We all have risk in our lives, and we can either embrace it or do everything in our power to avoid it. Imagine a playground where a group of children are jumping off the top of the monkey bars, and then there are a few kids who stand at the edge pacing and waiting for the school bell to ring so they do not have to jump.
I want to encourage you to JUMP! Not in the sense of physical, mental, or spiritual harm, but to really jump back into a childlike state and use your imagination. Create and innovate right where you stand! Ken Robinson states the risk of imagination eloquently, “Be prepared to be wrong.” When you are prepared to risk, be wrong, and basically stand there looking like an idiot—you are onto something!
Society has teaches us through our education system to no work within our natural gifts, but to test out to an educational standard. Highly successful people have bunked the standard and create success by taking the risk of standing alone. The risk takers are the ones you watch rise to the next level. The risk takers are the ones who are creating original ideas.
When you are prepared to imagine, innovate, and risk within your gift set, you are no longer living within the set standard of average! ~ Tracy Worley
Take time out and reflect on your life, career, and the significance that your natural gifts offer the world.
- Reflect on what you loved doing as a child (natural gift).
- Reflect on all of those assessments you have taken over the years (natural gift).
- Reflect on your voice of doubt, do it afraid, do it anyway.
- Reflect on discipline in your daily agenda. Are you taking time to risk?
- Reflect on the ideas popping into your head and write them down. Some will make sense and some will not. Step forward with one where clarity comes through and start moving forward without knowing the how or the details. Don’t get held up in the paralysis of perfection.
You are meant to have a life and career of significance so embrace your natural gifts, talents, wisdom, and knowledge to create original ideas. If you look back in history and innovation, most of those who risked standing alone where mocked, but now we have light-bulbs after ten-thousand tries. We have flight because the Wright Brothers believed with imagination, risk, and perseverance that it was possible.
Society’s standard of average is not where you are valued. Create value by standing alone on the edge of the monkey bars and JUMP!
Look UP & OUT!
Tracy Worley
I know you are curious!
Do you want to find your secret sauce of imagination and create original ideas through your natural gifts?
We are starting a new series in June where you will build critical insights to building your secret sauce to creating the future you want. 5 Ways to Create the Future You Want.
Ken Robinson, Ph.D. (2009) The Element
Tracy Worley (2015) Authentic Leadership, Authentic Self
Tracy A. Worley (2015) GRACEbreak Radio