​How much has changed. I've never stopped dreaming.  But somewhere along the way, I stopped believing that achieving these dreams was possible.  Somewhere along the way, I gave more power to the roadblocks I encounter than my own ability to overcome.  I have personally wrestled with roadblocks of money, time, lack of confidence, and other commitments.  

Thanks to my young son and the support of several wonderful friends, I have recently learned several important lessons about dreams that are helping me to see what's truly possible, and to find the courage to achieve those dreams.

This simple truth hold true for each of us as we ponder how to achieve a long-standing dream. The core to this lesson, for me, was knowing this first step was small, and therefore achievable, which powered my courage to take the next step, then the next, and so on.

​Finally, we must accept that the journey to achieving our dreams is not linear.  We will make mistakes and encounter setbacks. This is a powerful reminder that forgiveness and persistence are part of EVERY true success story.  This can instill a sense of freedom to act, because you know that every step will continue to carry you forward. ​

These lessons are, for me, powerful and motivating.  Sometimes it takes a child's innocent belief in the impossible to remind us that our reality is our own invention, and the paths to achievement are ruled by our own mindsets about the possible setbacks we may encounter. Believe in the impossible, my friends, because the possible may happen, but you are strong enough to take that next small step! ​

Paul Feikema (@paulfeik) is Founder + President of Global Delivery at Lionosity (@lionosity1), a learning organization dedicated to helping organizations and individuals harness the courage to achieve the possible. Paul was recently featured in C-Level Magazine with his perspective on Leading Change: Five Extraordinary Habits of Successful Change Leaders.  

I love trees. I think they are my favorite life-form after humans. In college I had the opportunity to plant many trees as part of an environmental project. These were small seedlings about 6-12 inches in size – helpless twigs that were vulnerable to lawnmowers, deer, foot-traffic and a host of other environmental factors. The ones that survived transformed into behemoth entities that would provide shade for people, sanctuary for animals and even entertainment for young climbing children.  Planting and caring for trees gave me a new-found appreciation for our symbiotic friends.

It starts small – a thought, an idea, which slowly takes root. When conditions are right, a stem (product) emerges and leaves (clients) begin to form. At first, the business is very fragile.  Growth (your enthusiasm and momentum) can easily be crushed by a host of factors including, lack of funding (not enough water or sunlight), competition (weeds and crowded roots) or bad market conditions (infertile soil).  It is critical to stay focused (weed and fence).  It helps protect your zeal from cynics (mowers) and other distractions (wildlife).  If you create a desirable and unique product (seek open spaces) and benefit from favorable conditions (healthy soil, a positive attitude, and a little luck) your business (tree) will likely take root, grow and flourish.

It is immensely gratifying to see a sapling reach maturity and I think the entrepreneurial process is much the same.  Sure, there is risk and heartache, but as you witness it progress and expand, you sit in amazement remembering how it all started – with a small, yet potent seed.

The tree allegory can be extended further to include other elements such as branches (product lines), pruning (keeping what works), fruits (profit) and spreading new seeds (continuous innovation).  But, I think I’ll save those points for a future post.

​Do you think trees are good metaphor for entrepreneurship? Can you suggest any others?