How to Make it Big In Spite of Your Challenges
By Rene Godefroy

Imagine for a moment it's five years from now and you are still making the same income (or just a little more), living in the same home or apartment. You are in debt. You are barely supporting yourself and your family. And you are frustrated with the way things are.

You say, “Wait a minute now. This is not positive thinking! I was expecting your article to be motivational.” Well, it is. You see, most people often take action when they are desperate. Unfortunately, they sometimes take action when it is too late.

The good thing is, I can assure you that the above scenario will never happen to you. How do I know? Although I don’t know you, I am certain we have kindred spirits. You belong to a special category of winners. Or you wouldn’t be reading this.

For many years, I worked as a doorman at a hotel. I was carrying bags - sometimes in the extreme heat or cold. I mean intense manual labor. But although I was a doorman, I was not a dumb man. I was a researcher and an observer. One of the many insights I received came to me from merely observing something as simple as a revolving door. Just like the word suggests, it revolves.

Now, many of our lives are just like a revolving door - and how easy and comfortable it is to get caught in it. We spend years doing the same things over and over. We simply keep turning around and around. We prefer to operate within our comfort zone. It's a natural instinct.

But if you take a good look at all of the successful people around the world, you will notice they all have one common denominator. They all became successful by going to the edge. And yes, my friend, the edge is no where near a revolving door. What’s the lesson here?

The lesson is if you want more than you have now, you have to be willing to step out and dance along the edge of life’s cliff. The big things that you and I are dreaming about are hanging along the edge. If they weren’t, every one of us would have plenty of them.

My assignment for you is to start strategizing your life NOW. Again, this is something most people would not be willing to do. Come to think of it, it is exactly why YOU should. So, you have been thinking about going back to school but just the thought of the sacrifice seems a little scary. Hey, if it is then DO IT. Success dwells on the edge!

What else have you been thinking about and are afraid of? Do you want a promotion? Do you want to start a new life? Is it time to reinvent your life? Then get a pen and a piece of paper, and quickly start writing down what you will have to do for that to happen. Perhaps you need to acquire new skills. Maybe you need to seek out some mentors for moral support. Maybe you need to start putting together a team of people who can help you make it happen.

We can never, ever make it on our own. We need highly creative people to help us. Most of us struggle because we try to do everything ourselves. Jesus had to first put a team together. Tom Watson, the founder of IBM, before his death asked his family to share part of his wealth with his employees. He said that they helped him make the money. He could not have done it alone.

So, during this month, each day try to do something that you are uncomfortable doing. Remember, if you are afraid then DO IT. But first, make sure you have great mentors and a good team to support you along the way. And remember, not only the big boys deserve to have the big toys. You deserve to have them, too.

Rene Godefroy is the Chief Executive Officer of Village Hero, Inc., an Atlanta-based company dedicated to upliting the human spirit in pursuit of personal growth. Rene is also the author of the Award-winning book No Condition is Permanent and a motivational speaker.

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