In Honour of MLK

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Monday was MLK day. There are so many different things to think about when it comes to MLK. Though he was a multidimensional man, the one thing he is most famous for is his dream; his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, to be exact.

“When we let freedom ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state, and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old negro spiritual 'Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last.'"

Five years later after he delivered this speech, he was assassinated. He did not get to see his dream fulfilled. When I first thought about this, I remember thinking why? Why didn’t he get to see it fulfilled? Did he not work hard enough? Was he not dedicated? Did he really have an attitude that said, “I'm going to accomplish this by any means necessary?” When I think about it deeply, I always conclude that yes, he was all of these things. He was dedicated to the cause. He did fight for what he believed in wholeheartedly. And what’s more, he was dedicated to something greater than himself.

Have you ever tried to shoot a beach ball into a basketball hoop? Or fit a king-sized bed into a 500 square-foot condo? It just doesn’t fit. Likewise, perhaps Dr. King’s dream was so big, it just couldn’t fit within his lifespan. It made me think about my own life. Are my dreams big enough? Am I really aiming for something that is so big and beneficial to others, that I may not even see it in my lifetime? Am I working towards a goal bigger than me? Am I dedicating myself to something greater than myself?

If I am, there might be a chance that I don’t get to see my big dreams come to fruition. But even if I don’t, there’s a legacy that I'll leave that will impact the lives of many.

My question to you today is, are your dreams big enough? Are they bold? Do they span across the world or do they just go around the corner? Are you daring to expand yourself, to open up your arms and reach out farther than you ever have before? Or are you staying safe in your box, between the 4 walls that you know the best? See, I really believe that once you dream big, you start acting big. You start working big and dedicating your time, effort and energy into something bigger than you. I've learned that this is one way to reach new talents and heights that you probably didn't even know existed. So dream big. Dream so big that it transcends time. Keep dreaming and take one step closer towards the goal every single day. Dream like there are no limits.

#GetAfterIt

-JH

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