This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking at the 2014 Keystone Education Yields Success Empowerment & Employment Conference at Philadelphia Community College. After my keynote, I was able to spend a few moments meeting some of the men and women in the program.
One young man was literally brimming over with the desire to inspire and help others transform their lives through motivational speaking. His passion was real and his commitment sincere, but I could also see that he was making the mistake that many of us make when it comes to our dreams. He was trying to figure it all out, before even getting started!
The question of, “How?” has the power to keep us stuck when it comes to living our dreams. As we look at where we are, we find it hard to believe that we could ever be where we want to be. We stand at the starting line and get overwhelmed into a state of paralysis because our current reality is so far removed from our imagined destiny.
I could feel his frustration as he shared his burden and today I’d like to unpack some of the things I said to him about building his vision, which I hope will help you with yours:
1. Everything Begins Small: Wherever you are right now, stop and look at your surroundings. Everything in it started small. If you’re in a house, or a building, it started with one brick. If you’re sitting in nature under the shade of a tree…that tree started with a seed. Of course, where you are and what you have is smaller than your vision—but that will materialize as you use what you already have. But you will have to lay the first brick, plant the seed or type the first word. You will never get what you want…until you use what you have!
2. Most People Get It…After: When you lay the proverbial “first brick” of your dream, don’t expect the crowds to come running. Most people are consumers, not investors. They will buy your finished product, but they won’t help you grow your dream. Because most of us believe it when we see it! Visionaries see it, because they believed it, before it even happened! Don’t be discouraged when others aren’t wowed by your day of small beginnings. You only need a few people who can see the vision with you. Success is not in the crowds—it is in the committed few.
3. You’re Not For Everyone: There will always be some people who don’t see “what the big deal” is about you. As long as you’re not one of those people, you’ll be fine. Everyone has a story and your job is to tell yours. Your responsibility is to learn the best way to communicate it authentically. But you aren’t responsible for getting everyone to respond to it. Somebody out there needs you, be you and you will attract them. Stop waiting for the wrong people to co-sign on your future!
Do Your Work: Choose something in your environment that you use, or helps you, every day. Do a brief Internet search on the history behind the product or inventor. Whenever you use it, remind yourself its story and remember that it started small in someone’s mind.
Define Your Wealth: Affirm out loud, “I celebrate my small beginnings!”
Named the “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” by eWomenNetwork, Coach Felicia is a Certified Empowerment Coach™ who empowers her clients to “Turn their Worth into Wealth” as she partners with them to DISCOVER their WORTH, DO the WORK and DEFINE their WEALTH. Get more insight, download the FREE “8 Choices Winners Must Make” seminar MP3 on her website.