If you don’t have one, get one–Quick!
By Bo Sanchez
I got interviewed again. A number of times, in fact.
This time, the questions were focused on dreaming big dreams. So I’m putting together a bunch of questions and answers from these interviews. I know they will inspire you. And make you laugh at the same time. Because of so many interviews, giving crazy answers keeps me sane. Enjoy!
Q: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Bo: I have 5 older sisters. I’m the only boy.
Q: Your father must have been very happy when you were born.
Bo: When I was born, my father almost named me Atlas. Because when he learned that I was a boy, he shouted, “At last!” I mean, after five failed attempts, yes, he was happy. I’m also the youngest of the family. Can you imagine my suffering? I was their slave. They told me to do everything for them. From answering the door to buying Coke. As a little boy, I had pet spiders. My favorite daydream had the makings of a Hollywood movie. Because of a UFO invasion, my pet spiders mutated into giant monsters. My sisters got trapped in their spiders’ web and, well, you can guess how the story ended.
Q: Describe your family today.
Bo: Today, all my sisters serve in the ministry with me. We’re a great team. Three of them work full-time in the ministry, while two help out part-time. Now, they follow what I tell them to do. Haha.
Q: Your parents?
Bo: My Dad passed away last year. My mother, at 82, continues to serve the Lord with me.
Q: And you have your own family…
Bo: Ten years ago, I married the most gorgeous girl in the galaxy, a woman named Marowe. We have two fantastic, nuclear-powered, gravity-defying boys, Benedict, age 8, and Francis, 3. We homeschool our kids and have a great time doing that—because we spend more time with them. Instead of just opening textbooks, we make them experience the world. Instead of reading a book on business, Bene operates one. Instead of studying about music, Bene performs a small concert. (Bo’s Note: Homeschooling isn’t for everyone. But you owe it to yourself to find out more about it and consider if it is for you. If you want to know more about homeschooling, click at www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com now.)
Q: What are your dreams?
Bo: I wrote all my dreams in a Dreambook. It’s a 15-page document. Let me share with you my most important dreams. Before I got married, I wrote that I want to be the greatest husband my wife can ever have. I believe in making dreams graphic, so I wrote in details. I wrote that I’d kiss my wife 7 times a day. For the past ten years now, I’ve been doing that. Even when I don’t feel like it. Haha. Seriously, I have a great marriage. Because I work hard for it. I invest my energy and time to make it a great marriage. I also wrote on that Dreambook that I’d be the greatest father my kids can ever have. I wrote there that I’d play with them everyday no matter how busy I get. And that’s what I do today.
Q: Did you ever dream of becoming a preacher?
Bo: When I was 12, I had a “daydream”. I woke up and saw myself preaching in the Araneta Coliseum in front of 20 thousand people. I don’t know if it was a dream, a daydream, or a vision. Because I liked what I saw and I continued to imagine this. By age 16, I preached in the Araneta Coliseum for the first time.
Q: What were your other dreams?
Bo: My mission in life is to communicate God’s Love. And I do this primarily by being a preacher and writer. In my Dreambook, I wrote that I’d be a bestselling author and have my own TV and Radio show. I also wrote that I would have my own ministry for the poor built on a huge place, where I would welcome the poorest of the poor. All these have taken place. God is good.
Q: Was it always easy to fulfill your dreams?
Bo: Absolutely not. Many times, I felt so discouraged. Frustrated. A few times, I even wanted to throw in the towel and give up. But all these years, I’ve never doubted my Call. I’ve always believed that God has called me to communicate His love. Why? Because He gave me the gift. And the ministry has been blessing many.
Q: How do you fulfill your dreams?
Bo: First of all, I chose the right dreams. I write big, hairy, audacious, and unrealistic dreams. In my life, I’ve realized that I accomplish my unrealistic dreams much more than my realistic ones. Let me tell you why. Unrealistic dreams shock my system and pump my heart. Unrealistic dreams force me to think creatively, demanding me to do things I’ve never done before. On the other hand, realistic dreams make me complacent. They put me to sleep.
Q: What’s the second step?
Bo: I read and pray my list of dreams everyday. I do this for both my long term and short term dreams. Like each morning, I visualize how I want that day to play out. I imagine what I want to accomplish, and what results will take place. This is my prayer. And my dreams happen. I believe in this practice so much. We don’t know how powerful we are.
Q: What’s the third step?
Bo: Once I have a dream, I create a strategy to make it happen. 100% of the time, this includes creating a dream team around me that will make it happen. And then I pursue the dream, no matter how many failures happen.
Q: Fourth step?
Bo: I spend time with people who already have achieved these same dreams. I make them my mentors. This step is crucial. Do avoid spend too much time with people who have no dreams. Or with people who don’t believe in my dreams. These are dream-killers.
Q: Who is Bo Sanchez now?
Bo: I’m a child of God. I’m a servant of the poor. I’m a husband, father, son, brother, friend, preacher, writer, leader, businessman, philanthropist, and pioneer.
Q: How do you see yourself 10 more years from now?
Bo: One of my fondest dreams is to equip our growing community with the tools necessary to help more poor people around them. Not through a charity model—because that is limited—but through the entrepreneurial model. Here’s one of my big dreams: In my lifetime, I want to raise one million micro-entrepreneurs among the poor. To gain support, I want to have one million KerygmaFamily.com members. (Note: You’re my dream team! Without you, I can’t do it. Sign up now at www.kerygmafamily.com and lets work together!)
Q: Thank you very much.
Bo: My pleasure.
That’s the end of the interview.
May I make a suggestion?
Aside from writing your dreams in your own Dreambook, write one or two dreams in the comments section below. Remember to make it unrealistic. Announce your dream to the world. Doing so will give you added motivation to achieve them.
May your dreams come true, Bo Sanchez
