You know that quote by Les Brown, “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll be among the stars”? Well, it is one of my favorite inspirational quotes and it reminds me to dream big. It is so easy to become limited by own our small goals and low expectations. I think we all need to be reminded to dream bigger and then start a solid plan to get there. Here are what I consider to be the best dream big quotes to remind you that you can achieve more than you give yourself credit for. I also share why it is OK to have big dreams for yourself and to have dream big dreams for your child too!
Inspirational Quotes About Dreaming Big For Kids And Adults Alike
Here are a few of my favorite dream big quotes for kids and adults. We all need a little inspiration so we don’t let small thoughts limit us! Go ahead. Turn your small dream into the biggest dream you can. Let these motivational quotes give you permission to set higher goals and reach for the life of your dreams.
“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll be among the stars.” -Les Brown
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
“You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” -APJ Abdul Kalam
“If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.” -Marcel Proust
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France
“Dream On, Dream On, Dream until your dream comes true.” -Aerosmith Lyrics
“The dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.” -TE Lawrence
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao Tzu
“One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.” —Michael Korda
“My life has been long and believing that life loves the liver of it, I have dared to try many things, sometimes trembling, but daring still.” -Maya Angelou (A big goal is scary but it is the only way to accomplish big things.)
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman (When you consider she was able to help change the world as just one person, this motivational quote is particularly powerful.)
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” -Gloria Steinem
“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” —George Herbert
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” -Walt Disney
“Bravery shows up in everyday life when people have the courage to live their truth, their vision and their dreams.” and “Whatever our dreams, ideas, or projects, we plant a seed, nurture it — and then reap the fruits of our labors.” – both from Oprah Winfrey
“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours” -Henry David Thoreau
“Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live. To live a fulfilled life, we need to keep creating the ‘what is next’, of our lives. Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.” -Mark Twain (Wow. He really understood that the biggest adventure is life and it is only what we make of it.)
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” -Colin Powell (A practical reminder!)
“One must have a thorough understanding of one’s dreams if one is not to be troubled by them” -Marcel Proust
“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” -Albert Einstein (I love this one because it is at once surprising and still makes sense. Sometimes there are more facts to be discovered.)
“The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything. Do not be afraid to make mistakes providing you do not make the same one twice.” and “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” both by Theodore Roosevelt (These quotes give you permission to have lofty dreams and to stumble along the way when trying to reach them.)
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” and “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” -Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist
“Your hopes, dreams and aspirations are legitimate. They are trying to take you airborne, above the clouds, above the storms, if you only let them.” and “Formula to live your dream: 1. Be bold. 2. Begin now, 3. No exceptions.” -both by William James (Dreams and reality. One is just a first step in achieving the other!)
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” -Suzy Kassem (Don’t let your present reach keep you from untapped possibilities.)
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” -Christopher Reeve
“You see things; you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?” -George Bernard Shaw
“Dream big, little one. There is so much you can do. Just look at all the leaders who came before you.” -Vashti Harrison, author of Dream Big Little One, quote taken from book
I discovered this quote as a teenager and it is still one of my all time favorite dream big quotes:
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I hope these quotes work to pump you up and give you the passion to reach your goals. Do you have big dreams for yourself and your child? Which one of these big dream quotes did you find most inspiring? Do you have a dream quote you would like to share with us? I’d love to hear your favorite big dream kid quotes about your thoughts about dreaming big @familyfocusblog
Why We Should Dream Big
Leon Scott Baxter reminded me that as parents we need to dream big for our children too. He is the author of the newly released parenting book (affiliate link) Secrets of Safety Net Parenting. I am happy to have him share with us a little about having big dreams for your child. For myself as a child, dreaming big was never encouraged. I find it is such a freeing message. It is OK to dream big and encourage dreaming big in my children too!
