Two Keys To Making A Surprise DReam Come True
I wanted to share two principles that were instrumental in meeting my favorite author back in October. First and foremost, we are a walking billboard for the things that matter to us, and we either add to or diminish the credibility of those things. There’s a trend on social media that says, “If they wanted to, they would,” and I 100% buy into that concept. As military families, we are well aware of that truth in the world because we see relationships move heaven and earth to stay connected while others put all the responsibility on one party.
We will move heaven and earth if we want to see our dreams come true. Honestly, it didn’t take much effort for me to make it to Chicago. I spent about 20 minutes on the phone with American Airlines to change my flight (since it was such a short trip, the app kept thinking I was trying to skip a layover or something). But I am also used to hopping on a plane to get where I need to be. Distance matters very little to me regarding these important things, but I know that it can be a shock to others. There was never a question of, “Can I go?” because I’d been declaring the importance of this dream for years. There wasn’t a change that seemed crazy or unrealistic because my family knew how important it would be to take advantage of the opportunity when it came my way.
My presence at this event added a lot of credibility to Sheila before she spoke. That is not because I am anyone of importance, especially in these circles. But I was the second person to arrive at the event, and the organizers instantly knew I wasn’t from their community. Sheila had been in town speaking at a university and then had somehow gotten connected with a local church. But for many church members, this was just a regular Friday night routine. The church commonly puts on these events for couples and invites someone from the community to visit. Having an author come down from Canada piqued some people’s interest, but most people weren’t fully aware of who they would hear that night.
So I entered the event and signed my name, and the organizers asked where I was from. Having someone fly in from Atlanta for one night only to hear Sheila speak must mean that she was an incredibly important person. I got brownie points for being the person who traveled the furthest. I was not the most important person at this event, and Sheila is perfectly capable of demonstrating her value herself. But I added value by being there. And it didn’t matter that I would have crossed an ocean in an instant to meet her because most people only crossed the city (which, based on how my Uber drive went, is a feat in itself). I set an example of how important she was to listen to and showed Sheila how important she was to me by going all that way.
If I wanted to meet Sheila, I would. And I did. It doesn’t matter that the effort didn’t feel massive to me because that’s just how I was raised. A plane ride anywhere doesn’t matter if it is worth it to get to the destination. It’s the same reason I drive hours at the drop of a hat to be in places that matter to me. We show our dreams how important they are by putting in the effort. We all have the person who proved that they would do the things they said. We all have people who have put in unbelievable effort to be in our lives; at least, I hope we do. But when it really matters, it's usually not an incredible effort for the person doing it because if they wanted to, they would.
The other principle I want to mention is the idea of " coming early and staying late.” This is a good rule of thumb, especially when we find ourselves at a new assignment where we don’t know anyone. Being the first to arrive and the last to leave can definitely be nerve-wracking and push us out of our comfort zone, but it gives more opportunity for connection.
I was the second to arrive at this event, so I got to meet Sheila before she disappeared to prepare for her talk. I was also the last to leave because I knew that would be my best shot to get a few more minutes with her. I helped break down the room with the rest of the volunteers, and it paid off because I got to spend significantly more time with her than I expected. Being early to arrive makes an impression, and staying behind to serve in an area only furthers that image. This principle is not always possible to implement. It may be all we can do to make it to an event at all, but if you know a night will be a dream come true, I beg you to get every second out of it that you can because those moments will become the memories that we revisit time and time again.