It’s highly likely that you need to think bigger.

Twenty-five years ago when I planted the church, people frequently asked questions like “will you plant daughter churches? What about planting more?” I always demurred because, frankly, I’d bit off more than my 23 year old mind could chew in striking out on my own to start a church from scratch in the face of what felt like intense criticism from the establishment. But today, I know the answer—had I stayed—would have been “Of course we’ll plant churches! We’ll become a church planting movement!” However, at the time I couldn’t think bigger.

Fast forward 15 years and I’m the owner of a successful brokerage firm trading securities on Wall Street. I had an idea to replicate our firm. I wanted to call it Financial Planners of the Ozarks. My vision was to become the defacto go-to organization for all things financial in my part of the world. Besides our headquarters in Springfield I thought we’d plant offices in Branson, Joplin, Carthage, West Plains, Lake of the Ozarks, Rolla, Lebanon, Harrison, Mountain Home, Springdale, Fayetteville, and Bentonville. We’d influence our part of the country and become wealthy in the process. I ran my idea up the flagpole with a few people who responded “meh” and I surrendered it as silly thinking on my part. Eventually I grew bored running my smaller firm doing the same things everyday and I transitioned out of the industry. I’ll never know what the missed opportunity cost, but likely a mid-sized seven figure sum. All because I didn’t think big enough and persist.

With a little gray hair and a lot more wisdom I realize that I was in error when I didn’t think bigger.

If you aren’t thinking bigger, you are in error, too!

Whatever you’ve got, whatever you have, whatever your dream: THINK BIGGER!