I keep chuckling to myself about something I witnessed last weekend at the Illumination Conference. I sat in on a workshop led by a career coach who was helping attendees focus on their passions and thrive. The coach asked for a guinea pig from the audience – someone was willing to clarify her business goals in front of everyone. Right away, a brave soul raised her hand and took a seat up front.
She owns a dog training business and loves what she does, but was very unsure about how to grow her career and zero in on specific goals. The coach walked her through several exercises, including creating a gratitude list of things she’s thankful for. Then she shared details about her business – what she does well, what she wants, what she worries about. By the end of her half hour in the front of the room, she had three huge sheets full of notes stuck to the walls. The coach turned to her and said, “So, do you think you have enough here now to help you clarify your vision?”
And here’s my favorite part: the woman just slumped in her seat and said, “Oh. I thought YOU were gonna tell me my vision.” I thought it was hysterical – because we all can relate, right? The woman was dead serious. She thought the coach would look at all of those notes and tell her what to do and where to go and how to do it.
Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) it seems like life would be so much easier if someone else would just do the dirty work, point the way, make some calls and then give us a little nudge of the ledge. But we can’t fly by strapping on a pair of wings that were made by someone else. Those wings have to be an extension off you. You have to practice taking off and landing, flapping and gliding, gaining confidence in your ability to soar. Only you know the best route for you. Only you can envision your ideal future. Let someone else create your vision and you give up your potential to fly.
