Are You Waiting To Be Chosen?

 

Last week, one of your tweets led me to watch the video below which then led me to this post which THEN led me to a huge realization of something that should have stayed in high school.   I won't name any names because we’re all doing this lately – waiting to be picked and waiting to be perfect.

You remember when you were in high school or junior high gym class…and you were standing there waiting to be picked for the kickball game, the volleyball game?  You hoped you wouldn’t be picked last. You hoped you’d get on the cool kids team.  You hoped people would want you before someone else.  It sucked! I hated that feeling — wondering if you were going to be the LAST ONE PICKED.

I consider myself lucky because I figured out how to turn that feeling around – pretty quickly.  Instead of waiting to be chosen, I chose to take action.

I started organizing events, shows, workshops…long before I was trained to be a teacher.  I created events and activities that didn't require me or anyone else to be chosen.  I kid you not…before the age of 18, I picked myself to teach an African dance workshop for my entire high school,  became an FCC licensed radio host at a local college radio station with a regular time slot, and I chose myself to be an exchange student — before anyone at my school suggested that road for me.

I’m not telling you any of this to brag or to re-live my teenage years…but more to encourage you to choose yourself too.  Even now as an adult you can make opportunity and grab possibility yourself. It’s all around you–at work, at home, when you're on vacation or traveling.  It really is everywhere.

Fast forward many years…and I still do that.  If I see an opportunity, I don’t wait to be asked to be part of something, I become part of it.  I don’t wait for perfection or until I know everything or have planned all the details or am the top expert.  I follow my passions and I jump in.  If I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t have recorded a cd, become a pilates teacher, started writing a book, or jumped at a chance to work with an amazing entrepreneur last year.

So, what’s the secret…how do you do it?  How do you turn the cycle around and stop waiting to be chosen…or waiting for that moment when everything is perfect?

Any time something strikes you as something you want to do (and are pretty sure you’d rock at), you just say, “I could do that!”

And remember – you won't get into something over your head, because everything is learn-able, everything has a process…and even if you aren't the foremost expert in something (assuming we're not talking about brain surgery), then you can probably learn what you need to know.

Ahh…those 4 magical words put something in motion…you’ll find yourself replying to odd opportunities, meeting interesting people, and best of all…living a life where you are the chooser and aren’t waiting to be told, “you’re the one”.