I have a
high school reunion coming up this year.
As I speak with people who've not come across my mind for years, I am
saddened to learn of lost dreams.
Many 'most
likely to succeed' haven't. Marriages
have ended; businesses have closed; untimely deaths have occurred. Life hasn't turned out as planned.
I hear
statements like, "Why didn't I build up the courage to ask this person out; to
pursue my dreams of _____; to move away to _____; to study _____?
We were
young and naive. That was our role as high school kids. Yet, we were also bold and courageous in our
thinking. Our dreams were larger than
life.
What stood
in the way of claiming our gigantic gold visions of how we wanted our life to turn
out? We
did. We made choices to not 'claim' what
we wanted.
One of my greatest
rewards as a 'Success Coach' is in watching clients go from the 'what if' stage
to stepping out and actually claiming what they want.
Sometimes we need
someone
who believes in us
more than we believe in ourselves,
like a coach, mentor
or strong spouse to prod us
so we can move forward
to
claim what we want in
life.
Client 'A'
for example watched those around her get promoted year after year before we
met. She thought it was because they held higher educational degrees than she,
though her experience and knowledge in her field was unmatched.
Why didn't she
advance? She simply had not 'claimed'
that she wanted a higher level position.
Everyone thought 'A' was happy and fulfilled, but she was slowing dying
inside, growing more angry with each peer promotion.
Client
'B's' claim was in the area of money. His
belief system prevented him from asking for a raise because in his family, money
represented greediness.
At the same
time, he felt unmotivated to perform as others around him were paid higher
salaries. Once we shifted his vision to
claiming a higher salary matched with more intriguing work, he was on fire and
a much more valuable employee.
Life is
short. The only one holding you back in
most cases is you. You cannot expect those around you to know
what you want, what makes you feel fulfilled, happy, motivated unless you tell
them.
Once you
claim your gold (what you truly want,) then you can make an action plan to
attain it. Until then, it's just a
passing thought that can lead to a downward spiral and unfulfilled dreams.
Go out and
find something to claim this week, something large or small that has been
lingering in the back of your mind. You'll be amazed with what this simple act
does for your confidence and self esteem.
