250. The Most Extraordinary Version of Yourself

I have a dream.

In my dream, I am flying. I am soaring above the earth. It feels effortless. I feel free. The wind is blowing through my hair like I’m in a Clairol commercial.

I’m not wearing a cape or a mask or any other silly trappings of a celluloid superhero.

I’m not a superhero. I’m just me. I’m flying effortlessly over the city in my regular pants and t-shirt.

I’m smiling and I’m laughing and, though I know I may fall victim to gravity at any moment, in this particular moment I am weightlessly invincible.

And then I wake up.

Your Daily Life Choice

Every day you are given a choice.
Like in The Matrix, you can take the red pill or the blue.

Choose the red pill and you’ll experience the day as the most uniquely exceptional version of yourself. You will accomplish miraculous things that leave others in awe. You will move the world with your efforts.

You will fly.

Or you can choose the blue pill.

If you do that, you’ll live just another day doing the same thing you’ve always done in the same way you’ve always done it. Nothing terrible will happen, but neither will anything extraordinary. You’ll travel on a treadmill of mediocrity; just another figure that blends into the landscape of life.

So tell me, what are you going to do?
Are you ready to fly?

The choice is all yours.

The Power of Gravity on Your Dreams

As for me, I have dreams. I have big dreams.

I want to fly. I want to soar above the world.

I want to change lives.
I want to make waves that ripple the waters for generations to come.

I want to be remembered.
For doing good.
For helping people shine.
For lifting others up on my shoulders and helping them grasp for stars that were otherwise out of their reach.

But it’s so hard to consistently live that life.

It’s hard to soar when gravity is constantly pulling you down to earth.

If it were only as easy as when I’m asleep. If it were only so effortless to defy gravity.

But it’s not.
It’s far from it.

The Most Extraordinary Version of Yourself

If you decide to take the red pill – if you decide to be the most extraordinary version of yourself – you have to understand that it’s going to take effort. It will take intense, relentless focus. And it’s more than a little bit filled with frustration.

Being extraordinary is not the easy way out.

The moment you choose that path, the moment you make that choice, the forces start pulling you back to complacency.

You will have challenges and struggles that are intended to drag you back down.

But life is nothing if not for obstacles.

You can’t fly without first falling.

The Gravitational Force of Fear

I’m not sure what extraordinary means to you. It could be that promotion you want to get. Maybe it’s a new job, or finding a new partner. Perhaps it’s starting a business or simply being a better version of yourself – the version you wish you were.

I used to dream of being an Ironman triathlete. The moment I decided to pursue that dream was the moment gravity started pulling me down.

Where would I find the time? Where would I find the energy? Where would I get the strength?

Getting to the finish of the race didn’t matter if I couldn’t even get to the starting line.

When the forces push against you, it’s so easy to quit before you even get started.

The gravitational force of fear can quickly cause you to crumble.

Let’s face it, being extraordinary is scary. It’s so much easier to stay at home in the warm embrace of your bed.

But to dream my dream, I had to swim in cold waters on cold mornings before the sun woke up. And whether I liked it or not, I had to do it all over again the next day.

I had to bike in pounding rains with horrendously heavy headwinds where each pedal stroke pushed me backward. Yet I still had 80 more miles to go.

I had to stress about recovery and injury and health.

Every day I was presented with more reasons to stop. It was tiring, it was draining.
I strained three muscles.
I got hit by two cars.

But I kept moving forward.
I didn’t give up.

Because dreams don’t happen without obstacles.
You don’t win the fight without getting punched a few times.

When you are really ready to fly, “giving up” isn’t in that dictionary.

The dream is bigger than the pain.

Nobody Said It Would Be Easy

Nobody said it would be easy to fly. Nobody said it would always be fun. If they did, they lied.

Being extraordinary requires a certain sort of stubbornness. It requires a complete disbelief that failure is even an option.

It requires the ability to ignore the people who tell you that you’re insane. They don’t know that insanity may be a base-level requirement.

It requires you to be punched in the face by the feedback and keep getting up and fighting anyway.

You don’t get to be extraordinary by backing down.

So, yeah, I have a dream.
And I’m sure you do too.

So whattaya say.
Are you ready to fly?

The choice is yours.