Not Enough? The Secret to Going Ahead Anyway
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“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. ... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” –Rob Siltanen
Such a powerful and empowering thought!
Are you 'crazy'?
This quote from one of Apple’s most renowned ad campaigns: ‘Think Different' reminds us to be bold. It kindles our audacity to be our best selves and make a difference. Even when the odds seem stacked against us.
You know? That moment when you think that one person -- YOU -- cannot make a difference.
If we take its words to heart, it's energizing. It creates hope. It appeals and awakens the change-champion and difference-maker in each of us. Such a potent reminder: “the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” 
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It's especially helpful for those times of doubt. When you question if you have or if you are 'enough' to fulfill whatever it is that you've set your sights set on.
Do it anyway!
Do you want to make a difference? Are you thinking about a change? Do you see a need for leadership where none seems forthcoming? Do you have a daunting dream or idea?
If so: do it now; do it anyway; take one first, albeit small, step. click to tweet
“Yes, but what if it’s not enough?” you protest. “What if I’m not enough?” you wonder.
Not enough time. Not enough energy. Insufficient resources. No help, weak arguments, shaky data. The list of reasons “not to” is often lengthy and their reality, harsh.
They're real barriers. But, most of them were true of all invention, creativity, innovation; all progress, as we know it.
The difference? Those who have made change were “crazy” enough to be willing to take a first step, then another and another.
So, the question is: “are you?”
'Not enough-ness' needn't stop you
Not enough? The secret to going ahead anyway? Most of us struggle more often than we care to admit with 'not enough-ness'. But most game-changers will tell you -- with a sense of pride and humility -- that you've got to work hard to not let struggle or doubt stop you!
You've been there, haven't you? Times when you've wanted to do things that others -- or you -- did not think you could? Too young, or too old. Too inexperienced. Lacking know-how.
Or, perfectly suited, qualified and capable, but the situation wasn't right. What you were offering was too hard, initiating resistance to change or growth. Others weren't ready.
So you stopped short.
Me too. So many times when I hesitated, thinking I needed more time, more money, more substance, more something...
Does any of that sound familiar?
Think different: go from impossible to "I'm-possible"
I consider myself lucky. In my work, I've known countless individuals who’ve gone from ‘impossible’ to ‘I’m-possible’. They've inspired me to do the same.
They felt fear, but they went ahead anyway.
They were daring enough to take the steps needed to live up to their vision for success. They had the sheer 'audacity' to make the most of their inner talents. They did it for the betterment of others and the world.
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They're ordinary people, with one important qualifier. They mustered the courage to make a difference, often against the odds.
They may not have changed the world (although some have, or are) but they changed their corner of it.
The point is this: sometimes, you are tested to the max.
You've invested enormous amounts of time and energy into something new. A product, service, or venture of some sort. The pressure mounts. Is it time to let go? Maybe it is. But, sometimes that means you'll end up quitting before you really ever begin.
Or worse, you persevere against the odds… and voila! You actually do achieve what you set out to do. It’s launched into the stratosphere! Then…. Nothing.
It feels like this massive “mountain” has been moved. But, it lands with about as much fanfare as tossing a grain of sand in the Sahara desert! ‘Not enough-ness’ hits you squarely between the eyes.
A stunning secret
Not enough? The secret to going ahead anyway...
People often tell me that they marvel at my energy. They admire my positivity and look to me for inspiration. Often, they rely on me to help them navigate their own way through change. They trust me to help them break free of their comfort zones and learn to thrive.
Yet, just like everyone else, I too struggle with discouragement. I wonder about futility. I get stymied and stuck in procrastination.
But I found a secret many years ago. A way to turn things around, every time.
It lay nestled deep in the hot desert sand dunes of the Sahara. Today, it's a constant source of inspiration – a talisman of sorts.
The dunes beckoned. They extended endlessly before us.
Our eyes glistened. We were reminded of the tobogganing delights of our Canadian hometown’s best snow hills. As youngsters, my sister, brother and I loved to challenge them every winter weekend we could.
But these ‘hills’ were made entirely of sand. They beckoned us!
We had some light, nylon windbreakers with us. We'd brought them along for the comparatively cold evenings in the desert. We sat on our jackets-turned-toboggan, atop the dune, gave a push, and began to glide...
We had to steer carefully, to avoid what looked like some kind of strange, arid bushes at the bottom. We made it! To our surprise, the 'bushes' turned out to be clusters of rock.
Not just any rock.
They were amazing, beautiful, stunning “roses”. Hewn by nature, they were made of hardened sand that had come together over a long period of time.
We later learned that each desert rose is shaped by the forces of wind and extreme pressure. Grain by grain, sand and mineral (barite or selenite) are swirled together. The roses begin to form during intense moisture evaporation, in shallow salt basins. If iron oxides are present, the sand-formed rosettes will take on a burnt umber tone.
They are beautiful, crystal-like rose bud formations. Stunning. Caused by the shaping forces of nature. They stand as sentinels of inspiration -- examples of the natural power of pressure. They're what happens when basic elements come together under duress, in dry, arid conditions. They literally look like flowers -- roses -- that have turned to stone.
They are awe-inspiring. Nothing short of spectacular – and no two are alike.
Both the quality and dimension of each ‘rose’ depends on how quickly it was formed. The longer the period and the more intense the pressure? The more beautiful, intricate and stable the resultant bloom.
Some were very small – the size of a coin. Others were massive – the size of a big, round footstool. In spite of their visual delicateness, they were so heavy and solid we could barely nudge them!
The analogy, of course, is this: each grain of sand matters. YOU matter. click to tweet
A desert rose perspective
What I learned is that seeming ‘not enough-ness’ is often essential. It is critical to our creative and inventive possibility. Why? Because it is often under pressure and in barren conditions that you learn what you're really made of. Your greatest potential is realized.
Patience.
Endurance.
Commitment.
THAT’s how you make a difference: one grain, one action, and one step at a time.
I don’t recall how long we stayed among the roses. We explored. Discovering and appreciating them, with a sense of wonderment and awe. We picked up a few loose ones from the sand.
All these years later, I still have one. It serves as “my secret” source of inspiration. I turn to it when feeling discouraged or fearful, cynical or skeptic. Not enough? The secret to going ahead anyway.
It reminds me to be patient. After all, it takes countless “grains of sand” to finally come together in order to create an outcome!
It also causes me to acknowledge that all great things take work! click to tweet
Change, growth, learning. Entrepreneurism and leadership. Such endeavours are not for the faint of heart, to be sure. But ‘not enough-ness’ is not a reason to stall.
So, the next time you -- or someone you listen to -- doubts if you can make a difference, don’t be swayed!
Remember that you can: if you are willing.
You may not change the world but you can change your corner of it. click to tweet Not enough? The secret to going ahead anyway. It's this...
"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that.
Then I realized... I was somebody." - Lily Tomlin
The time is now.
What will you do?
A version of this post was published on LinkedIn Pulse by Janice Kobelsky in March, 2016.
Sometimes, we need a reminder or that bit of encouragement to step up and engage in what matters to us. The online program: ENERGIZE POTENTIAL shows how. It will help activate the potential in yourself and those around you. Challenged. Empowered. Energized. A better you, for a better world.
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What are you doing to change your corner of the world?
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