

DREAM THINK DO | Motivation, Encouragement & Strategy
Mitch Matthews I Success Coach, Speaker & Coach's Coach
The DREAM THINK DO podcast gets YOU the stories, science and strategies you need to DREAM bigger, THINK better and DO more of what you were put on the planet to do! With guests like Brendon Burchard, Lewis Howes, Sara Haines, Michael Hyatt and Paula Faris, as well as deep dives from D.T.D.'s creator Mitch Matthews, you'll be inspired and equipped to take your work and your life to new levels. Please subscribe below and leave a rating and review!
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 19, 2020 • 35min
Jennifer Fulwiler – Do What Makes You Come ALIVE!
We're talking to Jennifer Fulwiler. Jen's a standup comedian, best selling author, and the mom of six kids. She's also a TRUE Dream Think Do-er! For example, after being told that NO ONE was interested in comedy done by a "minivan-driving woman from the suburbs," she self-produced her own standup comedy tour and she sold out venues across the country! She's written several books and her newest one is Your Blue Flame: Drop the Guilt and Do What Makes You Come Alive. The book has received rave reviews and has helped people to break out of ruts, uncover their personal passions as well as their unique gifts and talents, and most importantly fall in love with life again. That's no small order… but I think it's a critical message for this weird, wild season we're all in. So let's get to it! Listen To The Podcast: Jennifer Fulwiler RESOURCES: Jen's Website: jenniferfulwiler.com Jen's Newest Book: Your Blue Flame Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenniferfulwiler Twitter: twitter.com/JenFulwiler MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: What is YOUR Blue Flame? Heck… what IS a Blue Flame? Well… Jen defines it as "a personal passion that fills us with energy, that we're meant to share with the world." And as you'll hear, Jennifer Fulwiler is on a quest to help you find your blue flame and fall in love with your life again. Whether you want to embark on a great mission or simply add a spark to your daily routine, this interview (and Jen's book) will inspire you to tap into that inner passion that perhaps you haven't yet discovered—or have been too afraid to use. More importantly, we'll dive into some of Jen's raw and hilarious stories as well as practical strategies… so you can figure out what your BLUE FLAME is and start to walk it out more! Oh… and just so you know… Jen lives in a three-bedroom house with her husband, their six kiddos, a huge dog, and a one-eyed cat in Austin, Texas. So yeah… she's had to learn to walk out her BLUE FLAME in a very full and often messy world! (We'll talk about that too!) MORE ON THE EPISODE: 0:02 What we are talking about today 1:42 Get to know Jen Fulwiler 5:20 When Jen started standup comedy 11:12 How Jen is raising her kids weird 13:52 Jen's toughest audience 15:23 What is the blue flame? 22:52 Niche-ing down your blue flame 25:14 Practical advice for finding your blue flame 30:43 Wisdom of the week 32:25 Mitch's biggest takeaway WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! So… I know one of my favorite parts of the conversation was when Jen talked about scheduling her own tour after promoters said it couldn't be done. I love that. It inspired me. How about you? I have this feeling that we're entering into a time when a lot of people are going to be saying, "Oh that can't be done." Or… "Nobody's done THAT before." And it may have been true in the past… but with all this weird and wild season… it's a time for FIRSTS! And I believe DREAM THINK DO-ers can lead the way to break through and innovate in ways that are needed… RIGHT NOW. Who's with me? By the way… how about you? I want to hear from YOU! What's something Jen said that clicked with you? What got you thinking? How might you apply it? Leave a comment below and let me know! Check other Podcasts here:

May 12, 2020 • 36min
Cort Davies on How to THRIVE [especially NOW]
