We have all grown up in an age where exploration into dramatic new territory has become routine. We have had people travel into space to live for short periods of time. We have sent people to explore the moon. We have built machines to take people under the ocean to live and work. And we have even built machines, as extensions of ourselves, to go to places where we could not go physically and send back pictures and other data.

There is another arena that it is possible for us to explore - one that we can do personally. It requires a risk taker mentality and an adventurous spirit, and I want to give you instructions on how to get there. I am going to take you on a philosophical journey beyond yourself. This may seem a bit esoteric and mysterious, but humor me for a moment.

Begin by getting for yourself a clean sheet of white paper. Now, take a pencil and draw a small dot in the middle of it. For our purposes here, that dot represents something very important about you. It is the sum total of your entire life.

Now for most people, what the dot represents, and the territory inside the dot, is the most important thing there is. It represents their life, their understanding of reality, and all of their experience.

But there is something else on the page with the dot. Look at all of the white space. The white space represents your potential. This is where you could explore if you had a mind to. It represents all of the knowledge you dont have, all of the experiences you have never had, all of the people you dont know, and all of the activities you have never done.

But most people dont ever spend much time and effort probing outside of the dot. Perhaps as many as 95% of the entire population of the planet are satisfied to live in their dot. Now, certainly, as life is lived, the dot expands some. Everyone learns new things and experiences new experiences in the course of their lives and this naturally expands the dot. But it is a relatively insignificant expansion compared to what is possible. For most people there is no intentional activity that they create to expand the dot. It just, sort of, happens.

But, this need not be the case. It is possible to blast out of the dot in every direction and create a life that explodes with new knowledge, relationships, activities and experiences all the time. But, it doesnt just happen. This kind of life must be crafted and intentionally lived. It requires expending energy and effort, which few are willing to do.

Five Steps for Expanding Your Dot

So, how is it possible to get on this journey? There is a simple five step formula that you can use to begin this journey.

1. Hopefully the dot exercise has helped you take this first step. Beginning the journey starts with a realization. You have to realize that the possibility exists to grow beyond where you are. Once you realize the possibilities, you can begin to do things to make changes.

2. Realization means nothing if you dont care. The second step is ramp up the desire to expand your universe. Many people are quite content to go to the same job year in and year out, then come home after work, grab a TV dinner and sit in front of the TV until time to go to bed - and do it all over again the next day.

3. Once you have the desire to explore new avenues of life, you then have to figure out, specifically, what you want to explore. There are a lot more possibilities than any one person could ever personally conquer. So the third step is to do an analysis and make a decision. Where is your life now and in what areas do you need, and want, to grow beyond where you currently are.

4. The fourth step is to make a plan. There are specific steps that have to be taken to accomplish whatever it is you choose to do. You may have to study or practice or work out or make some new relationships. In other words, you have to begin to intentionality figure out what you have to do to walk your new path.

5. The final procedure in the process is to work your plan. This is not a one step or even a one dimensional process. It will take time and effort. It will take re-evaluation and adjustments. But, it has to be played out in life if your dot is going to expand.

Theres the Door

Your dot is your life. There is no way that I, or anyone else for that matter, can expand your dot for you. If you want it to be bigger, you have to do the work.

There is something that I can do though, and that is to point you toward the door. It is the door to greater significance than your life has ever known. It is the door to more excitement. It is the door to more purpose and meaning. It is the door to more knowledge and experience. But, you have to walk through it yourself. No one can do it for you. You can get guidance, insight and encouragement from a lot of places, but you have to walk your own walk. Begin now! Expand your dot.