Great video reminder from the late Steve Jobs on why it’s important to have passion for our work.
Your thoughts?
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Better. Brighter. More Beautiful.
“According to our strength of character and our clarity of vision, we will endure, we will succeed, we will have contributed something to make life where we were and as we lived it, something a little better, brighter, and more beautiful.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright 1954
We all want to leave a legacy. We all want to leave things better than we found them.
Or do we?
I guess I should say that people of vision want to leave a legacy. I should say people of character want to leave things better than they found them. I should say that this kind of person makes things better, brighter and more beautiful.
The questions are obvious:
How strong is our character?
How clear is our vision?
Will our success leave things better than when we found them?
I guess you know what I’m thinking about today.
You?
Selah
Making your dream your reality.
When Sam Johnson was 8 years old he wrote a letter to the Lego Company. I imagine lots of of boys do the same thing, but this one was different. Sam loved Legos and wanted to know how he could get a job with them. They responded to his request (pretty cool in itself) and told him what he would need to do to prepare himself for such a job.
Lego could have easily blown it off. After all, he was an 8 year old boy. They responded with an appropriate answer. It didn’t matter that he was 8. It was his dream. Sam took Lego’s instruction to heart and began to act on it.
He planned and prepared.
He took Lego seriously.
He took himself seriously, too.
Fifteen years later, he earned an honors degree in Product Design. The final project of his coursework involved (you guessed it) Legos. When he presented the project at the New Designers Exhibition in London, Lego offered him a job in Denmark.
Cool story. Inspiring, too.
Here are some quick takeaways from Sam’s story:
- Sam let himself dream of a career doing what he enjoyed.
- He wanted to know what to do to get there.
- Someone cared enough to help him make a plan.
- Sam followed through and worked for his dream (for 15 years.)
Can you find yourself in this story? What are your takeaways for yourself?
6 Lies About Following Your Passion
(Via Henri Juntilla at dumblittleman.com)
From time to time we all hit roadblocks in pursuing our passion. Some of those roadblocks are assumptions or lies that we have believed about that pursuit. This is an opportunity to dust off our thinking caps and evaluate.
Here are six big lies you may encounter:
- It’s Going to Be Obvious
Just because you know what you’re passionate about does not mean that you’ll instantly know what to do. You’ll have to face your fears and move forward. Following your passion is not obvious, but that’s okay. That’s life. Embrace it, and move forward anyway. - It Has to Make Sense
Most of the things in life don’t make sense until after you’ve lived through them. If you try to resist, you’ll suffer, but go with the flow, and you’ll enjoy the ride. - You Won’t Need Help
Don’t try to follow your passion alone. A coach, a mentor or friend can help you move forward and avoid mistakes. Needing help is a sign that you are truly ready to follow your passion, because you’re ready to do whatever it takes. - You Have to Quit Your Job
When you’re ready to do whatever it takes, you’ll realize that you don’t have to quit your job to follow your passion. You don’t have to make radical changes in your life. You only have to take things one step at a time. - Small Steps Don’t Matter
Small steps are often the only thing that matter. Forget trying to come up with one idea that will catapult you to success overnight. Instead focus on the mundane. Ask yourself what small step you can take today to follow your passion. Sometimes it means reading a book, taking a walk, or even deciding to write an article. It all depends on your passion. - It’s Too Risky
Is it really? What about wasting your life doing something you don’t want to do? Isn’t it more risky to not follow your passion?
For 2 more “Lies About Following Your Passion” click here to read the original article.
Be more specific!
“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” ~ Lily Tomlin
I seem to have a knack for asking difficult questions.
Sometimes I ask people “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I’m constantly surprised at the variety of answers I get. Mostly I hear a lot of vagueness, generalities and uncertainty. Granted, I know that sometimes people get blindsided by unexpected life events. I’m aware. If you’ve lived for any length of time, you see that sometimes it takes longer to get there than you think. I feel you on that one.
But… why is it that we have allowed the unknown to swallow up our vision?
The unknowns should be irrelevant to our vision. So what if my 5 year plan takes 8 years or 10 years to play out? At least it’s a plan with attainable goals and recognizable milestones. (Think of attainable goals as your “to-do” list and milestones as landmarks or road signs on the journey.) The time it takes to get “there” isn’t as important as getting there. What is important is knowing the difference between short-term and long-term goals. Big difference.
So how can you tell the difference between short-term and long-term goals?
Good question (if I do say so myself.)
In my life, short term goals are ones that are actionable with steps and order. I tend to see my long term goals more like a jigsaw puzzle. Usually there are pieces I see very clearly, but don’t really understand yet how they connect to each other. Over time, the picture becomes clearer and understanding comes regarding necessary action steps to get “there.” At that point, it moves over to the short term goals.
No goals, no vision, no plans is unacceptable. Not good. No bueno.
If you don’t set goals and make plans, how will your dreams ever be achievable?
If you don’t know where you’re headed, how will you know when you get there?
It’s time to get specific with your vision, goals and plans. Don’t worry about the unknowns. Deal with them as you become aware of their potential, but by all means PLAN. Be realistic. Be strategic. Be thinking.
Be specific.
After all, you never know when I’m going to ask you a difficult question like “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?!”
Why is this taking so long?!
“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” ~ T. S. Eliot The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Sometimes it seems like the clock moves faster for some people than others. It especially seems that way when things are taking longer for us than we expect.
The truth is this:
“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.” ~ C. S. Lewis
Whether you are measuring out your life with coffee spoons or a 60 minute an hour clock, time moves the same speed for all us. We all have the same clock, the same calendar, the same process for preparing for the future.
