Pick Me! Pick Me!

When a kitten gets into trouble, his mother comes and gently picks him up by the neck rescuing him and taking him to safety.  A baby monkey, on the other hand, has no choice but to grab onto the back of his mother if he wants to make an escape.

One is rescued; the other rescues himself.*

Which One are You?

You may be on the comeback trail after a season of downtime (forced or chosen). You may be seeking to set a new course for your life, form a new habit, start a new job, or build a new relationship.

The question is, how do you get from where you are to where you want to go? What is the pathway to finding the right opportunities, meeting the right people, learning the right skills, shaking off the bad habits, chasing after and catching your dream?

Does the change you seek, the rescue you’re hoping for, the new start you imagine come to you or do you have to go out and grab it?

The reality of our connection economy is that opportunity doesn’t come to you like it used to. It’s something you must go after. If you’re waiting for your mother to come and grab you by the neck and rescue you from your trouble and take you to the new world, you could be waiting a very long time.

If, on the other hand, you are willing to chart your own course and jump on the back of opportunity, untapped potential lays before you. I didn’t say “easy” but I did say “possible.”

Your Course of Action

In this comeback journey I’m on, I’m learning to jump on opportunities back as the pathway forward. It includes learning new skills, meeting new people, taking new risks, and preparing for work I will eventually be doing. I’m not waiting to be picked but am picking myself to be the person who will add value and provide help to those who are waiting for me to find them.

I’m learning afresh the power and strength that comes from jumping on the backs of those who are ready to help me move forward. It’s a dance to participate in. It’s an attitude to be embraced. It’s a belief to be held on to.

So what about you? Where in your life do you need to take personal responsibility? Is your area relational, financial, emotional, physical, educational, vocational, attitudinal, spiritual?

“No one is going to pick you. Pick yourself.” — Seth Godin

I am picking myself to see growth in my work. The jumping includes investing in education, meeting new people, forming new habits, practicing new skills, praying bold prayers, strengthening new beliefs, and taking concrete action. I’m choosing to pick myself instead of waiting for opportunity to come knocking at my door.

It’s scary, exciting and challenging all at the same time. But if I wait to be picked, I may have to wait a very long time and may not like who I’ve become in the process.

Are you more like the kitten or the monkey?
Where in your life do you need to pick yourself?

*Source: The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin

Image source: Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net