build other leaders and empower them to do what we would not have done singlehandedly. Those who understand this principle focus on becoming leaders of leaders. They lead from behind, providing coaching, support, and empowerment for others.
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Do you always or sometimes find yourself not being able to let go and let others take the lead? Are you sometimes worried that someone else may not do the job as well as you would? Well, think about the impact that you alone can make, and then think about the impact that five other leaders can make when combined. Anyone that would not let go, build others, and let them help, will eventually get worn out. They will experience the “law of diminishing returns”. The way to maintain a vibrant, growing, and effective leadership is to reproduce greater leaders in others and empower them to express their leadership. Start leading from behind.

One thing I don’t ever forget is to respect, admire, value and praise those who work with me. How about you? Think about a time in the past when you did something, whether big or small, and someone intentionally gave you kudos for doing it. How did it make you feel? Did you feel like doing it over again, and even much better? People take notice when they are honoured. They feel encouraged to do more. Respecting and honouring those who contribute their effort builds a sense of accomplishment in them. It reinforces their personal beliefs in themselves. It lifts the psyche.

Not esteeming someone or honoring them for an accomplishment, a significant contribution or a completed milestone is not so different from disparaging them. Watch out! If your staff, team members, children, or those you lead do something for you or around you, and you downplay their effort, you may lose the respect they have for you. People typically respond to affirmations, accolades, awards, praise, thank-you notes, etc., in a positive, encouraging manner. The people you value are more likely to stay with you. Those you respect will respect you back, as respect begets respect.
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We must give honour to whom it is due. Who are the people working for you (or with you)? Look around you. Think about how beautiful our workplaces, families, communities, and society will be if we all value, respect and honour one another. Imagine a world where people are appreciated for who they are, the good they have done and what they can do. Envision a workplace, a team, a family, or an organization where people are truthful about the contributions of others and recognize them for their effort. It is time for us to start holding those around us in high esteem, acknowledging them for whatsoever they are doing or can do for the good of society.

I have observed that most of us have reasons not to shift base, try a new thing, or start a new adventure. Although some of us may have a small room for change, we typically don’t like any big disturbance, especially when we are somewhat successful. It seems like we all settle into some kind of social and economic situation, and we stop thinking of any big shift. We settle into a particular space, calling it stability. Everyone looks forward to the so-called stability, which, in most cases, is just a place of complacency.

Most of us do much less than we can do. We settle into situations that are inferior to our potential abilities. We start with lots of ambitions and drive, but once we reach a certain level of attainment, we create a plateau for ourselves. My interactions with lots of people in my circle reveal that there is still much more that we yearn for. Many of us have so much more to give, and lots of talents to use, but we are unwilling to do what it takes. We have settled down and won’t like to disrupt the flow or perturb the system. That is why lots of people will reach the end of life without releasing their potential; without fulfilling purpose.
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My message this week is to challenge someone out there to go where their talent takes them. Is that you? Do you think you have much more to give? Do you think you are not maximizing your potential? Do you think you are limited by your environment? Have you settled into circumstances that make it difficult for you to keep moving forward? Everyone has an assignment here on earth. Your gifts and talents are pointers to your purpose and your assignment. Do not allow the comfort of the moment to rob the world of your valuable contributions to humanity and deter you from finding your personal fulfilment in life. If you need to make a change to complete your assignment, do so. Go wherever your talent takes you.

I can tell you without any doubt that one of the enemies of innovative thinking is experience. Don’t get me wrong. Experience is very good. Sometimes we put people in certain roles because of their experience. Organizations will not typically risk putting a rookie in some sensitive and delicate roles because they lack the experience. However, experience tends to get in the way of creativity and innovation. This is because we get so used to the normal way of getting things done, such that we do not think outside the box. Anytime you hear a well-experienced and professionally respected person say, “that won’t work”, know that they are talking from experience and not from creative or innovative thinking.

When you were a little child, you believed many things were possible. You probably believed your dad could buy you a small hot air balloon that would take you to the moon. You believed that because you were not familiar with the facts of life and the experience that would make you think otherwise. Here is the problem. As we grow up and gather experience, we lose our imaginative ability, the mindset of believing that everything is possible. I discussed that extensively in my book “Pursuit of Personal Leadership”. Unless someone continues to develop their imaginative ability and engage constantly in creative thinking, they will let their experience get in the way. That is why you find a lot of people in corporate places without the ability to think for change and channel an innovative course for the future. They tell you, “That doesn’t work”.
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One of my philosophies is that you shouldn’t say something will not work until you have tried it and tried it in different ways. People say something is impossible because of parochialism. We need to get our mindset tuned to exploring possibilities, even when we know too much about the process. In your personal and professional life, stop saying and believing that “it won’t work”. Start accepting that incredible things are possible.

