An Unconventional Way of Thinking

What brought me here today is nothing more than an unconventional way of thinking. I have always been the type of person who thinks anything is possible—and why wouldn’t it be? It isn’t that most things are difficult; it is just that most people don’t take the time to figure out what they want, and work out the details. If you ask anyone that knows me, I have led a very nontraditional life that stems from the viewpoint that life is meant to be enjoyed, and our greatest gifts can be experienced the most when we are on our path to personal freedom.

I believe a sense of freedom comes by first believing that you control your own destiny. We are responsible for creating our lives, and as we begin to take personal responsibility for that one aspect, we begin to ask ourselves—What do I want? This is a very BIG QUESTION, and can be somewhat debilitating because of the overwhelming options that exist. When I began my consulting practice, the common thread that I began to see with all of my clients was just this simple: if people were not doing what they wanted with their lives, they were not happy.

Simple, right?

In theory, it is simple; but in practice, it is not. The way our society is organized (or disorganized, in my opinion) it is nearly impossible to accomplish everything that needs to be done without running around like a complete maniac. With each new addition to our lives comes another level of responsibility, maintenance, and upkeep. After countless years of watching good people live out the idealistic American Dream, I have come to two conclusions. One, it’s not worth it. And two, it simply makes people unhappy. I see so many wonderful people with a great education struggling to survive. They are on the “right track” doing the “right thing” and they are barely making ends meet. It is enough to make you question the whole system altogether, and ask yourself WHAT’S WRONG HERE??

Those that have broken out of the system and are running their own business are busting their butts to try to stay competitive with conglomerates, working ridiculous hours, and trying to find people with an ounce of integrity to help them stay afloat. And here is the kicker—when good people are just trying to survive, the idea of getting to live your ideal lifestyle begins to sound like a pipe dream. I have found that when people are in crisis management, it is difficult for them to explore the idea of LIVING THE LIFE OF THEIR DREAMS. Herein lies the irony: until we make the shift to doing what we really want—we will stay in crisis management…forever.

Making the transition requires a leap of faith. It is a change in mindset. It requires an unconventional way of thinking—thinking that YOUR DREAMS ARE POSSIBLE. It means going on faith and taking action even if (and especially if) nothing in your current reality deems it possible. It means moving forward and making plans for your dream no matter what is happening. It means ignoring the naysayers and the ‘rational’ voices in your own head. It means going to uncharted territory before you are ready. Because the simple truth is, you will never feel ready to do something different. YOU WILL NEVER FEEL READY, BUT YOU CAN GET READY.

I can tell you from experience, having lived and worked all over the world, that you CAN achieve anything that you put your mind to. But you can’t just stop there. You will only begin to get results towards your dream when you put action towards your dream. Thinking will only keep you in neutral. Doing is what drives the car. My challenge to you and reason for writing this post is to inspire you to try out unconventional thinking. I want to pose these two very important questions to you (and please reply not just for your own sake but to motivate and inspire others):