Precipice Dancing

“It seems to be a universal principle that whenever I declare that I’ll reach a goal or have something, that there will be a time when I’m tested; I’ll be required to wrestle with every bit of strength I have to demonstrate that I really want it!”

–Jacob

Precipice Dancing

Have you ever looked at someone you know well; someone who has it all, the people my friend Robert Crooks calls “the beautiful people,” and wondered at their ability to be seemingly free to accomplish everything they ever desire?   I certainly have and for many of my younger years I believed such people were simply lucky!  Then I noticed that it was the same people who were “lucky” over and over again.

Steven Maranville, one of the most insightful business consultants I know, and I sat in comfortable chairs around a small table in a glass skyscraper this week and had a conversation about this very phenomenon just three days ago.

“A huge segment of society thinks there is “security” to be had by working for someone else.  But, that isn’t the case.  When you do that, someone else controls your destiny.” Steven said.

That made me really think about destiny and made me wonder if anyone really controls their own destiny.  My mind raced from corner to corner testing the concept of destiny and control.  Does anyone really have the ability to decide what their future will be and then go out and make it come to pass?  Then I thought of the lucky ones again and knew that they understood principles that others don’t seem to.

“The successful entrepreneurs I know seem to be good at living on the brink.” I said to Steven.  “Perhaps that’s what sets them apart.  They have the ability to make a goal and then work toward that goal while they’re living on the precipice of disaster a lot of the time.”

It was at that moment, when the words had just slipped past my lips, that I vividly remembered my friend Jacob and what he had taught me.  Jacob is one of the most amazing people I know about.  He is successful in every corner of his life.  His business is amazing.  He is spiritually centered.  He looks great and is in wonderful shape.  He’s the “poster child” for the word amazing!

Jacob once said to me, “It seems to be a universal principle that whenever I declare that I’ll reach a goal or have something, that there will be a time when I’m tested; I’ll be required to wrestle with every bit of my strength to demonstrate that I really want it, that its mine!”  Then he went on to tell me about his personal story and how there was one time in particular when thought he was completely spent, but wasn’t.

“I had this vision about my life and its rewards.  I had done alright, but I wanted to do more that well!  I wanted to have it all!” He recounted.  “Once, when I was tired, night was just beginning, I thought I’d just quit for the day.  Then the vision of what I wanted rushed vividly through my whole body and I wanted it more than anything I’ve ever wanted, so I wrestled the entire night until I was granted the outcome I wanted!”

“Granted?” I replied.

“Yes, granted!” He said with a smile.  “It wasn’t until I gave myself the permission to see that I was just like everyone else, others were not any smarter than I was and they didn’t have more answers than I did, and that what I wanted was already in my possession, that my life really changed.  So, while others thought I was taking big risks, I knew I had already succeeded.  It wasn’t that I wasn’t challenged any more, I just knew the outcome so I just worked with confidence through obstacles as they presented themselves.”

“So, one person’s dangerous cliff is another’s play ground?” I asked.

“Yes!  I live on that edge so it is comfortable to me.  It’s exhilarating, challenging and fulfilling to me.  It’s all in the way you look at it.  You have to grant yourself the permission to live and thrive there while knowing you’ve already succeeded.” Jacob answered.

You’ve already succeeded too.  Grant yourself the permission to own your successful future today.  It’s yours for the taking.  Will dancing on the precipice be dangerous or exhilarating, challenging and fulfilling to you?  The answer is inside of you.  Wrestle it out today.