Our guest is Cort Davies. In 2017 Cort was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and he was given just three years to live. That was a scary diagnosis, but instead of shutting down and just accepting it… Cort set out on a mission to defy it. Since then he's undergone 7 surgeries, several experimental treatments, and numerous challenges. BUT despite all of this... Cort Davies has realized that he now considers cancer and his resulting journey a gift. It's taught him about life… about healing... about being intentional about his mindset and making every day count. We talk to Cort about the specific things he's learned about having a "healing mindset," how to find peace in the midst of challenging times and how to THRIVE in uncertain times. I think you're going to love this conversation. Listen To The Podcast: Cort Davies RESOURCES: Cort's Book: 1 Habit to Beat Cancer: Secrets of the Happiest Cancer Thrivers on the Planet Click here Cort's 1 Habit Summit: click here Cort's training on the Science of Meditation Cort's Specific Exercises on Guiding the "Outer World Stimulations and Inputs" List the 4-5 things you value most in your life, the things no one has to tell you to get out of bed for. (Mine: Health, Career/Mission, Learning, Abundance, Relationships) Write down all the inputs (mortgage, social media, medical bills, text messages, old relationships, etc.) in your life drawing your attention. This list could be sizable. Now take a sheet of blank paper and put your name in the center followed by your 4-5 values. (see Cort's image) Create a small circle called your "inner circle"- this is the place where you put only those on the input list that meet your highest values. Next, put "all the rest" on the list outside of the inner circle. Now you can be aware of all the inputs that you don't value that are trying to penetrate your "inner circle." Awareness is the goal. Here's Cort's own "MAP" that he references in the interview too: MORE ABOUT THE INTERVIEW: So… Cort wants to help people to develop: a healing mindset, to be intentional with their daily living AND… to change destructive habits that could hinder their ability to heal. His goal is to help initiate healing for thousands of cancer patients worldwide… as well as help EVERYONE to THRIVE in the midst of uncertain times. He's doing amazing things and so I wanted to bring him on DTD so we could hear more of his story and learn more! MORE ON THE EPISODE: 0:02 What to expect today 2:38 Welcome Cort Davies 4:12 When Cort was diagnosed 5:41 What it is like having a rare cancer 9:31 The connection between stress and cancer 13:52 Managing your life "inputs" 20:30 How Cort has remained focused during the uncertainty 23:06 The four types of meditation 27:51 Cort's best advice for meditation 29:52 Sneak peek at Cort's new book 32:28 The One Habit Summit 34:09 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! So… I know one of my favorite parts of the conversation was on the limiting of "inputs." That's always been important but I think that it's more important now. We have to be intentional with where information is coming from and we have to limit the bombardment of bings, dings, and pings. Amen? One of the key areas where I've been applying this since my talk with Cort has been not checking email until 9 am. It's such a simple thing and I know I've heard other people suggest it. But I've been doing it for about a week and it's been wild to see how much it impacts my day! Powerful stuff. That was big for me. How about you? I want to hear from YOU! What clicked with you? What got you thinking? What might you apply from what Cort talked about? Leave a comment below and let me know! Check other Podcasts here:

May 5, 2020 • 38min
Bob Burg and WHERE to FOCUS now
Today… we're talking with Bob Burg. For 30 years, Bob has been a successful author and speaker. His books have sold millions of copies and he wows audiences… whether it's a group of 50 or 15,000 — and he's shared the stage with top thought leaders, celebrities, Olympic athletes, and even former US Presidents. I consider Bob a mentor and a friend, and since I trust his perspectives in the best and the worst of times… I wanted to bring him on to talk about where we are at as a world… and where we need to focus as leaders, entrepreneurs, and globe changers as we move into this new normal. Listen To The Podcast: Bob Burg RESOURCES: Bob Burg's website: burg.com Bob's Author Page on Amazon: Click here MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: Bob Burg has written 10 books on sales, marketing, and influence. Those books have sold millions of copies. And although I can say each is incredible, it's his book The Go-Giver that's had the biggest impact on me. In fact… it was a divine appointment that I had with that book… during a really low point in my career... that helped me to stay on track and get to where we are today! Specifically, the 5 Laws of Success from the Book helped me to focus on the RIGHT things and I think they're even more applicable right now! Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment. Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first. Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have is to offer yourself. Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving. I consider Bob a mentor and a friend. And since I trust his perspectives in the best and the worst of times… I wanted to bring him on to talk about where we are as a world… and where we need to focus as leaders… entrepreneurs and globe changers… as we move into this "new normal." We'll also dig into how the "Go-Giver" Laws can help to guide us right now too. Enjoy! MORE ON THE EPISODE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:00 How Bob impacted Mitch 3:33 Conversation starts 5:20 The importance of thinking about what you are thinking about 7:30 The five laws of focus 9:13 Deep dive into the laws 15:59 How authenticity leads to a better life 21:21 The truth about giving and receiving 22:36 How to thrive in a free market 23:40 Embarrassing healthy thoughts around wealth 26:59 What to focus on now 27:00 Accepting the truth 33:00 Wisdom of the week 36:25 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! So… I know one of my favorite parts of the conversation was on the subject of "truth." How leaders need to focus on the "truth" as they make their decisions. And with all the things that are up in the air right now… that really struck me. We may not feel like we have all the answers right now… but we still have the "truth" of our current restrictions and guidance on what's safe. So we have to navigate in that "truth" until those restrictions/guidance change. That was big for me. How about you? I want to hear from YOU! What clicked with you? What got you thinking? What might you apply from what Bob shared? Leave a comment below and let me know! Check other Podcasts here:

Apr 29, 2020 • 33min
ASK – 3 Powerful Questions with Mark Victor Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen
This week we're talking to Mark Victor Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen. They've just written a book called, "ASK! The Bridge From Your Dreams to Your Destiny." In our interview, we talk in-depth about what they've learned about the art and the science of asking better questions to transform your life. Specifically, we talk about the 3 questions they ask every day and they walk us through how they apply them to their lives, their relationships, their writing, and their businesses. Listen To The Podcast: RESOURCES: Mark Victor Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen New Book: "Ask!: The Bridge from Your Dreams to Your Destiny" Mark Victor Hansen Website: markvictorhansen.com MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE: Before we get started… I want to give you a little background on both our guests. Among many things… Mark Victor Hansen is often known best as "that Chicken Soup for the Soul guy." Along with his co-author and business partner, Jack Canfield… they launched what Time magazine called, "the publishing phenomenon of the decade," with over 500 million Chicken Soup for the Soul books sold worldwide. By the way, these books are one of the most successful publishing franchises of all time. Plus, he's written a number of other best sellers as well! He's also a successful and impactful keynote speaker who's addressed audiences around the world. He's been featured by Oprah, CNN, and The Today Show… just to name a few. Okay… now let's talk about Crystal Dwyer Hansen. She's also a successful entrepreneur, as well as a Certified Life Coach, and Wellness/Nutrition Expert. Her first book "Skinny Life - The Secret to Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Fitness," along with her speaking, and articles have helped people all over the world. Finally… Mark and Crystal are innovative entrepreneurs and tireless philanthropists… and if I dug into all that they're up to on these fronts… this intro would be 45 minutes long. :) So I'll point you to all their websites (listed above) so you can dig even deeper into their endeavors. Obviously… they're up to some great work… and I'm excited to have them on. So let's do this. SHOW NOTES AND TIMES: Quick Episode Summary: 0:02 What to expect today! 1:30 Welcome Mark Victor and Crystal Hansen 4:02 How the Hansen's are handling Covid-19 7:00 Why the Hansen's book is important right now 8:47 When Mark lost $2 Million 13:21 How to start asking better questions 16:19 The 3 things you need to get unstuck 19:32 The difference between self-worth and net worth 24:19 What you can learn from Joseph 26:00 Why we are afraid to ask questions 28:01 The questions you should be asking others 31:37 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! How about you? What clicked with you? What got you thinking? What might you apply from what Mark and Crystal talked about? Leave a comment and let me know! Check other Podcasts here:

Apr 21, 2020 • 34min
Paula Faris – Figuring Out YOUR Calling.
