Excerpted from Dream Big

Years ago, I was at a motivational conference when the speaker asked the group what at the time seemed like a simple question. She asked us what we would do if we knew we would not fail. If we were guaranteed success, what would we attempt? I find that question to be one of the most clarifying we can ask ourselves. When we eliminate all of our self-doubts and remove all our inner (and outer) critics, we have a better chance at getting at the truth.
Therein lies the answer to the age-old question: What do I want to be when I grow up? Think about it. What would you do if you were absolutely guaranteed success? Would you be a stand-up comic, an architect, a photographer, a social worker, a café owner, a clothes designer, a midwife? Whatever your fantasy, that’s what you should be doing—guarantee or no guarantee.
I truly believe that discovering our own passions and finding the courage to follow them are our greatest callings. When people ask me what the single most important tool is for unearthing our dreams, I tell them solitude. In order to find our authentic purpose, our passion, we have to spend lots of time listening, really listening, to ourselves. It seems so simple really, but how many of us actually do it? Our days are so overflowing with to-do lists and phone calls and emails that we rarely just unplug and hear what our hearts are telling us. At the beginning of something there has to be nothing. We have to give ourselves a clean slate—and permission to dream.
By giving myself that permission to dream, I gave birth to a company that has been one of the most worthwhile adventures of my life. My hope is that through telling my story and sharing a few of the lessons I’ve learned (usually the hard way!), I will inspire you to dream big, too.

Eric Harvey