Last week I met up with a guy who had recently left a Managing Director job of 13 years at a top company. I thrive off of meeting new connections and hearing their story. It’s always of massive interest to meet with a successful person who has turned the page and is looking at a new chapter.
We sat in my members club and for over two hours, discussed both of our journeys. We talked of how we got to where we are, the milestones along the way, the highs, the lows and where we believe the motivation comes from. We spoke about dreams and inspirations and what the possibilities are.
This individual had left everything he knows, he had left a corporate, secure environment and was now anxious and scared of what was next; the unknown. I used to feel exactly like this, having left a well paid secure job, however for me, the fear is now the excitement and is something I embrace. I live to face fear, to be challenged and to be tested. We spoke at length and I wanted to open up his eyes to the possibilities now that he has had the restraint removed and is free to explore.
I believe there are two types of people in this world. You can label them how you want, but there are those that do and there are those that don’t, those that are motivated and those that can do, those that lead and those that follow.
Choices
This is a situation that many of us are in. Are we following our dreams or are we doing what we can, because it delivers what we need to live? I believe there are two types of people in this world. You can label them how you want, but there are those that do and there are those that don’t, those that are motivated and those that can do, those that lead and those that follow.
What is important to understand, is that we are all on a level playing field. We are all born and we will all die. Whatever happens in the period in between, is your choice. Who you become is your choice. What path you take, is your choice, just like what you have for lunch, is your choice. But you deserve, to give yourself the chance to become the best version of you possible.
We are all born and we will all die. Whatever happens in the period in between, is your choice.
“I deserve it do I?” Yes, you deserve it. Think about this. You are employed, paid to deliver a service of some form. Between the time you start your day and the time you leave to go home, you are required to deliver to your employer. There is only so much of you to go around, so while you’re in your employment, you can only do what you are required to, in that time period. If for example, you wake up in the morning and are at 100% battery life, by the time you get home, lets say you have 20% energy left to get through the rest of your day, but not enough to blast through for another 8 hours pursuing your passion. If you were to spend 8 hours on something personal, you’d only be doing so at 20% of your potential. Your employer has paid for the privilege to own your energy and you have allowed them to buy it.
What Do You Deserve?
So at what point do you ask yourself, “I deserve to give more to myself, I deserve to spend more time pursuing my dream, I deserve to travel and explore, I deserve to meet new people in new cultures.”
The meeting I had made me think, because I am in a fortunate enough position that allows me to explore the avenues I choose because I made a choice, because I believed that I deserved more.
I am no different than any of you, I am still afraid of the unknown and uncertain as to what each day may bring. I was once bounded by fear of not fitting in, fear of being an outcast, fear of not being able to deliver, fear of being a failure and fear of crumbling under the pressure.
However, it is that fear that now drives me. Without fear, I am lost. Without fear I go hungry, I will starve and because I embrace fear, I am not ruled by it. If I find myself in a problematic situation, I know that I am always in control and can therefore take the required precautions to solve the problem. When I made the choice to go it alone, leave a secure establishment and pursue a life of challenges and dreams, I did so knowing that it was because I knew I deserved to give myself this shot.
You too can take control of your life, remove the barriers that hold you back and give yourself what you really deserve.
A good action to take from this article is to create a list of 10 things that you feel you deserve. From being able to visit countries you’ve never been able to, to spending more quality time with a loved one, from making more money to being able to learn a new language. Go on, what harm can a little list making do?