Dream small dreams. If you make them too big, you get overwhelmed

In the steady and uplifting words of John H. Johnson, the visionary founder of Ebony and Jet magazines, we hear a truth as practical as it is profound: “Dream small dreams. If you make them too big, you get overwhelmed and you don’t do anything. If you make small goals and accomplish them, it gives you the confidence to go on to higher goals.” These words shine with the wisdom of experience, born not from theory but from a life forged in perseverance. Johnson, who rose from poverty in the segregated South to become one of the most influential Black businessmen in America, reminds us that greatness begins in small victories. His teaching is not to shrink the scope of our vision, but to build it step by step, letting each success prepare the way for the next.

The origin of this quote lies in Johnson’s own story, which is itself a testament to the power of modest beginnings. As a young man during the Great Depression, he dreamed of publishing a magazine that celebrated African American life and excellence — a dream that seemed impossible in a time of poverty and racial oppression. Yet instead of surrendering to despair, Johnson began small: he borrowed $500 against his mother’s furniture to publish the first issue of Ebony. He distributed it by hand, learned his craft through trial and error, and gradually turned his humble venture into a cultural empire. In this journey, Johnson lived the wisdom of his own words: small goals, achieved faithfully, gave him the strength and confidence to reach for greater heights.

When Johnson tells us to “dream small dreams,” he speaks not against ambition, but against paralysis — that state of inaction that comes when we set our sights so high that we dare not take the first step. The ancients knew this too. The philosopher Lao Tzu wrote, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Both men, separated by millennia, saw the same truth: that the grandest visions are realized through small, consistent efforts. The seed does not become the tree in a day, yet within the seed lies the entire forest. So too must every human endeavor begin in simplicity, nurtured by patience and strengthened by persistence.

Consider the life of Thomas Edison, who dreamed of bringing light to the world. Had he been overwhelmed by the magnitude of that dream, he might never have begun. Instead, he broke the goal into experiments — thousands of them. Each failure was a small step, each discovery a new foothold on the climb toward success. In time, the light he sought filled the earth. Edison’s story, like Johnson’s, proves that confidence grows from progress, not perfection. Each small success whispers to the spirit: “You can do more.”

There is also a deeper spiritual wisdom in Johnson’s teaching. To “dream small dreams” is to honor the present moment, to recognize that purpose does not live only in distant achievements but in the daily act of doing one’s work well. The ancients called this arete — the excellence of being fully engaged in what is before you. By accomplishing the task at hand, you cultivate discipline, clarity, and courage, and from these virtues, greater dreams are born. Thus, the small dream is not the enemy of the great one — it is its foundation. The mountain is climbed not by one leap, but by countless deliberate steps.

The lesson, then, is both practical and eternal: do not be consumed by the enormity of your aspirations. Begin where you are, with what you have, and do what you can. Let your small goals be the rungs of a ladder leading upward, each achievement strengthening your will for the next. When you falter, return to the small and steady rhythm of effort. For success is not a single triumph, but a chain of victories, each one linked by persistence and faith.

So, my child of patience and purpose, remember John H. Johnson’s wisdom. Dream boldly, but work humbly. Let your small dreams become the stepping-stones to greatness. Celebrate every step, however small, for each one moves you closer to your destiny. The world’s most magnificent temples were built from single stones, laid one upon another by hands that never ceased their labor. Do likewise. Begin today, begin small — and in time, the world itself will bear witness to the greatness that grew from your steady heart.