No one can achieve their dreams, and become the kind of person they were meant to be all at once. It’s a series of little movements, and you can only take the step that’s right in front of you.

So many times I have tried to get my life under control, and to make changes. So many times I have tried to conquer my weight, to be a better husband, to get a better job, to manage my business and finances better, and I have often felt like a juggling circus clown with one too many balls (or chainsaws) spinning in the air. I’m learning that we cannot do everything at once.

Purpose answers the question, “Why do I exist?” And as we ask it and explore it, I encourage you to study and look at the purpose statements of others, and of organizations, to fully understand the idea. Remember that your purpose is transcendent, and it is permanent. It doesn’t sway with the seasons of life. It is something that brings you fulfillment at every part of your life, and guides you.

The truth is - no matter how “self-made” you think you are, you are really made by many who have invested in your life.Be known as a thankful and grateful person… and be known as the person that is investing in others to build them up, as well. It’s your way of paying back the debt that others have invested in you.

One of the biggest things that hold men back from being the fathers, husbands, and leaders they are meant to be is that we are often unfit, unhealthy, or otherwise limping along.

If you could look at your whole life from the outside, you can see that just past the point you wanted to give up, is the victory you hoped for. And in the grand scheme - the distance between the “I feel like I can’t” and the “I did it” was miniscule.

Our American culture paints a picture of masculinity where a man is an island. A lone cowboy on the prairie smoking marlboros. A caped crusader who works better alone. A dad in his den, reading the paper, shooing the kids away so he can unwind.But this lone ranger mentality is dangerous. Even the actual Lone Ranger had Tonto. We are not made to be alone.

Men, the fact that a dream is unrealistic doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dream it. You can dream big. You can imagine great things. In fact, you should hope for something big and great in your life.They key isn’t in squashing the dreams.The key is in understanding that difference between dreams and goals. The difference between a dream and a vision.

Your dream is the destination that you plug into your GPS. And once you know your destination, you plot your course to get there. Sometimes, as you travel, you change your destination. Maybe I wanted to visit California, but I fell in love with Wyoming on the way.