My guest is Paula Faris. Paula is a Senior National Correspondent at ABC News. She's won multiple Emmy Awards as she's interviewed political leaders, athletes, newsmakers, and celebrities. (Yeah… she's interviewed ALL of the Avengers and almost ALL of the cast from Star Wars. We will now pause for a moment of silence.) Recently, Paula made the news herself because she chose to walk away from TWO of the biggest dream jobs in her industry. The first was being the Co-anchor of Good Morning America's weekend edition and the second was being a co-host of ABC's "The View." She didn't walk away due to some crisis, controversy or for a bad decision. Nope… she chose to walk away to do something she felt called to do. We're going to talk about that decision and her new book, "Called Out - Why I traded Two Dream Jobs for a Life of True Calling." Listen To The Podcast: Paula Faris RESOURCES: Insta: www.instagram.com/paulafaris Twitter: twitter.com/paulafaris Buy The Book: "Called Out - Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs for a Life of True Calling. Paula's past interview on Dream Think Do: www.mitchmatthews.com/226 The INTERVIEW: In our interview, we talk about how Paula Faris got clarity on her calling and how she found the courage to take a stand for it. We talk about the difference between your "faith calling" and your "vocational calling." This was a huge realization and helped her to feel new levels of freedom and clarity. We talk about why… but more importantly, we talk about how you can apply this whether you consider yourself a "religious" person or not. At the heart of the interview… we talk about the 3 big questions you need to be asking yourself in order to find your true vocational calling: What am I good at? What do I love to do? What do the people I trust say that I'm good at? I think you'll really enjoy this conversation. Here's how it breaks down… minute by minute. SHOW NOTES AND TIMES: 0:02 Welcome! 0:18 What to expect today 1:15 Meet Paula 4:01 How Paula and her family are handing COVID-19 6:30 When Paula left two dream jobs and stepped into her calling 11:42 Learning how to disconnect what you do from who you are 18:20 Finding your faith calling 20:14 Finding your vocational calling 25:42 Give yourself permission to branch out 26:48 Fear should be expected 30:00 How to connect with Paula 31:40 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! So… I want to hear from YOU! I really appreciated those 3 questions. Heck… I wish I'd had those MUCH earlier in my life. Powerful stuff. How about you? What clicked with you? What got you thinking? What might you apply from what Paula said? Leave a comment below and let me know! Check other Podcasts here:

Apr 14, 2020 • 37min
Love and Living in the New Normal
We're talking with Sara Haines and Max Shifrin. Sara's been a regular on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and The VIEW. She also co-hosts the "Strahan, Sara and KeeKee Show" weekdays on ABC along with Michael Strahan and KeeKee Palmer. Max Shifrin is a lawyer specializing in commercial litigation. He's killing it and as you'll hear… he's an amazing guy doing some great work. Sara and Max got married in 2014 and now have 3 beautiful kiddos… Alec, Sandra, and Caleb who are all under the age of 4. Like the rest of us... they're navigating this new normal. We talk about how they're learning to live… and love… and somehow make it all work out of their apartment in Brooklyn. Let's do this! Listen To The Podcast: Sara Haines and Max Shifrin RESOURCES: The Strahan, Sara and KeeKee Show's Facebook Page: Click here Sara's Insta Page: Click here Previous DREAM THINK DO episodes with Sara: Overcoming the Comparison Trap: www.MitchMatthews.com/032 Pushing Through Fear: www.MitchMatthews.com/010 SHOW NOTES AND TIMES: 0:16 What to expect today! 2:05 Welcome The Haines 4:40 How Sara and Max met 8:23 Sara and Max's first date 13:00 How Sara and Max stay on the same page 21:36 Finding the best time to give feedback 25:21 The best marriage advice from Sara 29:20 How Sara and Max talk through their goals & dreams 36:09 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! So… what stood out to you? I want to hear from YOU! I loved how they talked about having a shared vision but that they fully recognize they're different in their "day to day" and how they've got grace for each other in that. How about you? What clicked with you? What inspired you? What got your thinking? What's going to stick with you? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Apr 7, 2020 • 51min
You Can Always Find A Way!
