I was born with a death sentence. The statistics said I wouldn't live past 30.

Still, my father encouraged me to aim high. 'Plan your work, and work your plan,' he often said.

So, for as long as I can remember, I've been on a quest to be more, achieve more, see more, and do more. As a teen in a working-class neighborhood, I dreamed of cars, money, and travel. As a grown man, I dreamed of degrees, salaries, and entrepreneurial gigs.

In college, I got my first personalized license plate, DRMBIGG, so my father's words would always be with me. I've continued to live by that mantra. I dream larger than anything I could ever hope for and allow myself to see where fate takes me.

In Dream Big, I'm encouraging you to do the same. If, by detailing my successes and failures, I can help you achieve more, I will have succeeded beyond my biggest dreams.

Dr. D. A. Flanagan, CRNA, DNP