Several years ago I befriended a pastor who, in his early days, had a secretary who was once the secretary to the famed author Dale Carnegie. Her name was Abbey Connell. When he learned that I was a big fan of Mr. Carnegie’s he told me a story about when Abbey first started working for the author.

One morning as she was putting something on Mr. Carnegie’s desk she noticed a framed check written out to him for $90,000. Being curious, she asked Mr. Carnegie why he had a framed check for $90,000 on his desk that was never cashed. His reply was, “That was my first payment for the book ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ You see, my mother never believed in me or thought I would amount to anything. So when I received that check, I decided to frame it so she, God rest her soul, could see it and so I would always remember how important it is to believe in my dreams.”

What a great story to hammer home the importance of believing in your dreams. Do you have dreams that you’ve let fizzle away? Can you still feel that flicker in your belly of better days ahead? Try not to let that flame go out. Blow some fresh air on it and get it burning brightly again. Maybe now is the perfect time to pull out those old plans, blow off the dust and start dreaming again. Don’t let life’s circumstances keep you from doing what you know you want to do. You CAN do it! Go ahead. It’s your life. Take it back!