292. His Life Makes Most Sense to Him in the Rearview Mirror

“My path only makes sense to me in the rear view mirror, looking back. But it’s amazing how it’s brought me to where I am right now. I feel like, for the first time in my life, I am using my talents to the ultimate and to the fullest. Every little bit of experience that I had is helping me now to work with people to amplify their messages, to get their marketing message out there, to connect with people that could be ideal customers with them.”

“I had the opportunity to go to the United States Naval Academy. As a Midwestern kid growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, my world went from the Mississippi River in the west to Indiana in the east. For the first time in my life, I got to be exposed to so many different people, so many different cultures and ideas. I went from being 17 years old and never having been more than 200 miles from my house, to coming back a year later having been around the world.

“Don’t focus on what somebody else is doing. Don’t try to copy what Bill Gates is doing. You’ll never be able to do it. Figure out who you are, and what you individually have to do and to offer the world. And who you want to work with. And who you want to work for. Because that’s where you’re going to make people happy, and they will make you happy.”

1. Look at where you’ve been the happiest, where you’ve pleased people the most.

2. Look at yourself as an independent contractor, even if you work for a company.

3. Use your talents to add value to what you do.

4. Focus more on the service you provide and less on any particular job title.

The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level, by Gay Hendricks, PhD