The Little Engine that... DID!

Not to question anything about this classic children's book - maybe the most famous of all children's books - but I think a better title of this encouraging little tale would not be the "The Little Engine that COULD" but "The Little Engine that DID."

Every one of the engines that faced the problem of getting the train over the hill and get the toys and food to the eager children on the other side COULD have helped. But it was only the Little Blue Engine that DID.

Ah, the difference between ability and action. Intention and involement. Conviction and completion.

You and I see it all the time.

Take a Flying Leap

Look at those guys!

Isn't that what life is all about? Jumping into an adventure. Testing the waters. Seizing the moment. And as inspired as I am by the two "jumpers" I'm equally as saddened by the fear and hesitation of the three "shore squatters." The guys that stayed safely behind and watched.

Now I know we can't jump off every cliff that comes our way. That would not only be unwise, foolhardy, and exhausting, but not every challenge is for us or for right now. You have to choose your battles well. But how do you know when to jump?

When the shore is too boring to look at any more. Have you been working out, doing your homework, planning your adventure, honing your skills? If not, you need to work and prepare for your next leaping opportunity. If so, it's time to leap.

When the adventure is too appealing. Do you see a real future in the adventure ahead, do you see the plan unfolding before you, are you more excited about the prospect of failure than you are the possiblity of defeat? If not, you may be jumping into a deep mess. If so, why not give it a try?

More often than not we stay too long on the safe side and never really give our life dreams a chance. Imagine what our lives would look like if we said "no" to our fears and past failings and "yes" to our intuitions and innermost desires?

Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.

Big Things Start Small

It all started with a little thing...

... a phone call from the sister (Alesia) of a friend of my wife who had a wonderful true story about the 68-year-old impoverished man she taught how to read and the lives that he changed along the way. The story had received a lot of attention (newspaper and TV, even a Hollywood movie deal) but it had lost all steam.

Several phone calls with Alesia later, a new idea was born of not only trying to resurrect the story but writing the screenplay and marketing it to producers and studios. Which wasn't such a reach because I've written a few screenplays. I know how to do that.

But the little thing was getting bigger.

As we wrestled with how to take the old story and revive it into a new, more exciting one, we ran into a dilemma. We just couldn't find the end of the story - until we realized that the story hadn't been completed yet. That the best was saved for last!

We weren't just going to just write the story about a man who learned to read and gave back to others, we were going to be instrumental in making his dream come true - and build him a home!

The little thing had turned into a huge thing.

But none of us know how to do that! Alesia is a teacher. She teaches. I'm a writer. I write. But what if we set aside our fears, doubts, and hesitations and started the ball rolling in a movement that would enlist others to accomplish a worthy goal?

Do we know what we're doing? Not totally. Will this work? We hope so. What's it going to take? More than we have. But it's a big dream, a beautiful dream, and a worthy dream, and one that just feels right. I can't see it not happening.

And it all started from a little thing.