Royal Reads 4.28.21...Dream Big by Bob Goff

If you've heard of Bob Goff, you probably think "Love Does"--his first book that is just plain delightful.  His second book "Everybody Always" is very similar in scope to the first.  They are books you could read over and over again because the chapters are short and they leave you feeling inspired and just plain happy.  

Last summer, I picked up his newest book "Dream Big."  I knew it was time for me to get out of the  complacent, yet unfulfilling place I was in and needed a boost.  What's ironic is that when I was not quite halfway through the book, I lost my job.  Talk about perfect timing!

This book is a bit different than Bob's others.  At the end of every chapter, there are questions to ask yourself.  My recommendation is to grab a notebook and write down your answers.  As I was thinking about posting "Dream Big" this week, I pulled my spiral out and started reading my answers.  It was amazing to see some of my dreams which have already come to life!  Of course, there are things I wrote that are no longer my dreams and others that are still there, untouched, but it was encouraging to see it all on paper.

I'm a sucker for a good "Who did God create you to be" kind of book.  The subtitle to this one says, "Know what you want, why you want it and what you're going to do about it."  And it's not just a tag line on the cover--it really did deliver the questions that inspired me to evaluate my current reality vs. my dreams.  

Here are a couple of my favorite lines:

"You'll know you are moving toward beautiful ambitions in your live if you find yourself wanting beautiful things for the people around you.  Your greatest sense of fulfillment will come in the service of others, not yourself...You don't need to choose between ambitions that help others or inspire you.  Find things that do both at the same time."

"Just because it's an opportunity doesn't mean it's the right one.  Just because it's a job you've had in the past doesn't mean it's the job for your future."

"Don't be who you were; be who you're becoming."

"The bad jobs can get us ready for the better ones and the better ones can prepare us for the best ones.  Don't lament your bad ones; just don't stay in them.  Our legacy will be the amount of love and hope and engagement we release in the world, our self-awareness and other-awareness, and our willingness to adopt and adapt new approaches as we evolve."

Typically I read these types of books and find myself discontent and a bit self-depreciating afterward.  That was not the case this time.  In a time when I should have felt really down on myself (being let go from my job was a huge blow to my ego), I actually felt the opposite when I finished "Dream Big."  I could see the gifts I have and bring to the table every day--not only in my work, but in my friendships and family.  I was able to embrace the truth about what makes me unique in a way I had never done before.  

Needless to say, I loved this book and may make it one I read every year or so--just to help me evaluate where I am and where I want to be in life.  

Have you read it?  If so, what stuck out to YOU in it?  Have you made any course corrections as a result of it?