The snow was coming down.  The kids were in bed.  A fire was roaring and I had a delicious bourbon poured and ready for intake.  Could there be a more inspiring atmosphere to…write my blog?

But, despite these perfect conditions, I could not put a single sentence together.  Everything was a struggle.  Nothing flowed.  And what should have been a joyful experience turned into a major grind.  Why?

Earlier that week, I was discussing my blog with a major company executive and he shared an idea he thought would be “perfect”. It didn’t necessarily speak to me.  I wasn’t particularly inspired by the concept.  But it could be a bonus for my career if I explored his suggested thread.  Why not seize an opportunity to impress?

And so there I was laboring away to write someone else’s vision of my own blog.  I finally finished it up in the wee hours of the morning and sent it out to my audience.  When the results came back on Monday evening, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Virtually my entire readership stayed away.  It was a painful reality check.  And the major executive?  He never read it.

The lesson was caustic and clear.   We need to trust our gut and take control of our own personal and professional lives.

We Control Our Dreams

In our work lives, it is important to gather feedback, ask advice and lean on our inner circle of advisors.  Leveraging the experience of a mentor or a grizzled veteran can help guide us down the right path.  But ultimately, we have to shape our own career.  If something doesn’t feel right, we can’t leave the decision to someone else.

This is especially true when we are truly passionate about a cause.  If we believe we can make a difference in this world, we can’t let anyone stop us.  People will tell us it can’t be done.  People will tell us they have a better idea.  People will laugh and tell us to get back in line.  But no one extinguish the fire burning inside of us!

We all have some belief or calling flickering inside us.  Our ideas don’t have to be grand and lucrative.  But they have to mean something to us.  If we want to impact other people with our vision,  we have to own it.  We have to fight for it.  We have to trust our own instincts and get ‘er done!

This is not someone else’s dream.  This is our dream!  And that dream has to come from within.

It’s Time to Own It

The same is true in our personal lives.  People are happy to hand out advice.  We must get married at a certain age.  We should have a certain number of kids.   We need to have a steady career, drive a certain car, buy a spacious house.  All these things may be right for us.  But this is OUR one life.  We have to be ready for it.  We have to make the decisions.

If we marry, we must do it for love.  If we have children, we must be in synch with our spouse and do it because we want to make the world a better place.  If we buy a car or house, we must make sure it is right for us and our family.  We are responsible for our own decisions.  Pressure should not play a role.  Fear should not play a role.  Other people’s expectations should not play a role.

And when things turn south, it is even more important to be our own person.  Our resilience is built from our inner fortitude.  It is hard enough to turn our lives around when we have our own clear vision.  But if we have been living someone else’s dream, we won’t know how to get back on track.

Keep The Fire Burning

Deep down, a fire is burning inside all of us.  It will either flame out or flame on.  How can we keep it going?

We have to stay true our inner voice.

We are in control of our ideas.  We are in control of our decisions.  No one can live our lives for us.  If something doesn’t make sense to us, it’s probably not the right fit.

That is true in sales.  That is true when starting a business.  That is true when espousing a cause.  This is true when building a meaningful relationship.  That is true with anything in our lives.

If we want to achieve personal and professional success, we have to own it!  We have to believe it.  We have to take control!  Ultimately, we have to trust our gut and take our chances.

Don’t let anyone take your dreams from you.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is YOUR life. 

Until next week, keep smiling!