The sun came up, sitting at my desk, I peered out my office window over the snow-covered, frozen pond.  As I contemplated the move to corporate, I cracked open an old presentation to acclimate my thinking.  The deck was a little dated but prepared collaboratively with one of the largest and most respected consulting firms in the world.  The cover had only a date and the title of the project.  I flipped the page to the Table of Contents and there it was.  Right there.  The third bullet...

 

With all of the resources and brainpower of a multi-billion dollar, Fortune 100 and arguably the best consultants money could buy (and trust me, it wasn’t cheap) the answer to why we don’t rise up to our capabilities was right there.  The third bullet…

 

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Bullet 1).  “Context and Objectives”   This makes perfect sense.  We all should consider what fields we want to play on, the existing and impending landscape and what impact we want to make.  

 

Bullet 2).  “Research Overview”   If we’ve conducted research, tested the market and identified ground changes, this should be reviewed for tweaks to strategy and tactics as well as any adjustments to outcomes; upwards of course.  

 

Bullet 3).  “Current Thinking and No Regret Moves”   What!  “No Regret” Moves?  What exactly does this mean?  George Bernard Shaw said, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world.  The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”  With all of the resources and brainpower at our disposal, surprisingly, we chose to “play it safe.” Taking the option of failure off the table, opting to be in a word, reasonable.    

 

Are you suffocating? 

 

There are times in life when we are called to harness every bit of our will and live up to our capabilities, the greatness that is within all of us.  Each of us has a gift, an ability to perform beyond our daily fathoms.  But when we let fear determine our paths, and remove the option of failure from the proverbial table, we are sure to have no regrets.  We are sure to play it safe.  We are sure to suffocate.  

 

By playing it safe, we choose not to live.  Truth is, a failure is an option.  We can choose to put ourselves in a place of vulnerability and potential greatness.  Requiring the harnessing of our will and all of our faculties to succeed.  Or we can choose to suffocate.  

 

When the network brass told Oprah she didn’t have the personality for television, she didn’t choose “no regret” moves.  She focused.  She chose greatness!  When Michael Jordan didn’t make the team, he didn’t choose “no regret” moves.  He focused.  He chose greatness!  Walt Disney was fired and told he lacked imagination.   Have you ever taken your kids to Disney World?  Close your eyes and think back.  Can you see their faces?  You would never feel the joy of remembering their faces if Walt Disney would have taken “no regret” moves.  He focused.  He chose to live.  He chose greatness!

 

If you’re like every other red-blooded man or woman, you make decisions daily. What big decision are you contemplating right now?  What will you do?  Will you choose “no regret” moves?  Or will you rise to your full capabilities and choose to live; choose greatness?  

 

Your move.