April 26, 2021

Throughout history, ordinary people are used to doing amazing, extraordinary things. Yet all of them had to take a step of faith first. They had to confidently press forward into the unknown or unfamiliar before making any progress. They had to believe they could do what they were attempting to do.

“Achieve” comes before “believe” in the dictionary, but the order is switched in real life.

It’s important to note that, in many cases, successful people have tried many times and failed before they ultimately succeeded. They not only had to begin with confidence, they had to remain confident when every circumstance seemed to shout at them, “Failure! Failure! Failure!”

Consider inventor Thomas Edison. He once said, “I speak without exaggeration when I say that I have constructed three thousand different theories in connection with the electric light, each one of them reasonable and apparently likely to be true. Yet only in two cases did my experiments prove the truth of my theory.”

Oftentimes success happens when you make yourself open to opportunities and are willing to do what it takes to pursue it further, without a promise or contract that it will work. You simply start. You lean in instead of sitting on the sidelines deliberating, reflecting, and contemplating.

I love biographies and here’s why… There are no biographies about average people. The reason they are above average is they chose to put themselves out there and chase down their dream. They took a step of faith, believing in what’s ahead – even if they could not see it.

They struggled. They faced a lot of rejection. They faced adversity. They felt emotional earthquakes. Yet through it all, they never chose defeat. They never stopped believing. They kept going and making adjustments along the way. They had an intimate tribe alongside them, challenging and championing them. And through it all, they found success and a deep sense of self-respect and appreciation.

Let’s play the what if game.

… what if you decided today to step into your life and give it your all?

… what if you chose to do it afraid?

… what if you chose to never get comfortable?

… what if you chose to not allow fear to swallow you whole?

… what if you chose to embrace your potential?

… what if you chose to stop comparing yourself to others?

… what if you chose to stop saying or thinking anything negative?

… what if you chose to remove the invisible boundaries?

… what if you chose to get fixated on your purpose?

… what if you chose to let go of all the things holding you back?

… what if you chose to believe in yourself like never before?

Refuse to settle for less than your best life. Don’t settle for mediocrity, when you were designed for excellence. Don’t settle for being half or three-quarters of who you are designed to be.

Why fit in when you were born to stand out. Be outstanding! -Dr. Suess