BY DEB BRAUNIG
When do you become too old to dream big dreams? The obvious answer is never.
Dreaming is safe. Dreaming doesn’t cost anything. Dreaming takes little energy.
Dreaming requires no teamwork.
So . . . that means I’m asking the wrong question.
Maybe the real question is . . . when do you get old enough that fear of failure is no
longer a barrier to realizing big dreams?
I turn 65 in December. Believe me, there are some things I am accepting that my
body begins to tremble inside and I break out in a cold sweat when I even consider
the thought of attempting.
Lutz and I downsized this year and I did a lot of painting at the new place. My
brain didn’t have a problem with the heights to which I had pushed up the ladder in
previous years. Recalibrating.
I also begin to tremble and break out into a cold sweat if I even begin to entertain
the thought of sitting back . . . relaxing . . . no longer accepting a challenging
project. You see, I’ve learned that I’m wired a little strangely. (Careful about what
you’re thinking now.) Without challenges that keep me mentally and physically
active . . . I get sick. No kidding . . . I actually need to keep going to stay healthy
and alive.
As I look in the mirror, I see a woman who is physically “all grown up”; but inside
. . .I’m still a victim of all those voices and words who have spoken failure into my
life.
Failure. Does that word strike fear in your soul? That word . . . the fear of failure . .
. the fear of disappointing family and peers . . . that fear that keeps us from taking
risks to realize dreams and fulfill potential.
I’ve lived captive to those words . . . voices . . . fears for the majority of my life. So
many of my regrets are attached to hiding behind that beastly fear.
So . . . say I’m blessed to live in accordance with the average health and life span
in my family . . . I have another 20 to 30 years left. Now the question becomes . . .
When do you become old enough to overcome fears . . . quit being a victim of the
voices and embrace taking the necessary risks to experience big dreams becoming
reality?
Five years ago, I watched a dream become reality. I turned 60 that year . . . and I
kept telling myself that 60 was just a number. I took a huge risk, resisted persistent
opposition, ignored the voices and embraced the opportunity life had gifted me.
Kaffee Mahomet became a real business and has served thousands of people. What
most people do not know is that Kaffee Mahomet as you know it now was only
Phase 1 of my BIG dream. Phase 1 was a test run that was to last 5 years. And here
I am . . . No . . . here WE are . . . year #5.
Kaffee is now part of you . . . the community. So . . .what’s next?
The next phase must be launched this year [for good business practice.]
The next phase is big . . . really big. So big it takes my breath away when I think
about it for more than 20 minutes. But when I talk about it . . . friends say my eyes
light up . . . my speech speeds up . . . my adrenalin kicks in high gear . . .
The project is community centered. It incorporates a lot of your dreams and ideas.
It incorporates multi-generational features. So I’m faced with another challenge.
This year I turn 65 . . . It’s just a number . . . right?
In his book, Failing Forward, John Maxwell stated . . . “Failure is your friend” . . .
oh how I wished I had heard those words when I so much younger.
Kaffee Mahomet is really still just a baby business with challenges yet to be
overcome . . . do I dare continue reaching for the BIG dream? Do I take the risks
and the steps to push toward completing the next phases?
Am I asking the right questions?
