Thinking and dreaming are like brushes to paint, but they’re not the art itself. They’re the sketch, the broad strokes on a canvas. The real substance comes when you dip that brush into action. You turn ideas into reality, concepts into tangible outcomes. Ruminating on things that matter is useful—yet it doesn’t move mountains. It’s the touch of the chisel that shapes the marble—not just the idea of the sculpture.

Don’t make your life a waiting room. Don’t let the clock tick away as you sink in the quicksand of overthinking. It’s easy to get lost in the maze of contemplation—where every turn can lead to more questions, more doubts. Understand this—it’s not the map that gets you to the destination, it’s the journey itself.

The essence of life is in the doing. It’s the footprints you leave on the sands of time, not just the intention to walk. When the ink of thought meets the paper of reality, that’s when the magic happens. Ideas matter, but only when they’re transformed into actions, when they are given wings to fly—not left as seeds unplanted.

Act. Do. Make your story not one of could-have-beens, but one of did-dones. Put your theories to test, let your dreams see daylight. The world is a canvas awaiting your paintbrush of action. Don’t just be a spectator. Be the artist.

Stephen Boudreau serves as VP of Brand and Community at Virtuous Software. For over two decades, he has helped nonprofits leverage the digital space to grow their impact. To that end, Stephen co-founded RaiseDonors, a platform that provides nonprofits with technology and experiences that remove barriers to successful online fundraising. He is an avid (but aging) soccer player, audiobook enthusiast, and the heavily-disputed UNO champion of his household.

Copyright ©2023 Stephen Boudreau.