As I ponder on 2010 and think about what I have done, what
I attempted to and what I just didn’t make time to do, I am still
thankful to still be alive and take in every learning experience
that life brought my way. I came across an email dated May
2008 with me reaching out to someone regarding the pursuit of my
speaking business and realized that I am not where I thought I
would be at this time of my life. Have you ever looked at your life
and your current situation and said “I thought I would be so much
farther along?” Did you think of yourself as a failure or a slacker
or just not good enough? Did you just shun it off and not
take any thought as to what it would take in order to make it
happen? Did you make excuses for yourself and say you didn’t have
the time or resources or right connections to make it work?
Well I am here to tell you that all of those thoughts came to
mind when I thought about how I had all of these goals and some of
them came to fruition but there were other goals and aspirations
that I made excuses for. I let other people distract me from
my goals and my ultimate purpose and destiny. You see I have
been speaking for some time but had been given specific
instructions on what I needed to do to expand my business and for
lack of a better phrase, I ‘punked out.’ Why? I don’t know.
Maybe it was fear, maybe laziness, maybe listening to other
people or a combination of all of the above plus a number of other
factors. Well I woke up this morning with a FOCUS in my mind and
heart to do what I needed to do to accomplish those goals that I
made excuses for. You see every situation you go through is
what you make it. Life, your marriage, school, your job, your
mental state, whatever it is, IS what YOU make it. Do you
make it out to be bigger than it really is or do you make it to be
something you can and will overcome? I decided this morning
that I wasn’t going to let anything, not even myself get in the way
of what I know I have been put on this earth to do. That is,
SPEAK LIFE into the lives of youth and those who are connected with
them. Many times the experience of life knocks us down and
we think we aren’t supposed to get back up. I challenge you
to fall down, get back up and re-position yourself so that when you
get knocked again (and you will) it’s not from that angle.
There is a saying that says it’s okay to make mistakes so
long as you don’t keep making the same mistakes over again.
Therefore, make mistakes and have mishaps but learn from them
and build yourself from those experiences. As you learn,
share your experiences with others who may be able to learn
something from you. So as I move forward into 2011, my life will be
extremely different a year from now. I am walking into 2011
with purpose, passion and the power to change not only my situation
but my life for the better. Don’t get me wrong, my life isn’t
horrible and I do understand there are others in worse off
situations, but I know that there is still work for me to do.
I plan to live the best life that God has prepared for me….
how about you? If you are with me, here are a few suggestions
to help you get started…
- Take some time to
reflect on your year. That’s it….JUST REFLECT. Take
it in and think about what you were able to get done, what didn’t
get done, and what you may want to change in 2011. Think
about the people you have in your life. Are they for you or
against you? It is said that birds of a feather flock
together. If you are an eagle you can’t hang around with
chickens and turkeys. If you know you need to change the
people around you, then you will need to starting building a new
network in the new year. Those who will cheer you on,
challenge you to be your best self and push you into your next
level. - After reflecting on your year, write
down 3-5 major goals you want to accomplish in 2011. Then
write down what it will take from YOU to make it happen. What
role will you play in making your goals happen? What
obstacles might you encounter during your journey and how you will
address them as well as get through them. Other than
yourself, who else’s buy-in will you need to make it happen? For
example if you are married or have children, what type of
sacrifices will you need to make that may affect your spouse and/or
children? How will communicate your goals with them and get them
involved to help you stay on track? - You can
then make a vision board to put your goals on and keep in a place
that you can see everyday to keep you motivated and excited about
your goals. Take pictures from magazines, clip art, or just
create words that signify where you desire to be at the end of
2011. You can purchase poster board or a bulletin board.
Either way, just get started and add to it as more goals and
aspirations come to you. - Lastly, how will you
track your progress? Will do weekly, monthly, bi-monthly,
etc. assessments to make sure you are on track with accomplishing
your goals as scheduled? Will you have an accountability
partner or mentor/coach holding you accountable?
I hope these suggestions help and I look forward to
helping you live life IN purpose and ON purpose in 2011! Until next
time… BE TRUE and SPEAK LIFE!
