The first set was the hardest and worth 50 points. The second was a little easier and worth 40 points. The third was the easiest and worth 30 points.
When the students finished the exam, the students who had chosen the hardest 50-point questions were given A’s. The students who had chosen the 40-point questions received B’s. Those who decided to select the easier 30-pointers were given C’s.
Many students were frustrated with the grading of their exams and asked the professor what he was looking for. The professor leaned over the podium, smiled, and explained, “My intent was not to grade your knowledge but to evaluate your aim.” How we might imagine the future is often more powerful than the knowledge we possess to enter the future.
An unknown writer once said, “Make no small plans for they have no power to stir your soul.” This is where the power of IMAGINATION - visualizing our dreams and desires - should come into play.,
Author and speaker Robert Kriegel said, “A dream is an ideal involving a sense of possibilities rather than probabilities, of potential rather than limits. A dream is the wellspring of passion, giving us direction and pointing us to lofty heights. It is an expression of optimism, hope, and values lofty enough to capture the imagination and engage the spirit. Dreams grab us and move us. They are capable of lifting us to new heights and overcoming self-imposed limitations.” Not only are many people short on dreams, but those who do dream often set their sights too low. They do so to protect themselves from failure.
In business and life, dreams are critical to foster lasting success and to continue to drive us toward excellence. Dreams can come true. We can’t and should not always make the "safe” play. Sometimes, life demands we take a chance and allow our dreams to dictate our desires. Those desires can bring forth results such as those imagined and manifested by Ray Kroc in founding McDonald's; Fred Smith in starting FedEx; Bill Gates in founding Microsoft; and, Truett Cathy in building Chick-fil-A. Who knows where the next best idea to come forth and inspire business or revitalize the world now lies.
Strive to aim high with your dreams and desires. Even if you fall short, you still successfully find out what does not work.
- Be brave.
- Push past caution.
- Believe in your abilities to make things happen.
You can achieve outstanding results if you do not lose your nerve. Give yourself a chance to win. Just like the professor’s students discovered, we are not always graded on our book knowledge. Often life and business truly evaluate our ability to imagine more and aim higher.
