Cruising along the highway in his white Taurus, our young salesman finds himself deep in thought. Although he is heading to his next sales presentation, he is not thinking of sales at all. His mind is filled with thoughts of his family.

Flipping down the visor above his head, he looks at the picture he taped there almost two years ago. It is a picture of his dream house – a three-bedroom paradise in a wonderful neighborhood for his family. Looking at the worn picture, he imagines the day this house will be theirs. He can see the excitement on his two daughters’ faces and the smile in his wife’s eyes.

Suddenly, the salesman’s daydream is interrupted as he pulls into the parking lot of his next client. He grabs the padfolio from the passenger’s seat, straightens his tie, and practices his smile in the rearview mirror. Completely relaxed from the morning’s drive, he confidently struts into the familiar lobby, signs the guest log and takes a seat.

From down the hall, he sees his competitor leaving the conference room. He looks somewhat beaten and disheveled. “Good luck,” the competitor says with a cocky, sarcastic tone as he passes.

Our young salesman smiles, “Thanks.” His thoughts are already back to the picture taped to the visor in his car. Thinking of his dream home and the opportunities it will bring his family always bring a smile to his face.

Within moments, the receptionist leads our salesman to the conference room. He is uncharacteristically calm as he shakes hands with each of the five suits seated around the large, mahogany table. Wasting no time, he leans forward, beginning his presentation. His excitement level rises as his enthusiasm and confidence drop from every pore of his body.

Our young superstar glides through the material like a well-choreographed figure skater, clearly outlining what doing business with him and his company would be like. On the opposite end of the table, the chief suit leans back in his leather chair, smiling. He is listening intently to every word our salesman uses.

Then, near the end of the performance, our salesman is interrupted with a single word. “Yes,” says the chief suit. Stopping his verbal melody, our salesman smiles and says, “Thank you, you’ve made a good choice.”

How could this salesman possibly win such a large account with so much ease? Was it his flawless performance? Was it his point-by-point presentation?

No. The truth is that our young salesman belongs to an exclusive club. It is a club made up of those who have a definite purpose in life; those who are not afraid to dream by day. Our salesman’s definite purpose is to make money to provide his family with a better life. His dream is so vividly etched in his mind that it lives in every part of his being and is evident in his life. He knows that a dream is not just a secret wish; it is a lifestyle and a purpose.

When you dare to dream by day, you place your dream face-to-face with the everyday opportunities you have to help you achieve it. You realize that dreams are not meant to hide in the safety of an ephemeral sleep. You give yourself the strength and determination to transform dreaming into doing, and to make your dreams live in the unfolding of your life.

Have the strength to believe in your dreams – completely and continually. As your dreams become internalized and mentally digested, your passion, determination and competence will be unmistakable to everyone you encounter. You will find that every word you speak, every step you take, and every hand you shake will sparkle with the magic of confidence. When you dare to dream by day, you will awake to a world of unlimited possibilities.