July 11, 2010

Everything begins with choice.

Here is the thing about freedom.  It’s never free…

Freedom is the by product of success and you must be willing to pay the price for success.  And success never goes on sale.  You have to pay the market price.  And that can be so very hard…

Because I could explain all the rational, logical reasons everyone should be in the business.  And if you wanted to argue with me, I could explain all the reasons you were being an idiot.

Common sense tells you I should have quit.  But dreams never come true with common sense.  Dreams come true because they are bold, daring, and imaginative.  Because they are strong enough to pull you toward them.

I could have quit, should have quit, would have quit.  But I came to a realization that changed everything for me:  I realized I was the most ambitious person I knew.

And there was freedom in that line of thinking.  Which eventually led to the real freedom.

I began to understand the importance of a system and how duplication worked.  Began daily self-development, becoming less of the person people didn’t want to work with and more of the person they did.  Learned some skill sets.

Which is why I’m writing this…

I have been where most of you are, and I will make it to a level that others are afraid to dream of because I believe.  So let me share what I have learned along the way, but most importantly, what I want for you.  Here are the four things I want for you:

1) Live a Life of Adventure.

Stop watching actors live adventure in movies and TV shows.  It’s time for you to live your own adventure.

Is your adventure started yet?  Life is not about fighting rush hour traffic, working in a cubicle, or sending your kids to daycare.   Life is for living.  And that means you.

2) Get Your Freedom.

See number one.  You are not meant to be woken up with an alarm clock.  You are supposed to wake up when you finish sleeping.  When you wake up, you should be the one to choose how you are going to spend your day, and whom you are going to spend it with.  You’re supposed to order from the left side of the menu, not the right side.

Freedom is about having choices.  Whether it’s choosing what car to drive, home to live in, or exotic locale you want to vacation in.

It’s about choosing the causes to support, the school you want your kids to go to, and the people you want in your life.  Choosing to live out loud, in color, with passion.

3) Right Injustice.

How often have you seen a situation that wasn’t right and felt powerless to stop it?  How many times have you wanted to right a wrong, but didn’t have the time or money or freedom to do it?

Contribute to a cause. Something you believe in wholeheartedly. Which leads us to…

4) Move from Success to Significance

You want to make a difference.  Leave a legacy.  Build something that outlives you.

That’s when life really begins. That’s when you know the world is a better place because you are in it.

Whether it’s supporting the arts, building an orphanage, or saving the rainforest.  Maybe it’s sponsoring a Little League team, mentoring a young person, or starting a shelter for battered women.  Or all of the above.

I don’t know what is in your heart to do, but I know there is something.  And that’s what I challenge you to do. Yes I wish freedom, lifestyle and all the goodies for you.  And I also wish you love, meaning and leading a life of significance.

It won’t be easy; I get that.  It means sacrifice.

Because it means at 7 pm, when your spouse is home and your kids want to play, you’re leaving to go to a meeting.  It means you’ll miss a chance to worship some weekends when you’re working with a long distance line somewhere.  It means making those calls to candidates long after the excitement and motivation of the big event has worn off.

But I had a mantra that got me free.  And it can get you free.  Here it is:

“I will do today what others will not do, so tomorrow I can do what others cannot do.”

Will you do that for me?  Will you do that for yourself?  Will you do that for all the people you’re going to be able to help?

The pain of discipline is far easier than the pain of regret.  When you feel fear, you must profess faith.  Because faith is deaf, dumb and blind.

Faith is deaf to rejection, dumb to failure, and blind to the possibility of defeat.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  It is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

We can’t see them, but we have a vision for them.  That is why we do self-development every morning, speak those affirmations, put up those pictures on the refrigerator.

Doing what we do is not easy.  It’s not supposed to be.  But it is simple.  And important.  Not just for your freedom and your dreams, but the freedom and dreams of everyone you will make a difference for.  Most people today doubt their beliefs and believe their doubts.  You have to be different.  Stand out above the crowd!

Please.  Don’t you dare take down your dream board or those pictures on your refrigerator.  Don’t you dare let your spouse or kids see you quit.  Don’t you dare give up on your dreams!

That’s what I am here to tell you.