Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s 2019.
I turn 49 this year. Pretty close to 50. That’s crazy when I think about it: Me, almost 50 years old. I so clearly recall a specific memory back in 1989; sitting with my friend at dinner chatting about our future. I was 19. I can remember thinking I wouldn’t reach 35. Why? I don’t know. It just seemed like a 100 years away. I didn’t think I would ever get there. He thought he wouldn’t reach 40. Why the two of us thought we had such short life spans is beyond me. But we did.
Maybe my low expectations were because I didn't have ANY formal education – None. I had been told the same old adage by everyone; if you don’t get a degree or go to college you will be stuck serving french fries at McDonald’s for the rest of your life. Entrepreneurship was never even spoken of back then. It didn’t have the same cool appeal that it does now.
I announced once at a speech that I never graduated from college. An educator who doesn’t really know me said, “I would prefer if you didn’t speak to the students about your lack of education. It sends the wrong message.”
I didn’t know what to say. I smiled and replied, “I disagree.” I haven’t been back there since.
It took a lot of courage for me to tell an audience I was “uneducated.” I would instead tell people what my bio said: “Attended college for Radio Broadcasting.” I did… but only for a semester. After that semester I got a job in radio and left college on the advice of the program coordinator. I thought if I took the risk of being honest about my lack of education, it would negatively affect my ability to be accepted by audiences.
Please know I am not saying post secondary education isn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me.
I decided to retire from full time speaking in 2016; I haven’t spoken at a school assembly in two and a half years. Once I was no longer relying on my school speeches to “pay the bills” I felt free to take the
risk of being more honest and open.
When I think about it however, I’ve had to take risks my entire life. I couldn’t rely on education to get me where I was going. Each move I made to grow
YLCC was taken with a lump in my throat. I didn’t have social media or online “entrepreneurship” training to help guide me; It was simply me taking leap after leap and hoping that I would land safely. Luckily, I have landed safely more than not!
The point is this: If you take the safe path there is still risk. You risk not reaching your full potential. You risk not achieving an ultimate best result. You risk not being the best version of yourself. You risk not feeling rewarded. You still always have that
risk of failure.
However, the rewards of intentionally taking a risk is often much larger. So in 2019 I hope that you chose to take some risks. It may be adventure, it may be scholastically, it may be as an entrepreneur or it may be in a relationship. They may not all go well and you may fail sometimes. That’s ok, life is long journey. Have patience. The risk is larger but the pay off is too.
I wrote a list of my
18 best tips for a GREAT 2019. I challenge you to take the risk, read and do them. They may not all work for you, but some could be game changers. What do you have to lose?
At YLCC we have SO much planned for 2019. I thank you in advance for your support I am forever grateful
In Leadership and gratitude,
