I was blown away by Lupita’s emotional acceptance speech for the Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars (12 Years a Slave).

“It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s… When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from your dreams are valid.”

What an amazing, conscious young woman.  We have so many ingrained pre-conceptions about ourselves and others.  I have no doubt if each and every one of us had to play the part Lupita played in 12 Years a Slave we would leave with a compassion, understanding and a deep recognition of our inner ability to dream big.

And yet, dreaming big is just not enough.  We need to actively imagine how we would feel, how we would think, what we would hear, smell, taste, touch should our dreams come true.  And that will do it.  Imagine yourself in that position right now, and in the next moment and the moment after that – and it will be.  It will be if we take action to realise what we want.  One small step at a time.

It reminds me of the famous line in the movie Inception:

“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling”.

And a couple more to inspire you to dream bigger and take action:

“Each man should frame his life so that at some future hour fact and his dreaming meet.”  Victor Hugo

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”  Eleanor Roosevelt