Can you remember when you first took your baby home from the hospital? Do you recall looking at those perfect little toes and those chubby cheeks and thinking that your baby has the whole world in front of him? All doors were open. You had big dreams for your child. He could become a doctor, a professional soccer player, an actor or even the President of the United States.
And, as your little one got older you saw he was really good at staying between the lines of his Barney The Dinosaur coloring book. Or you were surprised at how well he sang in tune with those U2 songs on the throw-back station you always played in the car as you drove him to his play groups. Maybe he could be the next Van Gogh or maybe Bruno Mars.
Now it’s eight, ten, fourteen years later and you wonder, “What happened? Where did my future doctor/actor/singer/President go?”
Reality sets in, right? And, you discovered in preschool he didn’t like to share with the other kids. And, in kindergarten he cried…every…single…morning before school. And, today you’re getting notes from his teacher that he rarely completes his homework. Or he’s never gotten a base hit although he’s been playing little league for three seasons. He doesn’t clean his room. He fights with his sister, and he tries to get away with not brushing his teeth every night. What kind of President doesn’t brush his teeth?
Maybe he’s not destined to become a doctor, professional soccer player or artist. You’re even thinking twice about him passing seventh grade and making next year’s little league roster.
So, you lower your expectations: Working at the DMV isn’t so bad. Being a dental hygienist is respectable.
Here’s the deal. There’s nothing wrong with these jobs. I was a mailman in my twenties and I’ve been a grade school teacher for nineteen years. If your kid ends up making a career in one of those areas, it’s all good. The thing is, you are still allowed to have high expectations for your not-so-little man.
Reality hits us all at some point. I never reached six feet, haven’t sold any of my screenplays, and was never cast in any film. But, that doesn’t mean I stop dreaming.
As parents, we see our babies as having the world at their disposals, so we dream big for them. But as their personalities and character traits develop, the world of choices begins to narrow. Many of us start to dream smaller. However, small dreams are in themselves limiting because dreams often set our boundaries.
Why It Is OK To Have Big Dreams For Your Child
The truth is, you still need to have big dreams for your child. Just because the entire buffet is no longer at their fingertips doesn’t mean they can’t chose a few entrees and pile up their plates.
This is actually a good thing. When we start to learn what areas our children are passionate about, where their strengths lie, as well as the areas they struggle with and aren’t interested in, we parents can better help focus their efforts in the right directions.
We still need to believe that our children can hit it out of the park (it just may be a different park than we imagined when they were babies), because when we do, they believe in themselves as well. And, as long as they are passionate about something that they believe in, the possibilities are still there. The doors are still open. As long as the doors are open, they have a reason to reach for the stars.
Our job: find and give them opportunities to explore these passions so they can accomplish amazing things. If you realize your kid is all about dogs, see if you can find her a chance to volunteer at a local shelter. Or even better, brainstorm with her ways to create a fundraiser to help the organization. Your son seems to have the entrepreneurship bug? Have help set up a yard sale, lemonade stand or bake sale. Then, talk to him about opening a savings account, a mutual fund or buying a few shares of stock. And, if they still end up being dental hygienists, DMV employees, or school teachers, don’t sweat it.
We just need to be sure they don’t look back and have regrets. Let them take these opportunities as kids. We can never use “no base hits” or “not turning in homework” as excuses for why we don’t have big dreams for our kids or why we don’t believe our children can be successes. Because they can…they just need to be sure to brush those teeth every night.
I leave you with one last big dream quote that every parent hopes for their child. I hope this for each of you who read this!
“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Are you a big dreamer? I hope this post has reminded you to have big dreams for your child. Have the courage to help give them opportunities for success and to not hold their failures against them. Do you feel charged up again?
Big dreams open your eyes to big possibilities.What big dreams do you have for your kids? Do you dream big for yourself and encourage your kids to do so too? What are your favorite big dreams quotes?
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Sarah Vaizman says
Cool post. I love these dream big quotes. Thank you very much for reminding me that dreaming big is OK. I don’t always have to be realistic and pragmatic.