Back in the days there was a toy called a chia pet. You folks that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s know exactly what I’m talking about.
Im not sure if it was a sheep or goat but the premise of this toy was to pour water on it, and then sit back and watch the fur grow.
Yes I know to all you young folks this doesn’t seem like much fun (and it wasn’t) but that’s not my point. With the chia pet all you had to do is add water and all the work was done.
You didn’t have to walk it, feed it, or anything else for that matter. Just sit and watch the fruits of your labor in three to five minutes.
That same mindset is being applied to life at an alarming rate. So many people think that their dreams coming true will be easy. They want the rewards without the work. I look at all the successful people that populate the world today. Call me crazy but they all seem to have followed the same blueprint. Self-Belief + Work Ethic + Positive Attitude = Success. You rarely see any blueprint that reads Show Up + Be There = Success. You have to put the time in.
When I decided that I wanted to write books and speak all over the world I had to make a choice. I had to decide how bad I wanted this dream and what I was willing to do to make it a reality. I had a newborn baby at the time and zero speaking engagements lined up. My chia pet was figuratively furless. But I was raised by a woman who had a work ethic that could rival any human being (man or woman) I’ve ever known or heard of.
One of the greatest gifts she gave me as a child was being such an unbelievable role model for me. My moms’ work ethic impacted me so much if I even thought about giving up on anything I would feel guilty. So writing my first book was going to get done no matter what. If that meant getting up at 4am so be it. As far as being a speaker I’ve spoken on both coast already and in the Midwest.
By the end of 2015 I’ll be able to add about a hundred more cities and Europe to that list. How do I know this to be true? Because I know dreams without actions will remain just a dream.
Don’t wait for something to happen my friends make it happen!!
I love you and love this! It’s a blessing to be raised by parental figures who believe in us, and working for your dreams:) xo
You crack me up with your “throw back” references but you are correct. In my house my kids know that they don’t get it until the earn it. And when they do earn it on their own, the feeling of accomplishment and success overwhelms them. I love seeing them at that moment.