Saturday, March 19, 2011

REBOUND FOR SUCCESS: THE ROAD TO YOUR FINAL F.O.U.R. (ROUND 1 OF 4)

Once again it's on. It's the middle of March and all the attention is turning to the one of the most exciting sporting events ever created; The NCAA Men's National Basketball Championship Tournament. 64 teams stand on the fringe preparing and practicing for the opportunity to truly be called “the best”. 64 teams with the same ultimate goal; to win the championship trophy. While this common goal/dream seems tangible to all teams, only one team will truly be able to make it a reality. However, your team is capable of making it to the FINAL F.O.U.R. every season.

The Final F.O.U.R that I’m referring to is rooted in your ability to achieve your dreams as part of your desire to live your purpose.

Fulfillment is the first round of the FINAL F.O.U.R. People often pursue numerous things in their lives with reckless abandon and different ulterior motives. Some pursue things for the money, recognition and prestige while others pursue for the pure passion of the work, but very few people pursue what gives them a sense of fulfillment. Why? Because they are dependent on the approval of their peers and often times their parents. The reality is that living for anyone’s approval other than God places them in psychological and occupational bondage. As a result, they become a slave to their own ego.

There are way too many of you setting goals and chasing dreams based on the outcome being monetary reward. While money is absolutely necessary to survive in this world, it’s only fulfilling as long as you view it as your path to power and/or the only thing that will affect change. The essence of fulfillment only occurs when you do who you are. Doing who you are allows you to do what you love and help others near and far. Fulfillment is a by-product of self-actualization. This means maximizing your potential in a specific manner while getting the continual satisfaction of a job well done that is appreciated by the intended recipient. You have a choice to pursue and execute those things in your life that make you genuinely feel good about yourself and others. I encourage you to strive to do the work that allows you to be so insatiable in the process that it no longer feels like work.

The tournament has begun and the first round opponent doesn't seem to intimidate you, but it should. Fulfillment is a desire and a need we all have, but won't admit. The more you try to ignore it, the harder it will be to face in the heat of battle because your ego is the teammate who has convinced you to look past fulfillment. If you ignore it's importance and impact you'll find yourself watching instead of changing the game.


REBOUND. RESET. RELEASE