Some people sell tiles for a living.
Some people manage a small team that has been making the same 3 products since the early 1900’s.
Some people work the reception desk at a hotel.
We all do something, and whatever that something is for you, it’s worth doing right.
In my world, I get paid to think and advise.
I deal with enormous topics.
I must think about the complexities of technologies that are changing behaviors and disrupting companies, governments and the status quo. I try to see the future and explain it in clear terms for people who are stuck in the past. I have to force myself into deep focus to wade through the myriad of variables each unique company faces. I am constantly bumping up against the limitations of my mind.
I try to work through it by putting my thoughts down in writing, spoken words and videos.
I often wonder how some people do SO much? How do they maintain a blog, write a book, appear on TV, volunteer, and sit on 5 different boards…oh, and sleep? I consistently push my limits of how much I can do, how long and deeply I can think, and how much I can fit into one day while maintaining a healthy personal life and catching a few hours of sleep.
The only thing I can point to is the fire.
There is a fire that burns within each of us to do something extraordinary. In most cases people let that fire dwindle or die out, and then they “get stuck” doing something that doesn’t matter to them, just to pay the bills.
It’s sad to me, because the fire is what keeps me going. Beyond that, the fire doesn’t just fuel me, it’s my reason to be fueled. I’ve been stuck in jobs before, I’ve felt under-appreciated but it was the fire that got me out. It’s the fire that allows me to exceed my known limitations.
You’ve still got the fire in you, you might just need to dig a little deeper to unearth it. Once you find it, keep it going, harness it, and find your way into unsafe territory and push yourself past what you ever thought was possible.