Building the dream life

Before we share the stories of men, let’s discuss the story of when there was only God, His account of how it all began, and what it teaches us. It’s the story of dreaming and achieving. Desiring, working, getting. I think the human obsession with ‘achievement’ and ‘success’ has everything to do with the fact that achievement of dreams is a God THING. And God points to the road map for achieving dreams in the opening story of His Bible. He tells His own story about how He created a beautiful world out of chaos. If we learn the principles He applied in His work, our own dreams will be so much closer than we know!

I discovered the Genesis principles in January 1997 – lying on the carpet of my living room after resigning from the law offices I had been working at for ten years. Of course, I regretted the decision really quickly and was heartily frustrated within a few weeks. In that depressed state, I found myself reading Genesis Chapter 1 on that day. The bulbs came on and I learnt the foundational principles that I later noted from the teaching of many acclaimed expert coaches on leadership principles. People like Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People), Brian Tracey (Goals!), Mark H Macormack (What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School) expressed the Genesis Principles under various captions.

So all of Genesis Chapter 1 is a veritable treasure trove of leadership principles that can be applied to achieve any dream. If you are wondering about how to ‘achieve your dreams’ – I recommend that you note the principles taught there by taking a meditative walk through Genesis Chapter 1. We will note and comment on only three principles from just the very first verse. Reflect on the whole chapter and find the many treasures in principles that can be applied on a daily basis to make life richer, more productive and meaningful. And tell me about them as you uncover them. I have tried them and they work well!

Verse 1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth

The dream project does not sound too complicated. Just two words –‘heaven and earth’. Just two places. The reality is – the two spaces are light years apart. And they must be filled up with what is exciting the dream. In the rest of the chapter we find an amazing array of content within those two worlds. So that statement is pregnant – just like any dream.

Dreams are often expressed in summary and simple words. To ‘go here or there’. To ‘do this or that’. To ‘live like how and to live there’. But it must be noted that every simply stated dream is only the beginning of an often complex journey in creativity.  The learning point is that if you have a dream that you must pursue, brace up for the deep adventure of applying leadership skills.

Achievement is the essence of leadership. Quality leadership is recognized from what is achieved. Where there is no output or negative results, we recognize a lack of leadership qualities. Leadership is the ability to apply skills, attitudes and values to achieve what you set out to – either on a personal level, or in leadership of a group. As you study Genesis Chapter 1, embrace the skills, attitudes and values needed for creating simplicity from complexity, and creating much from a blank sheet!

 PRINCIPLE 1 – Any dream sounds simple but it is only the beginning of a journey with much content – achieved over seasons of time

PRINCIPLE 2 – Every dream starts with a beginning. Do not be daunted by the outlay of the dream. The famous Chinese proverb says that ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step’. For every great project, there is a beginning. Nike will encourage you – just do it!

PRINCIPLE 3 – There is a creative author for everything under the sun – whether buildings, cars, music, foods, organizations or nations. Creativity is the key to any achievement. No matter how complex and confused, creativity holds the key to simplifying, rearranging, restructuring and then re-constructing. The world is waiting for your creation!