JM Life and Business: 7 Remarkable Quotes To Inspire The Dreamer Within You

If history tells us anything, it screams how forgetful we humans truly are. If we're not careful, we can become experts at replicating our mistakes and masters at becoming distracted.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Wisdom has been defined as: “Knowledge in action.” But in my experience, it's rare to not have the knowledge; everyone has access to information. What's common is to have once had the knowledge, and forgotten it.

As dreamers, we must protect ourselves from forgetfulness. We must recognize our human nature and learn to rely on reminders to maintain our memory regarding the foundational lessons that form our lives.

Years ago, if one desired to remember something they would simply tie a string around their finger. Today, you might use a calendar notification, or an alarm on your phone, or even an app.

But in my experience, there is nothing more powerful than a physical visual prompt placed in a space you can't ignore. For you, it might be above your desk. For others, it could be a bedroom, living room, or kitchen.

But make no mistake, there's nothing worse than losing your way because you forgot your moral compass.

If you've followed me long, you know it's my heart to help people create the life they want. To start businesses, blogs, and charities that change not only their lives but the world we live in. One way I've done this is offering tools to help people simply remember who they are. To provide physical reminders of the values that keep them moving forward. Below, I have listed seven of those reminders and their physical wall print for you to hang in the prominent place in your life.

1. Success starts at home.

Mother Teresa once said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” We live in a world of one-sided success. But the keys to success go to those who have not just made millions, but to those who can do so while maintaining a thriving relationship with their spouse, their children, and their extended family. After all, the most important hours of the day are not the nine-to-five, but the five-to-nine. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below.

2. Today isn't rehearsal, this is your life.

A friend once said, “Money comes and goes. Time just goes.” It takes bravery to confront that reality. Each day is another chance to work within your gifting. To get a little closer to the calling set upon your life.

But too often people let days, weeks, and even months slip through their fingers in the name of busyness. They find themselves living in a delusion that leads them to believe these moments will somehow come back to them. But remember, the past has come and gone, the future is not guaranteed, and every day should be treated as if it were your last. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below (his and her colors available).

3. Never forget that your customers pay your salary.

Let's get real. Your kids eat because your customers buy. You travel on vacation because your customers buy. You watch movies with your family because your customers buy. A few years ago, a mentor recommended I take a picture of my family eating at our dinner table and tape it on the wall in front of my desk. He said, “Let that photo be a reminder that your customers pay your salary.” No customers = No food. No customers = No travel. No customers = No freedom.

Restoring the respect for each and every customer is a daily discipline for the entrepreneur. It requires intentionality and heart. It requires you to look at customers as relationships, not just transactions. And you must remember that your startup is only made possible because of these incredibly important people. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below.

4. Dreams are worth chasing.

Years ago, an older gentlemen said to me, “Dale… you can build your dream or you can be used as a resource to build someone else's.” There's nothing quite as painful as living a life outside of your purpose. To have a career instead of a calling.

The root of the problem is often the loss of perspective. Our dreams seem to fall into a black hole we end up titling “unrealistic”. In my experience, we must remind ourselves how capable we really are. We must remember that passion is a gift. But most of all, we must remind ourselves that dreams are worth chasing. Because a dreamless life is a prison sentence. Give yourself permission to escape. Give yourself permission to create the life you truly want. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below.

5. Good work takes hard work.

We live in a world trying to convince us that we can do more with less. But some things simply have no shortcut. As Vince Lombardi once said, “The only place where success comes before work, is in the dictionary.”

Costless success doesn't exist. As dreamers, we must make peace with the reality of creating incredible things. We must be willing to put in the hours, the discipline, and the focus required to do our best work. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below (his and her colors available).

6. Someday isn't a day.

“Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. While there are surely some ideas that require a later date, the habit of putting things off can eventually push your life into a state of constant postponement.

Remember, people wait all week for Friday, they wait all year for Summer, and they wait their entire lives for happiness. The best time to start was yesterday, the next best time is now. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below (his and her colors available).

7. Never get too busy making a living you forget to make a life.

My grandparents were very much “go-getter” people. As a child, I remember seeing this phrase stamped into a piece of metal hanging above their key hook at the entrance to their front door. As with anything, work can become an addiction. It can twist our perspective and flip our priorities upside down.

In the end, we don't live to work, we work to live. Our job as entrepreneurs is to create a business that can make more money with less time. To create margin to do the things that we like with the people we love. If this is something you find yourself forgetting, consider picking up the art print below (his and her colors available).

What quotes do you hope to remember? What lessons should I turn into physical wall prints? Did any of these stick out to you? Let me know in the comments below.