My guest is Jeffrey Morris. He's a writer, director, and futurist. Jeff's next film is a neo-classic space adventure called "Persephone." It's starring "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's" Emile Hirsch, "Deadpool's" Brianna Hildebrand, "Weed's" very own Mary-Louise Parker, and "A Clockwork Orange's" Malcolm McDowell. Since a very early age, Morris has been devoted to not only science fiction… but science itself — focusing his passion on space exploration, oceanography, and meteorology. Jeffrey Morris channeled these passions into his creative endeavors, which were elevated over the years as he learned storytelling, illustration, and film production. In addition to making films… Morris has created a number of books, documentaries, music videos, and apps. In this interview, we walk through his journey… but we also talk about how he's able to always find a way. That includes that Jefferey is doing all of this… not from Hollywood or New York… but from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He's doing amazing things… and doing them on his own terms. You're going to love him… so let's do this. Listen To The Podcast: Jeffrey Morris RESOURCES: Morris' Production Company: www.Futuredude.com SHOW NOTES AND TIMES: 0:02: Intro 1:10 What every coach needs to know 3:50 Get to know Jeffrey 5:46 How Jeffrey fell involve with SiFi 9:07 How to help your kids dream 14:00 How Star Wars effected us 17:43 Spaces is our future 22:08 What it was like pitching ideas to Hollywood 24:57 Jeffrey's new movie premise 31:32 The greater reality 38:00 Creating a pivot plan 42:42 Teaser for Jeffrey 's upcoming projects 43:50 The blessing of unanswered prayers 46:24 Wisdom of the week 48:30 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! So… what stood out to you? A story? His outlook on finding a way? His passion for science? Or… let's be real… his thoughts on Star Wars. (Wow… my brain is still buzzing from that part of our convo!) I'd love to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know! Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

Mar 31, 2020 • 41min
5 Steps to Overcome Burnout
We're talking to Rahaf Harfoush about how to identify the signs of burnout (because it can sneak up on you) and we dig into some powerful and unorthodox ways to beat it. Rahaf is a Digital Anthropologist, Best Selling Author, and Executive Director of the Red Thread Institute for Digital Culture. Rahaf Harfoush 's latest book is called "Hustle and Float." In it, she shows us that a lot of what we've been told about "work-life" balance is wrong… but more importantly… she shows us a better way to maximize our day… our creativity… and most importantly… our lives. She came by this truth the hard way but getting blindsided by extreme burnout a few years ago. So we talk about how it almost killed her career and how she fought back and how she learned to "float" too. It's a beautiful, raw, and powerful conversation with some great insights, good stories, and practical strategies you can start using today! Listen To The Podcast: Rahaf Harfoush RESOURCES: Book: Hustle & Float - reclaim your creativity and thrive in a world obsessed with work. Twitter: www.Twitter.com/rahafharfoush Website: www.Rahafharfoush.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/foushy MORE INFO ABOUT THE EPISODE: Wow… I don't know if there's been a better time to talk about ways to avoid burnout. Seriously… right now… as we're getting bombarded with all sorts of headlines and updates on a global scale. Many are working from home… for the first time. Because of all of this… some of those normal boundaries of a "normal" workday are out the window… and many are asked to do more with less. So yes… the potential for burnout is a very real thing. Maybe now more than ever. That's why I wanted to bring on an expert… both because she's studied the subject in depth… and because she's lived through a brutal first-hand experience which almost ended a career she loved… and it felt like it stripped away the very thing she'd always felt called to do. As the Executive Director of the Red Thread Institute of Digital Culture, Rahaf Harfoush leads a team of researchers in exploring the implications of the world's digital culture on our lives – from the way we date and parent, to the way we travel, work, and stay informed. She helps organizations like the Starwood Capital Group, Deutche Bank, Estée Lauder, L'Oreal, and ING Direct… to name a few. And her writing has been featured in Wired, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, and many more. Rahaf and her husband Jesse along with their puppy named Pixel live in France… but we got to meet for coffee in LA… when we were both there recently for speaking gigs. I found her absolutely fascinating… and she's a true DREAM THINK DOer. so I wanted to bring her on the show! And since she's all about helping us navigate the bombardment of information… AND avoid burnout in these wild times… I thought it was THE perfect time to have her on. SHOW NOTES AND TIMES: 0:02 What to expect today! 1:35 Meet Rahaf 8:02 How Rahaf is passionate about the topic of burnout 12:07 How burnout affected Rahaf 16:45 How Rahaf overcame burn out 21:20 Tips for avoiding burnout 25:30 What does success look like to you? 27:20 Creating time to be still 32:04 You are more than what you do 36:18 How to connect with Rahaf 37:04 Wisdom of the week 38:20 Mitch's biggest takeaways WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Let me know what stood out to you from this episode? What's something you're going to try based on Rahaf's story and strategies? I'd love to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let's keep this important conversation going. Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

Mar 24, 2020 • 36min
Finding Happiness Amid Chaos
My guest is Dan Grec. He's a Yukon-based adventurer, snowboarder, and photographer. A few years ago… Dan wanted a more vibrant life… so he quit his day job as an engineer and drove his 2 door Jeep Wrangler 40,000 miles through 16 countries starting in Alaska and ending up in Argentina. That expedition turned into two of the best years of his life. The journey itself… along with the colorful people he met along the way… permanently changed the way he looked at himself… AND the way he looked at life. He didn't realize it at the time but that adventure also changed his trajectory… and he's continued to explore ever since. In fact, just last year he completed a 54,000 mile... 35 country circumnavigation of the African continent in his 4 doors… Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Most importantly, Dan's found a sense of joy and happiness that he can maintain in the wildest and toughest circumstances and we're going to talk about that too! Listen To The Podcast: Dan Grec RESOURCES: BOOK: The Road Chose Me (Click here.) YOUTUBE: youtube.com/theroadchoseme INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/theroadchoseme MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:20 Meet Dan 4:06 When Dan said he was going to drive from Alaska to Argentina 7:30 How Dan pays for his adventures 11:50 Dan's time in Africa 16:44 How Dan is navigating COVID-19 18:37 Find a way to be happy 21:20 The best things you can do to prepare for adventure 24:44 Take the pressure off yourself 28:08 How to find what makes you happy 29:56 Wisdom of the week 31:05 Mitch's biggest takeaways What stood out to you? A story? His outlook on living a happy life? His pragmatic approach to paying for his dream? I'd love to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know! Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

Mar 17, 2020 • 52min
WHY (and HOW) to dream in tough times!
