Be Extraordinary

I must be embarking on a philosophical time in my life, because I’ve been thinking a lot about what this life is about, what the purpose is, and what it will take for me to be the best version of myself.  Through my philosophical journey I have studied many people which I consider to be extraordinary.  These people do more than we do, they work harder than us, sleep less, and persevere through whatever is thrown their way.  These people change the world.  And contrary to popular belief, these people are no more special, gifted, or have any talent that you and I could not develop.

No, by observation these people aren’t extraordinary at all.  They are just regular people.  But somewhere along the road they picked up something that transformed them into more than you and I are right now.  They found fuel that drove them further than you and I are ready to go.  Somewhere along the road they became extraordinary, and with their extraordinary powers they forever changed the world.

I remember in high school all I wanted to do was be extraordinary.  All I wanted to do was change something I saw in the world into something better.  I truly and honestly believed that through my hard work and perseverence, I could change the world.  Sadly, college shattered those dreams, and replaced them with hopes of getting a decent job, starting a family, and living the live that many of us are in the direction of living.

There is nothing wrong with that.  Finding a good job is important.  Having a great family is a wonderful purpose.  But for just a few of us, we feel something pulling us in a different direction; something telling us that it is our responsibility to be the change we want to see in the world.  And for those of you who feel this way, and are wandering around looking for the way to achieve this goal, I am hear to lead the way.

First of all, you have to know in your heart that this is the life for you.  If you are going to change the world you are going to encounter many naysayers, people who will ignore you, and worst of all you’ll have to scale hundreds of tall brick walls.  There are going to be many, many times when you want to give up.  You’ll need to dig deep and find all of the inspiration and motivation you can find, and hold on to it like it’s treasure.  Soon you’ll find it is.

• Picture your own perfection.  What does the perfect version of you look like?  What does he/she act like?  How does he carry himself?  What lifestyle is he living?  If you can truly identify with the perfect you, it will be easier to work towards becoming it.  You have to be your own image of perfection in order to do extraordinary things.
• Ignore the naysayers. You’ll exhaust yourself trying to convince them, or you’ll be brought down by them.  Remember to ignore them, and move past them, and you’ll save countless hours.
• Surround yourself with support. The easiest way to lose sight of your goals is to surround yourself with people who don’t have them.  Sidestep this problem by surrounding yourself with doers instead of dreamers.  Their constant movement and activity will keep you motivated to keep up.
• Dream the biggest dreams.  What are your dreams, goals, and aspirations in life?  Are there larger, more extraordinary versions of your goals?  Then dream bigger.  Why dream about driving a Mustang when there are people driving Ferraris?
• Build great relationships.  Knowing the right people will take you farther than hard work going by the books ever could.  Spend more time meeting the right people, show real interest in them, and build strong relationships.
• Take action. Ever heard the phrase Ready, Fire, Aim. It means start now, adjust later.  If you can implement this plan you’ll find yourself way ahead of the game.
• Be simple.  Stress is the enemy.  Anything you can do to [intlink id="420" type="post"]avoid stress[/intlink] and [intlink id="150" type="post"]achieve a simpler life[/intlink] will help you with your journey to the top.
• Be your best friend.  You’ll find and lose a lot of people on your journey.  You have to trust, love, and have confidence in yourself in order to get through it all.  Learn to be by yourself and do things on your own and nothing can stand in your way.
• Learn from The Greats. I refer to other extraordinary people as The Greats.  These are the people who have traveled the journey I’m headed in.  They’ve gotten through it, and they are willing to share their story.  Read of them, study them, learn from them.  They will become your wealth of knowledge, your roadmap.
• Imitate your heroes. [intlink id="861" type="post"]Heroes [/intlink]are extraordinary people.  They sacrifice everything they know in an effort to save/help others.  If your journey to an extraordinary life is not to help others, you will not be successful.
• Take a good look in the mirror.  See yourself the way others see you.  If you don’t look, speak, and act in a way that shows your ability to succeed you will encounter great difficulty trying to convince people to join your cause.

Enjoy the journey. It isn’t just the top of the mountain that is enjoyable.  Take time along the way to enjoy each step in your journey.  Celebrate each milestone.  Too often people focus on the end, and when they get there they feel empty.  Avoid this by slowing down and[intlink id="258" type="post"] smelling the roses[/intlink].

This road will be long and difficult, but know you aren’t alone.  There are plenty of us suffering through it just as much as you, just waiting to savor the sweet taste of being extraordinary.  Good luck with your journey, and I’ll see you at the top!