Over 25 years ago, during my tenure as a graphic designer at Bright House, an inspiring initiative was launched by my boss, Joey Reiman. March 4th was officially declared a day dedicated to “march forth on your dreams,” and, to our delight, he gave us all the day off. Joey encouraged us not just to seize the day but to actively embrace it, coining the phrase, “take the day off to take the day on.” His simple idea blossomed into a a movement and eventually a holiday was declared in the City of Atlanta on March 4th.

Of course I enjoyed the random day off work, more importantly, the message stuck with me. To this day when I look at the calendar I read “March Forth” and am prompted to reflect on the imperative behind the simple pun.

In both personal and societal contexts, we often neglect the essential act of dreaming, let alone taking tangible steps towards realizing our dreams. Subsumed by the demands of daily rituals and routines, we inadvertently allow these patterns to define not only who we are but also what and who we make time for. By unconsciously permitting obligations and schedules to govern our lives, we relegate imagination, play, and dreams to the backseat. This not only leads to burnout, it fosters sentiments of resentment, anger, and regret—unwanted companions in our daily lives.

While acknowledging the unavoidable commitments that anchor us, we must also recognize an obligation to ourselves—the commitment to pursue endeavors that ignite joy and bring a smile to our faces. Whether it’s as simple as baking a cake from scratch with your child, dedicating an afternoon to the book patiently waiting on your nightstand, initiating the research needed to kickstart that long-held business dream or taking your first cold plunge, MAKE time to honor your dreams and goals.

No room for regrets, MARCH FORTH!

(See the Bright House March 4th campaign here below.)