Sunday, January 26, 2014

Are you in pursuit of your dreams?

Are you someone that wakes up each day wondering, what if?  What if I haven't made the right decision? What if I'm not going in the right direction?  What if I haven't provided the right guidance to my kids?  The what ifs can mount up and weigh you down to the point that you stagnate, and you cause those around you to shut down as well.  Take a look at this movie clip….




Jon Gordon, in his book "The Energy Bus" referred to those who suck the positive energy out of a room as "Energy Vamps".  Energy Vamps have a hard time of seeing the forest through the trees and are reluctant to see that new directions can be taken and fostered through positive energy.

One of the things that this clip represents to me is that no matter how old you are, never give up on your dreams.  If you are not where you want to be today, are you going to allow others to remain there.  The great thing dreams is that you decide how you get there.  All your present situation allows for is to create a foundation for future growth.  When a person is reluctant to grow, they stagnate.  When they stagnate as a leader, everything around them becomes stagnant and future progress for the organization  is stifled.

As a leader, not just in the workplace, but in your personal and volunteer worlds as well, if you are not willing to be part of the solution.  You have to first make sure that your vision is alignment with the organizations vision and then do everything you can to achieve those goals.

Too frequently, when we see people leave an organization, there are probably clues that they checked out long before their security ceased working.  When that person leaves, they join a new organization with a renewed energy.  Why as leaders do we have a such a hard time harnessing that energy and enthusiasm?  Instead we allow those individuals to just leave.

I challenge others, as I am challenging myself to figure out what their dreams and aspirations are first, and then begin to work with those around you to see where they are?  Have they checked out?  Do they present a sense of hopelessness of future success like Will Smith's character does in the above clip?

This is my first post in almost a month.  I have spent a lot of this past month working on recapturing the energy that has allowed for opportunities to present themselves for me in my career.  There is still much introspective work to be done on my part, but the process has been underway since the beginning of the year.  What I do know, is that you never know who you have had a positive impact on.

"Don't let anyone ever tell you, you can't do something". - Will Smith from the Pursuit of Happiness


11 comments:

  1. Hello; so glad to read that you have recaptured your positive energy passion and joy. and it is good that you are focusing on how to help others find that drive again. Part of the problem with many organizations is that their structure doesn't allow for them to truly nurture their current staff. Thanks for the post. It is true every morning is an opportunity to get reinvigorated. Take care, max

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  2. Hi Mark,
    Nice to connect with you via LinkedIn. It has been my experience that "What if" questions, while some aim at entertaining new, positive possibilities, many are based in fear which puts a halt to whatever dreams one wanted. Redirecting one's focus to align with their sense of purpose is the best way to get back on track and to move forward.

    Kind Regards,Bill

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  3. The what if questions plague us all and it takes energy to move away from that feeling and into the now. You are right...it does take energy and capturing that can be tricky, but sounds like you are on your way!

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  4. I felt so sorry for the poor little boy having his dream crushed. He's lucky because Will turned it around but for many children, they don't hear that message. Adults too need to define their dream and run with it. Good article.

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  5. Wouldn't it be nice if you could take "what If" out of our thoughts and use "I can and I will" instead?

    I understand you thoughts about when people leave a company. People really do send signals both intended and unintended. I agree, it pays to stay aware and to define why.

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  6. I've had those what if thoughts. You have to ignore them and continue on with your dreams and goals.

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  7. The video is not available in Sweden, so I couldn't watch it. Negativity works against us and the what ifs can ruin our lives. Having said that you have to be prepared for the nightmare scenario in order to know what to do it that takes place. That's different from allowing people to tell you what you can and cannot do.

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  8. Loved the video. I can't tell how many times people tell him I will never be agility, or obedience with a dachshund. I am told why don't you get a breed that fits these events. The challenge has made me stronger and I have realized with every success with my dog. I also apply this to my business. I was told that no one sells promotional products on the internet and I was nuts. That was in the early 90's. I am so glad I didn't listen.

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  9. I almost always wake up and feel that way about my day, even now that I have chance to do the one thing I've always wanted to do which is write. Turns out it's a lot more complicated than that, but I'm not giving up and continually try to shift my negative or tentative thoughts to more focused, positive ones.

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  10. Mark being self aware and persistent are probably the two strongest elements to achieving success. Whether you are looking at corporate leadership or personal achievement. Although it can be challenging to stay the course you choose, I think knowing what you really want to achieve is by far the hardest part for most people.

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  11. I'm pursuing my dreams, but my husband checked out long ago

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