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How Knowing Who You Are and What You’re About Gets You Where You Want to Go

February 22, 2012 by 9 Comments

Photo Credit:  Börkur Sigurbjörnsson

A flag makes a statement about who you are and what you’re about.

A flag tells you if the Queen is home (presumably, so you know if you should call for tea).

At half-staff, it sends you scurrying to your smart phone to Google who died and then leave you wondering how the hell the idiot on flag patrol got the memo, but you missed it.

A flag tells you if the ship chasing you is a pirate ship or the coast guard. (Chances are that in either case, you’re in screwed!)

It reminds you of who you are and where you belong.

Have you noticed the new fancy-shmancy banner unfurling in the skies high over Fort TSA?

Are you starting to recognize its colors?  I hope so.

If you’re thinking yellow, red and white…um…yeah, that’s not it. If you’re looking for a real flag somewhere on the site, you missed the analogy and should probably just keep reading.

You are a powerful dream-builder

Notice I said dream-builder and not just dreamer.  Big difference.

You are intentionally crafting a well-lived life.  You’re grabbing your dreams by the balls and pulling them into the experience of your real life!

It takes more than abstract philosophy and vague wishes to create the life worthy of you. It’s not about self-help; it’s about self-reliance!  It requires dedication, discipline and determination. And a butt-load of hard work.

It’s not about self-help; it’s about self-reliance

That’s where courage comes in!

It’s not about some astronomical feat of genius, intellect or physical power.  It is about exercising courage in a consistent way. It’s the persistent, single steps of courage that create a powerful life.

Persistent, single steps of courage create a powerful life!

Courage is setting one foot in front of the other. It is about taking the next step you can see and disregarding the fear of all the steps you can’t yet see.

Courage means taking the next step you can see and
disregarding the fear of those you can’t see.

It’s about who you are

It is recognizing that you are sufficient to create the life you have always dreamed of.  No one else will do it for you. No one else will rescue you.

You are sufficient to create the life you dream of.
No one will do it for you. No one else will rescue you.

You have to show up! You have to inhabit your own life! You have to run up the flag saying, “the Queen is home, dammit!”

You. That’s all.

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Filed Under: Courage, Living Well Tagged With: ,
About Steve

Hi, I'm Steve Rice and my goal is to transform simple philosophical truths into practical fuel to revolutionize your life. It's not about self-help, it's about self-reliance. I show you how. Connect with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and let me know how I can help you.

  • http://travelwisconsin.us Tracyann0312

    Flag represents many things. It can represent our nationality and being patriot to your country. When I saw different flags raised in parks and museum, I always first look at my own flag. Flags can also represent our attitude, personality and dreams. I was proud representing my flag because without my nationality I will never be successful as others in marketing industry.

    • Steve

      Yes! This is exactly what I was going for, Tracyann! It’s always about more than just the external.

  • http://ordinarilyradical.wordpress.com/ Garrett Brown

    Another motivational slam dunk, Steve! Thanks so much. This post is a great way for me to start my day. Here’s to making those small, persistent steps that I can see.

    • Steve

      Awesome! Appreciate the kind words, Garrett. I had a great consulting session about this blog and my business recently. I am making subtle changes in the way I write and how I communicate with my readers, but I am glad that the essential inspiration and message is getting through clearly. The feedback is wonderful.

      BTW…you can do it! It is taking the small steps you can see…and doing it over and over!

      • Rose McClement

        You had me at ”
        Courage means taking the next step you can see and
        disregarding the fear of those you can’t see “. At a recent coaching session I found myself in the place where I had to acknowledge that one door had just slammed shut behind me. And as we like to say, the one in front of me was blown open by the gust of wind. However, I felt like I was standing in a transitory passage /space between these two doors. I knew my dreams lay beyond the open door, but I was too fearful to step forward towards the door, even just to take a peek. Slowly but surely, my coach helped me inch my way to stand within the frame of the door, just to look into the new space. What you had to say, just crystallized what had taken place. And that this should be the pace of my journey for a while. By the way …… I enjoy your writing style. The fact that the message is serious, yet presented in such simplicity. The read is not long ( that always puts me off) and the sentences and paragraphs were punchy, interrupted by bold statements that take you into the next phase of the article. I really like it.

        • http://www.KarmicKappuccino.com Steve Rice

          Thanks so much for the amazing personal story, Rose! That really encouraged me, because I often find myself teaching what I most need to learn!

          I’m grateful that this post connected with you in a real way and that you enjoyed my writing style. I’ve been working on it intentionally and learning little by little, how to communicate my thoughts succinctly and powerfully.

          Appreciate your kind words and your stopping by the site. Have a great rest of the weekend.

  • http://www.liveandlovework.com Chrysta Bairre

    Thanks for the fun and inspiring post, Steve!

    I love the idea of being a dream-builder instead of just a dreamer. Our inspirations and ideas only get us so far and we must act on them to make progress.

    Have a grateful day!

    Chrysta

    • Steve

      Thanks for the kind comment, Chrysta. It really is about taking action. For so long, I struggled with inaction–or the opposite–busyness without real momentum. It was a way to hide from the fear of whether I could do it or not.

  • http://www.thindifference.com Jon Mertz

    Steve, I like the connection you make to flags. It represents something and communicates a certain responsibility and history. We need to define our purpose and then live it. By doing this, people will recognize us for our presence of actions. Thank you! Jon