"Never let your memories be greater than your dreams."

This quote, by former Coca-Cola CEO Doug Ivester, speaks to a concept I touch on frequently as I travel throughout the country. Whether I'm speaking with a group of college educators in rural Alabama or parents and elementary school students in Compton, California, the message is always the same - don't let your past interfere with the life you are destined to live. 


It's important to remind ourselves - and each other - that obstacles can be overcome and that EVERYONE deserves the right to dream. This is why, when I speak, I often share with my audiences the challenges I've overcome in my own life, including the deaths of siblings, health scares, and being labeled (and mis-labeled) throughout my own academic career. And yet the point of my sharing is not so people will dwell on where I've been, it's to show them that HOPE is possible and once we see our vision and our purpose, we can live out that purpose with the support of others and a commitment to living the lives we were destined to live. 


These are big ideas, yes, but they shouldn't be seen as overwhelming. Here are a few steps that we all can take, starting today, to help ensure that our dreams are greater than our memories:

• Look at a recent challenge you've overcome and list THREE (or more) ways in which this challenge has made you stronger, has opened up new opportunities, and/or has taught you an important life lesson.
• Make a dream collage or other visual representation of your future. Hang it somewhere where you can see it. Every day. Make it's place in your home prominent. Your dreams are important. 
• Verbalize to others where you want your life to be in a month from now, a year from now, and a decade from now. If you don't want to share these dreams with others, then write them down for yourself. Or do both. Accountability is often the first step to success. 
• Identify a few obstacles in your life - whether they be people, commitments, thoughts - that are getting in the way of your dreams. Now get these obstacles out of your way. Now. Don't hesitate, just take the first step. Remember that YOU have control (maybe more than you even realize) over how you spend at least some (if not all) of your time. Make every moment count. 

So what do you dream of accomplishing? And what steps will you take towards that end? Feel free to share in the comments section below or join the conversation on Facebook.