3 Steps to Rob the Grave of Your Greatness

There’s a saying that goes, “Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you do not move.” This represents the power of progression. We have all seen people who have all the right ingredients, a good job, supportive family and seemingly great education but fall short of reaching their potential. Often it’s a matter of choice, not chance. You and I have the innate ability to move forward through the most horrific circumstances in life. We are literally hardwired to win. Our challenge lies in the fact we allow fear and uncertainty to paralyze us from moving forward.

If you’ve been to any public place lately, you saw people just hanging around doorways, stores and parking lots. These folks aren’t in a rush because they have no place to go. It looks as though their time is deeply invested in the art of loitering. A closer look at the definition will offer key principles for us all to get our lives moving in the right direction.

To Loiter is to: Stand or wait around idly or without apparent purpose; to delay an activity with idle stops and pauses. To be clear, loitering is not just standing around. It isn’t just hanging out with friends or relaxing to have a good time. Loitering has everything to do with purpose. As inspirational teacher Dr. Myles Munroe puts it, “When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable. “ Whether a new smart phone or a relationship, if you do not learn its purpose, you will never use it in a proper way. The same goes for our lives. The fact that we are created is proof that there is an assignment attributed to our existence. Every single human on this planet has a purpose waiting to be discovered inside them. Most will go to the grave full of what they should have given humanity.

Here are 3 steps to make sure we all rob the grave of our greatness:

• Start with discovering where you really are: In the mall there are usually these huge signs that show us where to find our favorite store. But to map out the route, you have to find the big red that says, ‘You Are Here’. It is useless to get excited about the destination until we secure our place. Doing this proves valuable so we can budget for the journey appropriately.
• Define what success is for yourself: We live in a society where people are hyper-sensitive about what others think. To be socially polite is one thing, to be a social door mat is another. Often we invest far too much time making sure others aren’t offended at our choice of success. Only you can define what a ‘win’ looks like to you. Life is too short to live it for someone else.
• Even if you stumble, don’t stop moving: It’s easier to correct a wrong turn than to get someone out of the gate. We so often sit around waiting for perfect conditions to take a step and we miss so much momentum and opportunity in the process. We have a ‘gut’ sense of what should be done, but because of outside influences we sit on our hands and do not move. The beautiful thing about life is failure is not fatal and usually never last. Make your move today!

Signs are all around us. No smoking, no trespassing, no turn on red. For the most part, we seem content with obeying the laws of the land. But when it comes to the laws of life, we have learned to ignore them. Where you are in life now is a strategic hallway taking you from one stage of greatness to the next. It was never meant to become the comfortable leaning space where you do nothing. If you’ve failed, been disappointed or even delayed, you can still win. But first you must stop loitering.
See you at the TOP!

© 2012, Cherese L. Jackson. All rights reserved.