Although Henry David Thoreau died in the 1800s, his thoughts and words live on today.
Thoreau is one of my favorite writers because of his simplicity, directness, subtlety and humor.
Here’s an example – “If you built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them.”
What a great way to say, “Go ahead, dream big. Then do the work to make it happen from the bottom up.”
Unfortunately, we tend to limit our goals to what only seems immediately possible. Or even worse, we do nothing and simply allow life to happen to us.
Action – Write out a seemingly fantastical desire for your future. Then work all the way back from your goal to the first step, the foundation. Then, do something today that begins the process of building that foundation.
(originally posted August 30, 2010)