Each day we rise and face all kinds of obstacles and decisions as we move forward in our pursuit of growth, purpose and self-actualization. Some days feel like we move seamlessly through life, accomplishing tasks, making connections, finding peace and evolving as individuals. Other days may feel more like trekking through muddy trails after heavy rain, putting in so much effort to hardly progress at all.
We all have different dreams and aspirations in life. It´s one of the great things which gives meaning to life itself. One may look back on their life in its final moments and realize that many of their childhood dreams came true. One might also look back on their life and realize that none of their youthful aspirations were actualized, and yet they lived a life full of adventure, purpose and joy, ultimately finding peace in themselves. One path does not succeed the other but rather shows us there are different ways to move through life from authenticity. The two frameworks I use for navigating my daily adventures are ¨Dreaming Big¨ and ¨Surrendering to My Path¨. These are the polarities of my decision-making process and can be used together harmoniously.
Here I lay out a very raw, high-level framework of how I move from authenticity.
Dreaming Big is about setting audacious goals and pursuing them with relentless determination. It's about envisioning the extraordinary and taking bold steps to turn those visions into reality. This path requires courage, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks.
“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John D. Rockefeller
Example
When I was 24 years old, I visited Mexico City for the first time and on my first day, I fell in love with the flow of life. I admired the joy and spark that I saw in everyone´s eyes. A month later, I packed up my clothes and a 3D printer split into 100 pieces and moved to Mexico with a dream to build a better life for myself. I had $2,000 CAD in my bank account after selling my car, I had no job, spoke no Spanish, and knew no one in the city. Despite what I seemed to be lacking, I felt rich with inspiration, because I was ready to do what I had wanted for years. I was going to build my dream company - a tech business making high-end and affordable prosthetic limbs using AI and 3D printing. At 2 months, I was shy and confused but anchored to my 5-hour daily morning routine and creating from inspiration. At 6 months, I was pitching my startup to investors fully in Spanish (with a cheat sheet to my side). At 1 year, I was seeing Mexican patients in their local dialect, making them legs and hearing their stories and philosophies on life. At 1.5 years I was building up my team to 5 people, creating software, high-end prosthetic products, seeing patients, and working with local doctors in a very fluent mix of English and Spanish. At 2 years, I had now raised $500,000 of U.S capital while being based in Mexico City and grew my team out to 10 people, seeing patients and starting to partner with clinics.
Nuances
In this scenario, I was rigid with my desires. I knew what I wanted and I went after it. Some of the key steps in making this method work: Find absolute clarity on what you desire. Writing it out, making a drawing to visualize it, and talking to all of your friends about it. Do this until you get to the core of what you truly believe that you want. Once you have that clarity, you are now the visionary of this dream. That desire, that destination is now your guiding light and your sole objective is to bend reality until it happens. It can be simple and easy, or it might be a long treacherous path. You won´t know until you try, but that is the path that you are creating. If you rise up every day and move the needle closer and closer toward your vision, then throughout a lifetime you have a great chance to succeed at your dreams. Or to repeat this cycle and succeed at many combined dreams. What matters the most here is sheer determination and willingness to stay on the path that you are choosing without being swayed.
Surrendering to My Path involves letting go of rigid expectations and trusting the journey. It’s about embracing the present moment, accepting what comes, and finding peace in the unfolding process. This path requires mindfulness, patience, and an openness to life’s surprises. This path is the antithesis of dreaming big but does not preclude big things from happening.