Tucked away somewhere in that mushy brain of yours is something so scary that you suppress it every time an opportunity presents itself. You guard it so tightly that nobody even knows it exists and some of you may even be embarrassed by it. Every so often it creeps back out and it’s very existence strikes fear in your heart like a horror film come to life.
We still think about it. It consumes us. Yet we all make the excuses that prevent us from releasing it and freeing our minds of torment.
“I work too much”
“I don’t have enough free time.”
“It could never be me.”
“Yeah, but in the real world…”
“What if it’s a waste of time”
etc…
We ALL have one.
Like all of you I have one as well. I’ve kept mine closed off for so long that I nearly let it slip away forever. Something an older and much wiser me would have loathed at, but over time something in me changed. My biggest fear is no longer in the thoughts and opinions of others, but rather is feeling regret for never doing the things in life that I dream about. Travel the world and experience different cultures just to name a few. But my big hairy audacious goal in life is not just to get cast to the show Survivor, but to win and earn the title of Sole Survivor!
35 Seasons spanning 18 years of my life, I’ve watched religiously as countless individuals embarked on the same journey I’ve dreamed of since that first episode in Borneo on May 31st, 2000. I’ve become much more than a super-fan of the show. I’m now a student of the game, studying the relationships that players build or choose not to build and learning how one thinks they are being cunning in an extreme social situation. Watching the dichotomy of the tribe change almost instantly based on one’s position in the game and how they navigate the political nature of such diverse individuals. I constantly learn from others past failures so when my time arrives, I can be as prepared as possible for a long stay in a smelly shelter on a beach.
This is my dream. This is my VERY ATTAINABLE dream. I know the casting process is very rigorous and to be chosen as a member of a tribe is incredibly difficult, but I will not stop until my dream is met. I will be ruthless and resilient in my pursuit.
So with this I challenge YOU.
Search your heart for your dream. What’s that one thing that you dreamed of as a child? What’s that one thing that’s on your mind constantly that you can’t stop thinking of? Regardless of the extent to which you need to push yourself to achieve it, do so because no dream is out of reach. Don’t fear your dreams as they are your heart’s desire and if you want it bad enough you’ll find a way to make it yours. Get out of your own head and just do it.
“But what if I fail?”
Ah…but what if you don’t?
