Is the very thought of a bigger vision daunting to you? I remember a moment myself when the idea of taking myself from doing my business in a small, "comfortable" way vs. doing it in a manner beyond my imagination, having success beyond what I currently saw as possible, was quite scary. Titillating, yet terrifying.

But wow, did I start to stretch with thoughts triggered by books I was reading and conversations I was having with success-minded people. My expanded view of what I was capable has produced an entirely different (and much more stimulating!) reality -- and I have never stopped stretching.

I remember the kinds of things I used to say to myself, like "I don't really care if I make a lot of money" and "We'll just see if it works out." Such limited thinking was replaced by "I'm a millionaire" and I don't have to spend the rest of my life struggling.

The reason this was so liberating is, before I used to see my life in a certain way. I did my work, I made my money, I could expect certain results and a certain future based on all of the above. When I started asking questions like, "What's the difference I'm here to make in the world" and "What if I could have way more -- live way larger -- see much bigger possibilities for myself?"

The old view suddenly felt way too confining. I was being called into something bigger. I was about to play BIG.

Playing big may not look the same for you as it does for me. But I know that, for the most part, we are ALL playing way smaller than we are capable of. And that an expanded view of possibilities for our businesses, for our lives, is what calls forth our greatness.
Here is an exercise in expansion and help for starting a small business:

1. Contemplate your current vision for your business. Just observe what is currently so and what your general goals are.

2. Now imagine your business on steroids, on Oprah, online, offline, on auto-pilot!

3. Close your eyes and imagine your business running smoothly, perfectly, with or without you, and paying you while you're lying under a palm tree somewhere.

4. Imagine the life you'd like to have if you could wave a magic wand. Now imagine your business generating that life you want.

See what I mean? And if this exercise didn't work for you -- if it's difficult or impossible to see bigger and beyond your current circumstances -- either you're already living the life of your dreams, or you may be in the wrong business.