Dear Reader,

You may recall that during the middle of the Pandemic, I authored a book, Born To Win, Bound To Excel, in which I talk about the Dream Factor.  The ability to look beyond the issues and begin to think big so you can accomplish big things in your ife.

Many of you also remember when I had a coffee company on the North side of downtown Greensburg Square.  Today my life is much different from those years, and I begin this column by talking about someone else who worked in the coffee industry.

When Michelle Gass ran Starbucks, she helped the company move into 33 countries. When she first joined the coffee-based firm, she was asked to get behind a new drink. Starbucks had just launched the Frappucino, and Gass was ordered to develop a growth strategy to make the drink popular.

What began as a side item now earns Starbucks more than $2 billion annually. That's the income from just one drink. To say that Gass' efforts worked out is obvious.

She had long ago come up with a belief about how to approach achievement. It can help with personal and career goals. Men and women of all ages and levels of education and success can use the same idea. It’s powerful in its simplicity.

What was the approach she took that created such a winner for Starbucks? It's one she's used successfully in her career working with many Fortune 500 companies. She says her mantra is ...

"Let's think of how big this can be."

She's a firm believer in thinking big. A lot of leaders will tell you this. If you're going to dream, why not dream big? It doesn't make any sense to think small when thinking big doesn't take any more effort.

It’s up to you, really. If you have a task or responsibility, shoot for the moon. You get to choose what you strive for in life. Aiming for big results can make your world better for you and everyone you care for. Accomplishing great things feels so rewarding. You might even surprise yourself with what you’re able to accomplish.

To start seeing the world as incredibly abundant. Don't think of lack or just enough to get by. Think much bigger and envision big change rather than small, insignificant change. Imagine big things in your life. What you consciously tell your subconscious ends up as action. Your subconscious drives your actions, and your actions are what create the reality in your life.

Gass knows this. When Starbucks purchased Seattle's Best Coffee, she employed her "think bigger" mantra. In just a single year, she took Seattle's Best from 3,000 distribution points to over 50,000. That's what happens when you think big.

If you want big things in your life, you've got to think big. Dare to think bigger than you could possibly imagine. Even if you come up short, you will have achieved so much.