I flew to the Tribe Conference, a meet-up for writers and creatives hosted by Jeff Goins. I signed-up to hone my craft. To network. To build community. I wanted to be inspired – to see how the other half lives.
But I came away surprised – delighted really – because I came home with something more valuable, more powerful than I ever expected.
I learned a valuable life lesson. I learned about the absolute power of everyday choices.
If you want to dramatically improve your life, read on and learn why every little choice, every decision you make changes your life.
Make a decision, choose your dream
[special]“I had a choice.”
– Tim Grahl, Running Down a Dream. [/special]
Staring failure in the face, author Tim Grahl boldly declared that he had a choice. Broken and challenged by life, Tim decided not to succumb to disappointment and despair. Instead, he made the bold decision to choose his dream over defeat.
He decided to run down his dream.
Tim was one of several phenomenal speakers at the Tribe Conference. Tim’s rawness about his struggle and his choices resonated with the audience. We’ve all been there.
As I listened to Tim I thought, “That’s true. Life is all about our choices. Our decisions.”
Your life is a collection of tiny choices
One day my youngest daughter shared a favorite quote with me while discussing life and choices.
[special]“Life is a collection of a million, billion moments, tiny little moments and choices, like a handful of luminous, glowing pearls. And strung together, built upon one another, lined up through the days and the years, they make a life, a person.”
— Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines
[/special]
I love that quote. It speaks so much truth.
How we handle our “tiny little moments and choices” determines our present and our future. Our life. Our personal story.
We make decisions every day. Most of the time we don’t think they’re important. But they are.
Sometimes we postpone a decision. But you know what? That side step is a decision too.
Todd Henry, another great Tribe speaker, told conference attendees, “the most valuable land in the world is a graveyard.” Because it’s there that some of the world’s most valuable ideas lie forgotten. Buried. Gone forever. Never to see the light again.
And at that moment, I realized what the whole conference was truly about.
Make a choice, tell your story
To do my best work I must make a decision. A decision to be bold and to reveal. To share and to be vulnerable.
But that’s where it gets hard. It’s difficult to share your story. We’re frightened to divulge those inner secrets that hide inside of us, because maybe they’re not pretty. Sharing your story is opening the door to your soul.
But really, what’s the alternative? To live a life based on fear?
We heard Chase Jarvis, a serial entrepreneur and creative, deliver this truth, “You can’t stand out and fit in at the same time.” Let me say that again – You can’t stand out and fit in at the same time.
So, let’s all make a decision to stand out. Tell your personal story, no one can tell you that you are wrong. That’s the great thing about telling YOUR story. It’s all yours.
As Mike Kim, personal branding guru, told us, “Your personal story is the foundation of everything.” EVERYTHING.
Pretty powerful and inspiring concepts to unpack from my mental suitcase! Make these concepts yours today and choose to run down your dream.
Be Wise and Successful…
1. Be aware of your decisions. Each time you’re confronted with a scary decision, ask yourself “do I really have to be afraid?”
2. Understand your worldview. Spend time thinking about the key assumptions you’ve made about the world, and how they impact the choices you make.
3. Dream a little. When peering into your future ask yourself, “what if?!”.
4. Choose to serve. Serve others by sharing the gift of your story. It will be valuable and impactful to someone.
Do you want to live a happier, more successful life? I’m Greg, that’s my passion, and that’s what I explore on my blog. Read More…