Free Your Mind!

Welcome to 2013! As you and I begin to step forward into the New Year, many thoughts race and clamor for attention. One question in particular lingers, “Where do I want to go in 2013?” I am sure that many of you may be thinking the very same thing. One thing undoubtedly sure is that for most of us (including myself), we had at least one regret in 2012 that we would like to take back. Personally, I don’t mind sharing; the one regret that I personally want to take back was the empty emotion of feeling like I had to apologize for holding the bar so high.  I have always been a competitor. Ever since I can remember, there has been something inside of me that has always pushed to get ahead.  If you are one these people, I am just as sure that others around you felt the same competitiveness within you and at times may have even felt very intimidated. It’s that intimidation that others felt while I tried to be my very best, that in 2012 way too many times, I felt like I almost had to apologize for. It was like a racer apologizing for going to fast, or a shooter apologizing for hitting the target too many times. 

This year, I would like to give us all permission to free our mind, and to write-off apologizing for attempting to be the very best we feel we can be.  I was recently reading a survey, and it said that over 80% of people will never reach their personal goals in life. I read it one of two ways; that 80% either chose to quit on their dreams, or they were reaching for the wrong dream.

Let me quickly explain that; in life, either we will quit trying, or we will live in a fantasy world, never achieving that which we truly want.  Authentic and real dreams are in that perfect balance of a life restrained and devoted, and a life that is in step with the needs of their environment.  In short, either we will let people sell us on the fact that our dreams are impossible, or we will live painfully unaware of how unrealistic our dreams really are. How do you know the difference?

The difference simply put is this: Does the focus make you look like a superstar? Or does it have a shared win with others in such a way that will create a powerful and influential positive impact when that goal is finally reached? Are you just trying to be the A-list celebrity, or do you want to leave a positive mark on the world? Chances are, if you are just looking to inflate yourself, you may be headed towards a very empty, dissapointing and shallow goal, good luck!   

 

In life, we have to have non-negotiables.  What that means is there are things that we are just not going to do. Becoming people of purpose, people of vision, people of goals achieved, and people of dreams becoming reality, is also knowing very clearly what our non-negotiables are.  It’s when we struggle with acting boldly on those non-negotiables that we find we most fall or fail. 

Here is to wishing you becoming the very best, at being able to say “No.”

-Lou