These opening lines from a monologue in Shakespeare’s As You Like It compare the world to a stage, and life the play which unfolds upon that stage. If you believe in reincarnation, in whatever form that may take, you may well have multiple lives, yet all of us are really only living one life at any one time. And it’s our only opportunity to excel. So, if life really isn’t a dress rehearsal, are you actually the star of the show right now?
I’ve met too many people who have appeared to have settled for second best, if that. Seemingly, many appear to fall into a routine of mediocrity, doing only what is necessary to get from day to day, week to week, and so on into the same, repetitive future. Furthermore, opportunities come and go, options pass us by, and suddenly we’re ruing all of those missed chances.
Eventually, it becomes a recurring pattern feeling lost, having lost out on so much for so long. Indeed, it can reach a point where it feels impossible to do anything differently. Sadly, not only are you missing out, you’re resigned to your fate. Stuck.
Obviously, not all of us are able to secure a global platform. Indeed, it’s a mere handful of people whose achievements span the continents and the decades, indeed centuries. The vast majority of us can only look on and wonder. Yet, we can play all of the parts we are destined to play and make them our own. You really can become the star of your show.
Firstly, rather than average or good enough, you could start by excelling at everything that you do. Everything. From the smallest task to your greatest achievement, just imagine the world was looking on. Take a bow when you excel and use the feedback to do better.
Additionally, do it because you want to, not because you have to or because you feel that it’s what’s expected of you. Make those choices, and make them for you.
Secondly, seize the day, and seize the opportunities. What’s the worst that can happen? And remember, we tend to regret what we didn’t do rather than what we did. Curiously, this’s true even if what you did turned out differently from what you actually wanted. It’s all about stepping up and stepping out. If you make the plan, follow it through. It’s about so much more than success and failure, something I blogged about here only a few weeks ago.
Finally, now is the time to take the first step. If you know how to do it, do it now. If you’re not sure, then book an initial consultation here and then take the next step. You know that you can do it, and you know that it makes sense, don’t you?
