You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, Mate

There was this boy, maybe eight years old, at the local swimming pool. Small, thin arms, those eyes that haven’t met fear yet.

He climbed the tall diving board like it was Everest, barefoot, serious in that unique way children can be. When he got to the top, he paused. He looked down, then back, scratched his ear as if waiting for a sign.

Then, without fuss, he jumped.

Not gracefully, but like a package tossed in the air. Splash.

And when he surfaced, he was laughing so hard he almost forgot to breathe. He didn’t jump because he felt ready. He jumped because something inside whispered, “Why not?”

When we’re little, dreams are like kites: paper, two sticks, a bit of string. Fragile, yes, but they fly.

One day we want to be astronauts.

The next, we dream of joining the circus.

And if we say we’re digging a tunnel to China, we start right after lunch, plastic spoon in hand, digging in the sandbox.

No one tells us the dream is too big. Or maybe they do, but we don’t hear them. Our ears are tuned to something lighter, something bigger.

Then we grow up. And slowly, the string shortens. They teach us to "keep our feet on the ground." And we learn. We begin to dream in lowercase. Eventually, we stop dreaming.

But every so often, if we're lucky, something stirs the child we used to be. A scene from an old movie. The sound of the sea. A scent. An unexpected phone call. Or someone who does something wonderfully unreasonable. And we remember what it felt like to believe in things without counting the odds.

Because in the end, it doesn’t matter if the dream comes true. What matters is whether it made us lift our gaze. Whether it made us climb higher than we thought we could. And whether it made us smile, even for a second. Like that boy, just after coming up from the water.

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Nicola Arnese supports individuals and teams in reconnecting with what once made them dream—boldly, freely, without asking for permission. Through business coaching, talent coaching, and group coaching, he helps people rediscover clarity, courage, and direction, even when the path ahead feels uncertain.

You're welcome to schedule a free, non-binding coaching session to access a pro bono coaching cycle. He offers these sessions during his free hours to ensure no conflicts with other business responsibilities—some scheduling flexibility may be required