Preparing, working, waiting and believing is the way it works for all of us. No exceptions. Even when we get weary in the waiting part.
Unless you have a time-machine, you should enjoy the journey.
Enjoy every minute.
Enjoy every hour.
Enjoy every day.
Enjoy every coffee spoon.
And keep preparing. Your appointed time is closer than when you started reading this.
“The vision will still happen at the appointed time. It hurries toward its goal. It won’t be a lie. If it’s delayed, wait for it. It will certainly happen. It won’t be late.” (Habakkuk 2:3 GWT)
Time To Take Action
“Action may not always be happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” ~ Benjamin Disraeli, in Lothair
I love this quote from Disraeli.
He knew some things about action. Disraeli, also known as the Earl of Beaconsfield, was a Jewish Anglican author born in Italy who eventually became the Prime Minister to Queen Victoria. Twice. He knew some stuff about the pursuit of a dream and taking the action necessary to move it along.
Action. Yes, let’s talk about action.
It’s probably time for you to put wheels on your dream. You can’t test drive it, unless it’s got wheels, right?
What are your thoughts about Disraeli’s quote?
How does it apply to you?
Can You See Past Today?
We don’t know what we don’t know.
That sounds like it could be one of those pseudo-deep sayings like “Everywhere you go, there you are,” but I promise it isn’t. Think about it like this: most of us only see the future in the light of today. Practically speaking, we can stretch our imagination, but we will hit a limit based on what we see and know – we don’t know what is yet to be invented. Even if we have a glimmer of our future, it will likely be based on what we know today.
Here are a few examples from the past made by well meaning, and even well informed people:
In the 1950’s the Rand Corporation made a startling prediction of “home computers” by the year 2004:
Aren’t you glad your computer doesn’t need a whole wall, teletype or a giant silver steering wheel?! They had the right idea, but didn’t know that microchips would enable something more powerful than they’d ever seen to sit on the top of a table.
They didn’t know what they didn’t know.
In 1967, the film “1999 A.D.” predicted computer shopping, bill paying and using electronic mail… kind of:
Again, excellent prediction, but it could only be illustrated through an imagination stretched across the technology of the day.
They didn’t know what they didn’t know.
In 1977, Ken Olsen, the founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation, said,
“There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.”
Ken Olsen wasn’t some idiot or technophobe. He was the president of the largest computer company in the world at the time he made that quote. The problem? They sold and built computers that took up entire floors of buildings with massive tape backup systems. He was right… kind of. One of those computers would be impractical in someone’s house. He was looking at the future through the eyes of his current reality.
He didn’t know what he didn’t know.
We don’t know what we don’t know, either.
If we are nervous, uptight and worried we are probably looking through the lens of what we see and what we know today.
What do we not know about our future? We don’t know what we don’t know, but God does.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”
~ 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
“…For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
The devil isn’t scared of your dream
That’s right, I said it. I’ll say it again. The devil isn’t scared of your dream. The devil isn’t scared of your dream. The devil isn’t scared of your dream.
He isn’t intimidated by your vision, either.
The truth is, he won’t get bothered about any of it until you actually do something. You are only a threat to darkness if you DO what you dream. Why? It’s the only way it’ll get done. This isn’t rocket science, or even deep stuff here. I think we forget that dreams need work, commitment and sacrifice and people to get traction. Your dream needs you be an active participant.
Dreams are safe. Even the lofty and extreme ones are safe, because they are intangible with no timelines, goals or action plan to birth them. They are happy thoughts, and happy thoughts are safe. Your dreams only become dangerous to darkness when they cease being just thoughts and prayers – they also must become the work of your heart and hands.
“Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?” James 2:20 [AMP]
There you have it. Faith apart from works is “inactive and ineffective and worthless.” Strong words. Thanks, James. My faith, your faith, is worthless without the necessary work that accompanies it.
So guess what this means?
Your dream will remain a dream until you breathe life into it. There are no excuses that are good enough not to get it done. There is no one else to which the blame will stick if your dream remains a dream. You are the one who is responsible for it becoming flesh in the earth. You are the one who must guard, water and nurture it. You are the one who is responsible for it.
God knew all of your limitations, quirks and inabilities when he gave you the dream. He’s not moved by them. They don’t scare Him. They shouldn’t scare you, either.
You can do it… but only if you WILL do it.
So, WILL you do it?
Filed Away… Or Forgotten?
Each of us has a mental filing system for thoughts, dreams, visions and plans. Some of those files are labeled and located in places that are easy to access – at the forefront of your thinking, “so to speak.” Some are a little harder to access and may not be reviewed very often.
Start looking through your “files” again, especially the ones that are in the back of the “cabinet.” The good news is the folders in the back corners have labels, too. As you are looking through them, look for labels like:
Quickly dismissed
Too busy to think about this right now
Maybe someday
Too expensive
Too hard
Too risky
Need courage to even go there
As you find these folders, I would like to encourage you to go back and re-visit the items you have filed in them. If you make a habit of sorting through them regularly, you will find things that have been misfiled or qualify to go into a different folder now. You will even find important things that we have forgotten. Time is your greatest ally in re-discovering the uncompleted assignments and unfulfilled dreams in those folders.
It’s time to look through your mental files again. Things change. People change. We live and learn. We grow.
It’s never too late to find your heart again. Consider the things that cause you to come alive on the inside and begin to make a place for them in your life. You won’t be sorry.
