Really it all comes down to one choice. Will you lead life or will you let life
lead you? How do you create a future that doesn't yet exist? How real is this idea
of leadership, that we can intentionally change the future for better. When there
are so many unanswered questions in your mind is it possible to create a vision
that is so clear, so real, that those questions fade away? Can our imagination
be that powerful? Can we take an idea, a picture of the future, this intangible
vision and make it real? In fact, that's exactly the way it works. The world
either unfolds around you or it is shaped by people who see it differently.
There is a connection in your mind between who you are today and who you
believe you will be in the future. This connection, this vision is meant to be
seen, shaped and pursued. It's the way we build
a better world. What will you accomplish in your future and who will you serve
with your gifts? Truly see it, imagine it grab hold of it with such detail that
making it happen is only a matter of time.
Decide what will happen in your life and decide who you will be within this
world that's so big and so small and then work to make it so
and we know it's not always easy. We know hard work is involved. We know the
troubles that will come, that will get you knocked off track. Get ready to make
mistakes. Time and time and time again you will be tested and we know you're
up for the task. That you will get up and try again, do it again, work at it
again, commit to it again because through it all you will keep coming back to that
same spot, that same idea that you can either lead life or let life lead you.
So you lead. Your vision is a powerful thing. It's the way we make the world
better for you and for others. See it, believe it, do it.
See it, believe it, do it. Be ready for tomorrow by doing all that you can today.
Setting your goals. Set a goal that will make you stretch for what it will make
of you to achieve it. What a brand new reason for setting goals. What an
all-encompassing challenge to have a better vision of the future, to see what
it will make of you to achieve it and here's why. The greatest value in life is
not what you get, the greatest value in life is what you become. The major
question to ask on the job is not what am I getting here,
the major question to ask is, what am i becoming here? It's not what you get that
makes you valuable. It's what you become that makes you valuable. Set the kind of
goals that will make something of you to achieve them. So there you have the two
components of positive self direction. Number one, self-knowledge. Knowing who
you are and what you want to do with your life and number two, self
preparation. Getting ready for the opportunities before they come your way.
You need both aspects for positive self direction, figuring out who you are and
what you want and being prepared for the day you reach your goals. Being ready
being worthy, becoming the person you need to be in pursuit of what you want.
What good is an opportunity if you're not prepared to take advantage of it?
It's no good. Won't do a thing for you. Be prepared.
Greatness is not this wonderful, esoteric, illusive, godlike feature that only the
special among us will ever taste, you know? It's something that truly exists in
all of us. It's very simple. This is what I believe and I'm willing to die
for it. The first step before anybody else in the world believes it is you
have to believe it. There's no reason to have a plan B because it distracts from
plan A. There's no easy way around it. No matter
how talented you are, your talent is going to fail you if you're not skilled
you know. If you don't study, if you don't work really hard and dedicate yourself
to being better every single day, you'll never be able to communicate with- with
people, with your artistry the way that you want so the separation of talent and
skill is one of the- the- the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who
are trying to excel, who have dreams, that want to do things. Talent you have
naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on
your craft. Life is not always good, life is always not rosy.
But life is worth living when you find purpose.
Nik I don't know what my purpose is. I don't know. My parents want me to do
this, my teachers want me to do that, my friends think that I should do this and
I don't know what to do and you're torn man, you don't know what to do. You have
to make important decisions man, you don't know what to do. Who do you believe?
Follow your heart.
If that's who you want to be, if that's what you want to do in life
then work to it.
One day at a time.
That phone might feel so far away, in fact it might seem impossible for you to
reach that.
Let's say that phone was all the way at the back of the room. How am I going to
get off this table? I can't. How am I gonna get there? I can't
but I want you to know that nothing is impossible and if it is impossible for
your dreams to come true, let's say you want to become a pilot and you can't be
a pilot for some reason, maybe your eyesight, maybe your height, I know
somebody who couldn't be a pilot. They're doing something now that they
actually love to do. See all things come together for the
good, that's how it is in my life. You see there's nothing good about having no
arms and no legs, is there? No. If I, you know click my fingers metaphorically
speaking and your arms and legs disappeared, do you think you'd be happy
with me? You'd come running after me and headbutt me. Okay because there's nothing
good about having no limbs but I love my life, do you want to know why because
I've seen the purpose. What about this? Let's say, do you have a problem in your
life and you want to give up now. Imagine if someone 10 years older who's gone
through the exact same thing that you have, actually got through it and came to
you and said, you know what? I know how it feels.
I've been there. I've been going through what you're going through now but I'm
still here. Would that not encourage you? Could that
possibly save your life? Yes. Is that not a purpose worth living for?
And the first step is you gotta have a vision, a vision for what it is you
really, truly want. Not what you think you want or what you should have, I mean what are
most people's New Year's resolutions? I'm gonna stop eating sugar, you know I'm
gonna stop smoking, I'm gonna lose 10 pounds, the problem with that is, it's not very
inspiring for most people. You know it's not telling you what you're gonna get
it's only what you're not gonna do and it's kind of hard to have you move
forward with that. A vision is about what you're here to create. A vision that
really works is one that excites you. If you say well, my you know, my resolution
my goal, my outcome for this month, this week, this year is to lose X number of
pounds, that's okay but it's not very compelling. It has to be a compelling
vision. It's gotta have something that has the power to pull you. Not something you have
to push yourself to do. Those are two different kinds of motivation. Push
requires willpower and willpower never lasts. What will last is pull. Having
something so exciting, so attractive, so- something you desire so much that
you have a hard time going to sleep at night and you get so- up early in the morning
to rock it and take it to the next level. Reasons come first, answers come
second. If you've got a compelling vision and you've got strong enough reasons that
will push you through the tough times, you're gonna do things that other people
don't do. Instead of collapsing, even if you get off target you won't go oh I
blew it, you'll get right back on target make the change, make things happen and I
know you've done this in many areas of your life. Just think about it again. I'm not
teaching you something really new here today, I just want to remind you of what
your soul knows. You gotta change, you gotta improve and you've got to go through
a simple process fundamentally to make that progress.