Look inside and answer the question “If you could do anything you wanted without compromising who you are, What Would Be YOUR VISION?”
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned on my leadership journey is the importance of looking inside to create your vision so you’re clear on what you want – and why you want it or why it matters to you.
Looking back at my teenage years, I remember having no clue what I wanted to do when I “grew up”.
I wasn’t planning on going to college, and one of my girlfriends talked me into applying.
The local newspaper offered classes on how to do this, and my Mom and I attended classes once a week for 4 weeks to get me ready.
One of the next questions I needed to answer at this point in my life was, “What would I major in?” – and once again, I didn’t have a clue.
The son of my Mom’s friend declared Criminal Justice as his major and I thought, “I can do that!” so I checked that box.
It wasn’t exactly a scientific approach or based on some life-long dream.
I was fascinated by crime and mystery shows and secretly wanted to be a superhero (Wonder Woman, to be precise) when I grew up.
I had a vision I could make the world a safer place.
How about you? 
What’s your big vision?
It seems TOO BIG for one person, doesn’t it?
I’ve discovered that one of the best steps to living out big vision is to think bigger.
Sounds crazy, right?
Thinking bigger has you expand your growth edges so you’re using your creativity and innovative thoughts rather than standing in what you feel is possible for you to accomplish alone.
- What issue do you want to impact?
- What area of life or business do you care about?
- Where are you called to make a difference?
No one in my family worked in law enforcement and I didn’t really understand what I was getting myself into at the time.
After college, I couldn’t find a job in law enforcement so I went to work in banking and never gave up on my vision.
My vision kept drawing me forward – and I went to the library to research Federal jobs.
I read something about the United States Customs Service being responsible for “international trade and travel” – and I thought, “I want to travel.”
Ultimately, it didn’t matter that I didn’t understand what that meant. I signed up to take the test anyway – and waited 3 years to get a call or interview.
What mattered was that I held onto the vision and let curiosity lead me to take steps.
The next step is to get clear on your message.
- What is your big idea?
- What is it that you want the people you’re called to serve to understand?
- What change do you want to cause in the world?
I was clear I wanted to make a difference and understood that leadership would enable me to spearhead change.
At my annual Design Your Destiny Live 3-day leadership event, I share my 7 Pillars of Leadership.
Pillar #1 is: Start With a Written Plan – and Begin With Your Why.
I speak about the value of clarity as you move forward.
Finally, you’ve got to take action to move forward.
It really can be that simple.
The biggest piece here is to understand you can’t do it alone.
You’ve got to involve other people in your big vision.
I asked myself these questions:
- Who else cares about making the world a safer place?
- Who already speaks about and writes about this issue that I can reach out to in order to further the dialogue, perhaps from a different perspective?
- What organizations have moved the needle on this issue?
My goal has been to collaborate so I can make a bigger impact in order to move forward with possible new solutions.
I’ve written 6 books, coached mission-driven executives, managers, and entrepreneurs on 3 continents in over 30 industries seeking to grow my influence, spread ideas and in order to change the world.
My business revolves around the principle of the world being better off – safer – in essence, — when you step into your vision and share your brilliance, because then, everyone in the world wins.
“Changing the world” may seem like a huge, and almost impossible undertaking…until you focus on the exact issue you want to change and bring the right people together.
Action 
The Upside Challenge of the week is to answer the question, “If you could do anything you wanted without compromising who you are, What Would Be YOUR VISION?”
Comfort doesn’t change the world.
Vulnerability changes everything.
Create Your VISION.