WILL YOUR VISION/DREAMS/GOALS HAPPEN?

 

There are two determining factors.

A middle-aged man walked into a bank. He approached the teller and asked, “Will you cash this check?”

The teller looked at the check. “Well sure, I can cash the check. Just put your name on the back of it, hand it to me, and I will give you the money.”

The man stumbled back and said, “Whoa, wait a minute! I don’t want to put my name on the back of that check and hand it to you. You’ll be holding my check with my name on it and you might decide not to give me the money.”

“Well Sir, no,” the Teller said, “How it works is you have to put your name on the back of the check before I can give you the money. It’s a banking policy.”

“I understand that,” the man replied, “But I want you to understand how I feel. It makes me very nervous to think that you’ll be holding my check and you might decide not to give me the money.”

“Sir, I will give you the money, but you have to go along with banking policy,” The teller said.

The man argued with the teller. Back and forth they went. Finally, the frustrated teller replied, “I’m sorry. I am not going to be able to help you. You need to please leave.”

Angered, the man left.

He walked to another bank, went through the same routine, aggravating another teller, and again he was refused service.

The man travelled to a third bank. Again, he refused to sign his name on the check before receiving his money from the bank. Again, the man argued with the young teller, until finally the miffed teller reached the end of his rope. He reached under the teller’s cage, pulled out a rubber baseball bat, whacked the man on the head and commanded, “Sign the darn check!”

Stunned, the man looked at the teller. The man then picked up the pen, signed the back of the check, and handed it over to the teller. Cordially, the teller handed the man his money.

Money in hand, the man returned to the first bank, walked up to that first teller and he said, “Look! Down the street I got my money.”

“Yeah, but I bet even down the street you had to put your name on the back of that check before you got the money,” the Teller replied.

“Well yeah I did,” the man said, “But you see, no one ever quite explained it the way they did.”

 

The Teaching

The story illustrates two simple but powerful principles when it comes to building the life you want.

 

Factor One: Clarity

It is difficult for life to respond to a vague request.

Many people say they want a “better life,” a “good career,” or a “happy future,” but those ideas remain undefined. Just as a builder needs a blueprint to construct a house, we need clarity to begin shaping the direction of our lives.

Clarity invites intention. The more clearly you understand what you truly want — what kind of life, contribution, and experience you are creating — the easier it becomes to align your thinking, choices, and actions with that direction. Dream building begins with the courage to define what truly matters to you.

 

Factor Two: Commitment

Clarity alone is not enough. At some point, you must be willing to “sign your name” to what you say you want. Signing your name means committing yourself to the direction you have chosen. It means bringing your energy, your attention, and your actions into alignment with the dream you are building.

Many people hesitate at this point. They want guarantees before committing fully. They want certainty before taking the next step. Yet meaningful change often begins when we choose to move forward even without having every answer. When you claim a direction with clarity and commitment, your thinking shifts, your actions become more intentional, and new possibilities begin to appear.

 

The two questions remain:

What do you truly want?
And are you willing to sign your name to it?