Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Interview With Bruce Wilkinson

Aired October 17, 2003 - 10:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: By now you've probably heard of "The Prayer of Jabez," one of the most successful faith-based self-help books ever written. It causes a sensation when the book was published a few years ago.
Well now there's a follow-up that picks up where that left off. "The Dream Giver" offers faith-based strategies for overcoming life's obstacles to achieve your goals. Author and theologian Bruce Wilkinson joins us this morning to talk more about his newest book. Dr. Wilkinson, good morning. Good to have you here with us..

BRUCE WILKINSON, THEOLOGIAN & AUTHOR: Thank you. It's great to be with you.

KAGAN: The premise of your book is that everyone has a dream.

WILKINSON: Everyone has a dream deep in their heart, which is a center of what they want to do. If they had all the money, and they had the time and they were guaranteed that they'd be successful, that dream is what they would love to do.

And whenever you travel around the world and you talk to people, it's those people who are really focused on their dream, those are the ones that are most fulfilled doing the most significant things. And what that book tries to do is spark that whole change in people's lives and hopefully countries. Countries need a dream today.

KAGAN: How do you explain why so few people go for their dreams?

WILKINSON: It's not that they don't want to. It's when you begin to think about going to your dream that your dream is always outside of your comfort zone. It's always beyond what you've ever done.

And so people as they move to the edge of their comfort zone begin to feel afraid and wonder, can I truly do this? This wall of fear. And people don't understand that every single person who ever follows their dream comes to that wall of fear and you must want to do the dream more than you have to deal with the wall of fear.

KAGAN: And you also explain -- you have other terms in the book. You talk about people having their lives border bullies. What do you mean by that?

WILKINSON: That's right. We're having an interview with another CNN, live radio a few minutes ago and talking about this fact, that when a person begins to follow their dream, it's at that moment that other people whose lives overlap yours and their comfort zones are right next to yours, they feel, oh, no, what are you going to do? I'm not sure you should do that.

And they come around the outside of your life and try to talk you into, you shouldn't do this, this is never going to work, where are you going to get the money for this? And people say, you know, you're probably right, this probably isn't a good idea.

And at that moment, the vast majority of people run back into the middle of their comfort zone and their dream gets put underneath a rug and they don't pursue it. It's something people need to know about.

KAGAN: So how do you get past that, Dr. Wilkinson?

WILKINSON: Well not by focusing on the border bullies. Not everybody is going to agree with your dream. I'm sure you've had border bullies in your life as you moved into your career. And what we don't want to do is focus upon them. Instead, focus upon your dream and dream about it and how you can help people.

If you want your dream more than you have to have people's affirmation, that's how you break through your border bullies.

KAGAN: I can talk with you for the whole hour. It's a fascinating topic. I think it touches people of all religions, not just Christians.

I appreciate your time. And I just want to share one little quote I saw from the book. That just shows it wasn't always easy for the doctor. He says, "I can count as many scars as successes on the journey to my dream." And you did persevere. Congratulations on that.

WILKINSON: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Thanks for inspiring people around the world. Dr. Bruce Wilkinson. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 17, 2003 - 10:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: By now you've probably heard of "The Prayer of Jabez," one of the most successful faith-based self-help books ever written. It causes a sensation when the book was published a few years ago.
Well now there's a follow-up that picks up where that left off. "The Dream Giver" offers faith-based strategies for overcoming life's obstacles to achieve your goals. Author and theologian Bruce Wilkinson joins us this morning to talk more about his newest book. Dr. Wilkinson, good morning. Good to have you here with us..

BRUCE WILKINSON, THEOLOGIAN & AUTHOR: Thank you. It's great to be with you.

KAGAN: The premise of your book is that everyone has a dream.

WILKINSON: Everyone has a dream deep in their heart, which is a center of what they want to do. If they had all the money, and they had the time and they were guaranteed that they'd be successful, that dream is what they would love to do.

And whenever you travel around the world and you talk to people, it's those people who are really focused on their dream, those are the ones that are most fulfilled doing the most significant things. And what that book tries to do is spark that whole change in people's lives and hopefully countries. Countries need a dream today.

KAGAN: How do you explain why so few people go for their dreams?

WILKINSON: It's not that they don't want to. It's when you begin to think about going to your dream that your dream is always outside of your comfort zone. It's always beyond what you've ever done.

And so people as they move to the edge of their comfort zone begin to feel afraid and wonder, can I truly do this? This wall of fear. And people don't understand that every single person who ever follows their dream comes to that wall of fear and you must want to do the dream more than you have to deal with the wall of fear.

KAGAN: And you also explain -- you have other terms in the book. You talk about people having their lives border bullies. What do you mean by that?

WILKINSON: That's right. We're having an interview with another CNN, live radio a few minutes ago and talking about this fact, that when a person begins to follow their dream, it's at that moment that other people whose lives overlap yours and their comfort zones are right next to yours, they feel, oh, no, what are you going to do? I'm not sure you should do that.

And they come around the outside of your life and try to talk you into, you shouldn't do this, this is never going to work, where are you going to get the money for this? And people say, you know, you're probably right, this probably isn't a good idea.

And at that moment, the vast majority of people run back into the middle of their comfort zone and their dream gets put underneath a rug and they don't pursue it. It's something people need to know about.

KAGAN: So how do you get past that, Dr. Wilkinson?

WILKINSON: Well not by focusing on the border bullies. Not everybody is going to agree with your dream. I'm sure you've had border bullies in your life as you moved into your career. And what we don't want to do is focus upon them. Instead, focus upon your dream and dream about it and how you can help people.

If you want your dream more than you have to have people's affirmation, that's how you break through your border bullies.

KAGAN: I can talk with you for the whole hour. It's a fascinating topic. I think it touches people of all religions, not just Christians.

I appreciate your time. And I just want to share one little quote I saw from the book. That just shows it wasn't always easy for the doctor. He says, "I can count as many scars as successes on the journey to my dream." And you did persevere. Congratulations on that.

WILKINSON: Thank you very much.

KAGAN: Thanks for inspiring people around the world. Dr. Bruce Wilkinson. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com