photo by frederic sean
DREAM BIG!! This is one of the catch phrases I love to live by. You? I love to dream in large numbers of people (not large people) and how they will be forever changed if they could just hear a bit of my music, read my lyrics, or listen to my wisdom. And the more that can hear ME, the better?
I work with various artists (filmakers, musicians, dancers, photographers, webdesigners….you get the idea) and the one thing that seems to hold true for them all is that they always want their art to reach 1,000′s of people. They want their area to be GINORMOUS before it even starts. That’s a good sentiment but sometimes a little unrealistic for a first step. What if we just took it a step at a time and started small?
A filmmaker friend of mine recently completed a beautifully artistic film based loosely on his life. The story could have affected so many people if he would have promoted it online, pitched it to a big studio, or tried to sell it to the masses. But instead he submitted it to a local film festival. It just missed making it to the finals in the short film category. So how successful was he? He would tell you that he had a semester’s worth of film school through making the film. Oh, and he was just invited to show it at the opening of that same film festival. The one he didn’t win. This Thursday many people will see it, many people will be affected by small steps.
Maybe twitter can sum it up for us:
To a man on a mountain road by night, a glimpse of the next 3 feet of road may matter more than a vision of the horizon – C.S. Lewis
Don’t misunderstand. DO DREAM BIG. But first – take those next 3 feet of road.
DJ
Excellent,Daniel John! What a great reminder.
Thanks Kathy! I’m sure I’ll need to re-read this for myself in a few days.
Great post! I think I need to hear this whenever I sit down to start writing… you can’t write a novel and have thousands of fans from writing for ten minutes, but in ten minutes you could have one chapter to a New York Times Best Seller.
Yes because we want and need to hear your voice Joshu-A!
This is crazy brilliant and so well-said. I adore it.
Thanks Serenity! That means a lot coming from a super-blogger.
Good word Dan and great wisdom!!! Sometimes just getting started is the key. Your insights just helped to illuminate this passage, “Do not despise the day of small beginnings!”
Thanks Dad! I love that verse and have heard you encourage me many times with it. I won’t despise.
Excellent post Dan!! I love big dreams too but understanding that being faithful in “small” things gives you the ability to be trusted with more.
Danny – thanks for stopping by! That is a great way to sum it up.
Wow! This is so right on. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks Lori!
I’m very much a next 3 feet kind of person…and I love that C.S. Lewis quote. I’m thinking about that next relationship that will help make sharing the joy of the gospel welcomed and understood. I’m thinking about the small groups of people that can be given hope and respite with some good ol’ fashioned fellowship over a meal and some visiting. It takes everyone to build the kingdom!!
Looking forward to seeing how this works out
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