"May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits."
— Harley King
Speaker / Poet / Storyteller
1949 -
Commentary
Many of us dream too small. We don't reach high enough — far enough. We settle for less than we want. We settle for less than we can achieve. Stretch your imagination. Dream bigger than you ever thought possible.
If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you do? Where would you go? What would you achieve? We often let our fears and doubts prevent us from dreaming big. It is easier to settle for small dreams that we may be able to accomplish. What are your impossible dreams? What are your dreams that you are sure have a 99% chance of failing? Why don't you chase those dreams?
We all like to win — to succeed. We hate to fail so we set small goals that we know we can achieve. Let me give you an example. Let's say you like to play basketball so you challenge yourself to a game of shooting 100 free throws. You are confident that you can make at least 50% so you set a stretch goal making 70 out of 100 baskets. This is a good goal — an achievable goal, but your dream is too small. Dream of making 100% of your shots. Impossible right? Maybe. But let's say you fail to make 100% and only make 95 shots. You are still better off than if your goal was 70% and you made 70 shots. Stretch yourself. Dream gigantic dreams. Your dreams should be bigger than life.
Creative Practice
This week make a list of your impossible dreams. Stretch yourself. If failure was not an option, what would you attempt to do with your life.
Biography
Harley King is a professional speaker who has delivered over 4,500 motivational presentations and workshops on leadership, customer service, writing, art and creativity to audiences size 10 to 600. He is a poet and writer and has written over 4,000 poems and more than 100 short stories. He have published 12 books of poetry and 2 books of non-fiction.  |
| "We all wear masks of various shapes and sizes." — Harley King |
During his more than sixty years on this illustrious planet, he have been gainfully employed as a carpenter, street sweeper, car hop, corn detasseler, hospital orderly, radio announcer, book editor, publisher, freelance writer, bus driver, sports writer, bookkeeper, policy and procedures writer, forms designer, marketing vice-president, corporate executive, professional speaker, facilitator, salesman, trainer, organizational development consultant, ad writer, storyteller, poet and communications executive. Some jobs he has held for a few hours and others he has held for years. He has also worked for more than thirty different bosses.
Poetry
Moonlight
by Harley King
I write
a few words
on a torn sheet
of paper
while listening
for the sound
of your voice
calling me to dinner.
Sometimes we dream
of listening
to ourselves talk.
Sometimes we forget
we were born
to cry.
I dance
in the moonlight
and remember
the darkness
that holds
my delicate heart.
Video
Here is Harley King reading one of his poems, Indecision.
Here is Harley King reading one of his poems, Indecision.