We face different situations in life. Some are pleasant while others are not. Sometimes the road on which we travel may be smooth while at other times we travel through rough patches. One of the situations that have become most-damaging to people is experiencing rejection, rubbishing, or reproach. This is simply because of the effect on one’s psyche. Anything that affects one’s mental health is a serious matter. No one enjoys being vilified and criticized. I am not talking about the soft, positive criticism. I am referring to damaging acts from others that want to just make us feel bad, disapproved, or unworthy. I wonder why anyone would like to do that anyway.

Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that you and I will not experience this negative criticism or disparage. Since some people have determined that it is their job to make others feel bad, then we need to find the right countermeasure to this unacceptable act. Unfortunately, it may not also be within our capacity to control or correct anyone. Therefore, our defense mechanism will include becoming thick-skinned, an attitude of those who are not bothered by the negativity and rejection from others. We must become stronger versions of ourselves and develop a stable mental attitude in the face of circumstances that will normally lead to negative emotions. Sometimes we may even need to just remove ourselves from the negative environment.
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Don’t let anyone or anything pull you down or get under your skin. Determine to believe in yourself, your own self-worth and sense of value. After all, no one can make you feel bad without your consent. Decide that you will keep standing despite the opinions of others about you. No one has the power to control your thought unless you allow them. Become thick-skinned, unperturbed no matter what.

What came to your mind when you first saw the title of this message? I also wonder. Let us be truthful. The extreme of being realistic is actually a form of pessimism. What do I mean by that? Think about it this way: how many times have you heard people say, “I am just being realistic,” while what they mean is “I don’t believe it is possible”? If you have a very high and steep mountain in front of you, it will be a realistic thing to say that you cannot climb the mountain. That is what most of us do. We magnify our challenges in the name of facing reality and then we wonder why we are not achieving much or changing anything. We give power to our problems and then complain that the problem is not going away.

While the facts of life cannot be denied – positive and negative things happen, we simply cannot focus on the facts alone without exercising our authority to change things and improve our situations. Whatever you call things is what they will be and remain. Whatever you believe as your fact and reality will become and remain your experience. This is not a superstitious stuff. When you hear someone say there is nothing more they can do, just know that they have stopped thinking. There is always something more that anyone can do. You cannot afford to let your current situation, facts of life, and challenges define your future. In the face of the facts, you must be ready to believe that something better and greater can happen.
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Here is how it works. The moment you convince yourself that things can be different despite your current situation, experience, or problem – the facts, your mind will start seeing possible solutions. You will see how things can change and what you can do to change them. Stop being realistic and start saying and acting the way you want things to go.

The reason some people advise against having expectations is to avoid disappointments. Well, I will rather learn to manage disappointments while maintaining a great expectation in my heart. Don’t let anyone talk you out of having expectations. Why would anyone go through life without expecting great things to happen. Here is why you must have great expectations. Expecting something big reflects the condition of your mind. Those whose minds are full of positive thoughts, whose mental faculties are dominated by success, are the ones that have great expectations.

Many of us throw away our confidence and avoid thinking about the dreams we once had because of disappointments. I get it. However, without nurturing our dreams and believing them, we would not learn to take the necessary actions toward fulfilling them. Do not let anyone or anything pull you back. You are closer to actualizing your dreams than you think. Every day presents a new opportunity to shape our dreams, act in faith and take steps forward. If you do not believe in, and nurture, your own dreams, no one else will do it for you. You must expect that your dreams will come true. You can demonstrate that by taking positive actions towards your dreams because you believe in them.

It's time to take care of, and protect, your dreams, ambitions, or aspirations. It is time to nurture those dreams to grow into something meaningful. What dream are you nurturing? What have you envisioned for yourself? Where do you see yourself next? What edifice are you constructing in your mind? You will need to continue to think about them, nurture them expectantly, until they sink into your subconscious mind (your heart). Then you will see positive circumstances aligning with your actions and vice versa, until your dreams become actualized.