I find myself in heartfelt conversations of late with younger friends both new and old,earnest individuals of gen
The chats are most often related to questions about personal destiny and the risks associated with change. Most want to do good and make their mark on the world and make a lot of money in the process, others want to leave a job that is soul destroying in order to live a happier more fulfilling life. And some simply want to be better people.
It’s gratifying to be considered worthy of this sought-out advice and it’s a responsibility that I don’t take likely.
With a lifetime career and varied experience in the rear-view mirror, including a newly reinvented career, I can’t help but wonder, am I guiding them in the right direction? I certainly had my own struggles to deal with, overcoming adversity as a child and then again as a mature adult, but did I make all the right choices in the end? In hindsight, would I have done things differently? The answer is both yes, and no.
Destiny is our potential waiting to happen. It’s the top rank in the grand scheme of possibilities and where dreams do come true. 4 years ago, I took a bold step and left the security of a 40-year career that I loved. I didn’t just love the work, I lived, ate and breathed it 24/7. The job had defined me, consuming my every waking moment. I never stopped to think that the work was just what I did, not who I was as a person. Had this revelation been understood early on, I would have spread my wings earlier and let fate take me to where I was supposed to be, which is, where I am now.
After a nudge from some lovely people, I jumped into the unknown and chose my own destiny —a destiny still in the making. I didn’t have a road map, I had to put the pieces in place along the way.
It goes without saying that my deliberate choices led me to where I am today, living my best life, with time for family, travel and other adventures.
Had I not risked fate, I wouldn’t be helping more people that I had ever considered helping, I wouldn’t have had the time to author two books, nor gain the financial freedom to enjoy life and do good in the world.
And so, I can’t help but cautiously advise these lovely inquiring humans to take a page from my playbook and let fate take them to where they need to be. We all must be willing to take that first step to reach our potential, even if it’s a risk. It is said that with great risk comes great failure, but there’s no greater risk than no risk at all. If we can dream it, we can make it our reality, but we must set that plan in motion by trusting fate by taking that first step, no matter the age.
Why settle for a life ordinary? We must strive for more by aiming to reach our full potential. By following your heart and chasing your dreams, you’ll gain power over your fate. This same power allows you to be who you were always meant to be and to live your most extraordinary life.