Dream Big

As I perused the latest Stampington email, I came across an advertisement for the next GreenCraft.

The cover caught my eye because...I...well...recognized the artwork. The french fry boxes turned into bulletin board pockets was a project that I submitted about 100 years ago. I hadn't heard anything about them until June of this year when I was told that they would be appearing in the next issue of GreenCraft. I had absolutely no idea, however, that they would grace the cover! None. A complete and utter shock.

Of course, I gasped and screamed with excitement. I mean...who wouldn't? Being on the cover of a magazine wasn't something I deemed possible in my lifetime. Yes, I've set certain artistic goals and one by one I've reached them, but being a cover girl wasn't one of those goals. Seriously, only really talented people (true artists) get to do that, right? Not people like me without any formal art training who basically flunked art class in elementary school, who never considered themselves at all artistic until a few years ago, someone with kids, and problems and insecurities and...and...and...I am humbled and grateful.

This experience made me realize that oftentimes we set subconscious limits on ourselves. We don't even dare dream big. Oh, we think we do. We set certain goals, totally ignoring loftier ones because they seem way too far outside our little box. I have to wonder how many times I've done this. How many times have I evaluated my talent, my abilities and decided that I can realistically go so far, but I didn't even imagine that I could extend past that. How many times have I been afraid to even allow myself to dream big? Thomas Edison stated once: "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." Well, I'm astounded.

And I'm grateful, as I previously stated, that there is someone bigger than me out there. With bigger plans than my tiny brain can even comprehend. And that once in a while He opens the curtain just a little crack and allows me to see myself as He sees me. Thank you.

May all of you have this experience whether it be by gracing the cover of a magazine. Or by curing cancer. Or by solving a community problem. Or by caring for a sick parent. Or by loving the unlovable. Or by beating that terrible disease. Or by learning something hard. We are all capable of greater things than we know. And that, I now know to be true.

Don't be afraid to dream big. 

xoxo
Bethany