A "Deep Dive" going after WHY and HOW to dream (and pursue your goals) in tough times! I hate to be "Captain Obvious" but it's tough to think about our dreams and goals when we're getting hit with words like "Pandemic" and "Quarantine" on a somewhat normal basis. At the same time… it's wildly important to continue to look forward, to believe in something bigger, and to continue to take small but significant steps forward on the things that are important to us. Now… this isn't some "rainbows, butterflies and little ponies" session on how to bury your head in the sand. Nope. In this episode, we dig into the psychology, the science and the specific strategies that will help you to look at this season in a way that will help you to keep your head, to stay safe AND to continue to march towards your dreams and goals! I think you're going to dig it. So let's dive in. Listen To The Podcast: RESOURCES: Other DREAM THINK DO episodes on related topics: TIME MANAGEMENT: mitchmatthews.com/257 OVERCOMING WORRY: www.mitchmatthews.com/002 DREAMING WITH YOUR FAMILY: www.mitchmatthews.com/222 and www.mitchmatthews.com/086 FACEBOOK POST I Mention The Book of Life video on Maslow's Pyramid of Needs. EPISODE INFO: QUESTION: Why is it harder to dream when things are tough? ANSWER: You're not broken. You're normal. One reason it's harder to think about our dreams and goals when things are feeling "uncertain" can be explained by a simple triangle divided into 5 parts. You may have heard about it in a high school or college psychology class… but this triangle of brilliance has become better known as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. There's a fantastic video on this concept by the people over at "The Book of Life." The link is above. The quick history on the concept was that in 1943, a thirty-five year old Jewish psychologist… who was born in Russia... but was now living in the United States… was in the midst of an epic journey. In short… he was searching for the meaning of life. His name was Abraham Maslow. He had left the close-knit orthodox family of his childhood… and was now navigating life in the U.S. He had a passion for figuring out how to live a purposeful life in modern-day America. It was something he wanted to understand… but it was also something he could see as a longing for many others too. With the lense of psychology, he started to identify five different kinds of basic human needs. Some were more linked to material… and others might be considered more spiritual. As he dug through the research… as well as thought-through his own experiences… he started to uncover a sequence. A ranking. It's almost like these different needs built on each other. First… we start with what most would consider the "non-negotiables" and core basic needs. These would be things like food... water… shelter... and rest. Next we have what would be considered "safety needs." These are a sense of bodily security and protection from attack. But then we enter into the areas that many would consider more spiritual and/or psychological needs. So third… we'd have a sense of belonging and a sense of being loved. Then forth… we move into what some refer to as the "Esteem Needs." These needs are met when we feel a level of accomplishment or even prestige. But the fifth… and that's the big enchilada… is what Maslow called: "self-actualization." This one is a bit more nebulous… and according to some… more elusive. Because it involves what Maslow described as 'living according to one's full potential' and 'becoming who we really are.' Whew… that's some core Phycology 101 there in 3 minutes or less. BUT I think it's relevant when we're thinking about dreaming BIG when things are potentially tough, scary and/or completely new.


