Craig Valentine gives an inspirational 7-minute speech here that I just stumbled across. I have to say that I really liked what he had to say when it comes to going for your dream in life. He shares a great story about a monumental decision he had to make in his career between money and his dreams and his wife told him “Your dream is not for sale! This is a great example of why our wives are known as The Better Half! I guess that’s why they get so mad at us husbands for not listening to them, it’s because they think we’ll miss out on some sage advice? I’m kidding of course but not really. I do think it’s important that we pay attention to our partners, especially when it comes to our career choices because every decision impacts the family in a tremendous way.

The other powerful part of this speech that will stay with you is when Craig talks about the things that prevent us from living our dream. It’s not the usual obstacles and hurdles we all know about, but something very surprising. He said the number one thing that stops us from reaching our dreams is the good life. He said sometimes having it too good prevents us from being great. “Are you too good to be great?” he asked. Being comfortable and complacent has killed more dreams than anything else ever has. Settling for good prevents us from greatness. Wow. What a different way of looking at things, huh?

Why am I writing about dreams and career choices on a dad blog? Well, it’s that time of year again when we all get reflective over the past year and we spend time planning for the new year coming up. This is the perfect time to evaluate our current situations and adjust our game plan in order to keep our ship headed in the right direction. Remember, as the man of the family, your happiness is just as important as everyone else’s. Are you living your dream? Are you being all you can be (sorry for the Army slogan)? If you’re happy and achieving the most from your potential then your family will also reap the benefits, not just financially but in so many other ways thanks to your happiness.

Also, this all reminds me of my favorite movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart had big dreams to build giant skyscapers and bridges and go see the world, but he never achieved them. Still, in the end, he realized that he was living his dream after all, just a different one he never imagined he’d live. We need to realize that we might not be able to live the dreams of our youth but we can still make new dreams come true. Dreams that include your family. Remember, our wives have their own dreams too, as do our children. That’s why it’s important to communicate as much as possible. Also, there is strength in numbers, so working together can only help you and your family realize your dreams.