When I started as CEO, of Upstart, Business and Management for 20-40 Year Old Professionals, I became deeply introspective. I never considered myself a business leader: nor a leader of any kind, but as I matured, I became more engaged, more hungry for knowledge and performance, as opposed to rhetoric or hyperbole. I learned that I was living “conveniently” – I lived through zealous ease, one where it taught me how to underperform and blame — definitely not execute.
Luckily, I was granted a reprieve: something happened, maybe it was ethereal or something else, but I actually wanted to become more valuable than I was assigning myself to: I wanted to be something amazing, but how? This is the process I went through, I hope it helps you as well.
Who Are You Now?
Who are you – I mean, at this very moment? Are you really who you think you are, or are you some messy fabrication of who you expected to be, of who you want to be seen as – even though you’re probably not that anyway. Are you, who you say you are – are you sure how you ended up here, as opposed to way up there, because everyone strives for there?
Have you lived up to your potential, exceeded it or fallen short of expectation. You are defined by what –– you value what – you take more for yourself or give away more to others – or what?
Is this life yours – I mean this moment, and all moments like it, or has your life become a placeholder for what should have been or what still might be – are you living through hope and potential, or through a plan – is that why you’re still here, as opposed to there? If I asked someone about you, what would they say – are you sure they would say that? What did, “Who Are You Now” mean when I first asked you, what does it mean now that I know “Who You Are?”
How Did You Get Here?
How did it happen; how’d you get here — are you a product of process or a victim of circumstance – an example of blazing determination or of interminable bad luck, but nonetheless, you are still here – and rightly so — right? When was the last time you looked at the past events that shape your “now?” When did you know that this was who you wanted to be, or has this life been somehow forced upon you?
Did you try to compete or try to win – did you seek this proposition, or did it find you on the way to finding someone else – what happened – – do you know, or do you try to forget that you know? When did it start to go right, or when did you know that it would never be right, never be what you had imagined, and what part did you play in that? Did you see it coming, or did it happen to you when you first got here — do you even realize that you’re still here and not there?
Where Do You Want To Go?
Is it time to move – to move on from here – move at least from here to somewhere closer to there, and where is there exactly? You’ve been here for some time, and nothing, or maybe a little something-something, yet something, someone, has you fixated on here — you seem loyal to here, captivated by its indulgence – beholden to its hiding places – as opposed to seeing here for what it is, because here is never now, here is always yesterday – it’s always late, and I know you know this – I think?
If you are forced out of here, or decide to finally abdicate here, then where will you go – who will have you, and what will be your offering to there? Are you willing to reconcile yourself into the discomfort of transformation, or settle for the meandering of convenience? Do you want there so you can become amazing, or do you want there, because your time’s almost up here?
Why There?
If you located a suitable there, an amazing one – why would you choose that one, as opposed to the other one. Did you check it out, or did you again take someone’s word for it. When you get there, what will be different this time – how will you know? When you get there, will you be you – the you still here, or will you be the person more there than here?
Once you are there, how will you know that you’re not the old you anymore – that you’re the future you “now?” Will you contribute there, or play it cool – will you be too afraid to be afraid, or will you be afraid that you’re no longer here? How will you make there different from here?
When Then?
Are you ready to move toward there, or will you wait for there to present itself to you? There continually reconstitutes itself into the next possible there, because there is fluid, functional and opportunistic, yet vehemently impatient, so your next there might be the last one you get, at least while you’re still here. Will you move towards it now? Will you meet your destiny here, or create it there – when are you going to go – are you still going to go – are you sure – because you’re still here!
Good luck – see you “there!”
Calvin Wilson, CEO calvin.wilson1@verizon.netUpstart: Business and Management for 29-40 Year Old Professionals© 2011
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