You have to think anyway, so why not think big?

Hear then, O seeker of wisdom, the words of men who have walked before us and carved their lessons into the stone of eternity. The saying, “You have to think anyway, so why not think big?”, attributed to Donald Trump, is not merely a fragment of ambition but a call to awaken the slumbering giant within the human mind. For the mind, restless and ever-churning, cannot cease from thought. Yet, if the fire must burn, shall it not blaze high and bright, rather than smolder weak and unseen?

In the origin of this utterance lies the philosophy of daring. To think big is to stretch the mind beyond the walls of hesitation and fear. It is the recognition that the labor of thought is constant—like the flowing of a river. If one must endure its current, why not direct it toward the vast seas of greatness, rather than letting it waste in shallow ponds? In this way, the saying becomes not mere advice, but a challenge hurled against mediocrity.

Consider the builders of empires and the dreamers of worlds not yet formed. When Alexander, son of Philip, cast his eyes beyond Greece, he did not confine his vision to neighboring lands. He saw Persia, Egypt, and lands reaching toward the edges of the known earth. His thought was big, and his deeds followed swiftly after. Though his empire crumbled with his death, his vision shook the ages, and even in ruin, it carved new paths for civilization. Would not his destiny have been smaller, had his thought been smaller?

Yet the truth of this teaching does not dwell only with kings and conquerors. Think of Thomas Edison, who faced countless failures in the crafting of the electric light. Each failed attempt was a thought that could have remained modest, resigned to limits. But his vision was larger: he sought not a single spark, but a light for the world. That big thought birthed the miracle of illumination that now drives away the darkness of every night. Thus, the story of progress is the story of minds that refused to be small.

The saying also speaks to courage. To think big is not to dream carelessly, but to dare greatly in the secret chambers of the heart. Small thoughts bind a man with invisible chains, convincing him that he is no more than his present circumstances. Big thoughts break those chains, and in their breaking, new paths unfold. When one dares to envision a cathedral rather than a cottage, even if the cathedral remains unbuilt, the stones gathered will be grander, the foundation firmer, than if he had aimed only at the humble dwelling.

Let none mistake the saying as arrogance, for arrogance thinks big only for its own glory. The wise man thinks big for the betterment of many. Big thoughts are seeds: when planted in the soil of persistence, they grow into towering oaks whose shade others may rest beneath. Thus, the call to think big is also a call to responsibility—for the greater the thought, the greater the impact upon the lives of others.

Therefore, O listener, let the lesson be clear: the effort of thought will come whether welcomed or not. Better to aim it high, with boldness, than to squander it low, with timidity. Each dawn brings you the chance to shape the future by the size of your vision. Train your mind daily—write your goals boldly, meditate upon them deeply, and act upon them with steady courage. Ask yourself not, “What can I achieve?” but, “What is the greatest thing I might attempt, were I not afraid?”

And so, walk forth with this wisdom: You have to think anyway—so think of kingdoms, not cottages; of oceans, not puddles; of eternity, not the passing hour. For the thoughts of today are the destinies of tomorrow, and only those who think big may hope to leave footprints that time itself will struggle to erase.