Our Aspirations Are What Grant Us Success
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most memorable speeches in all of American history. It was empowering and helped to change our world for the better. This month, 59 years ago, he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., and poured his heart out in front of 250,000 people. King’s dream is a prime example of just how important it is to have dreams and to act on them.
One of the things that I’ve come to realize is that as just one person, you can only do so much by yourself — teamwork makes the dream work. Early on in my career, I realized that without good employees, I’d never be able to fulfill my dream. Today, I have a great team that works hard every day, and my priority is to see to it that they have the tools in their toolbox to make their own dreams come true as well. It’s up to me to ensure that they make good money, can take vacation, and are able to lead great lives to feel the fulfillment they deserve. If I’m invested in their dreams and futures, then my goal, too, is fulfilled.
Aug. 5 is also Work Like a Dog Day, a day to honor those who go the extra mile and who don’t quit until the job is done. I am that guy — I work like a dog, and I’ve always been that way. I think I get it from my parents because they taught me early on that if you ever want to do anything in life other than what you’re doing at this very moment, you must put in the hard work. Some people work their entire lives and have no idea what they enjoy doing and thus never figure out how to do something that they are truly passionate about. For me, I’m a car guy, and that’s what I was always meant to do. I truly believe that I was put here on Earth to fix things, which is both a blessing and a curse at the same time, for sometimes, it’s all that I think about.
Many years ago, my dream was to work for myself and develop a business that does good for others as well as supports my family. And while I’m proud of how far I’ve come, I still have a long way to go to maintain Quality Plus Automotive and continue to improve the company, myself, and my employees to provide the best possible service for our customers.
We all need dreams to keep us aligned and on track, but we must be willing to do what it takes to get there. Most importantly, we must always have a dream in mind that’s bigger than the one we’re working on right now.
- Randy Bunn