Throughout my career and life in general I have always been the “crazy” one amongst my group of friends and family… the one that had those big dreams that people seemed to think were too big for someone of my age. In all honesty, Im not sure at what age those big dreams would have been ok, in their eyes. Im now in my mid 30s and in many peoples opinions I am still the “crazy” one and my dreams are still too big!
Too big for what I ask? For them to comprehend or just too big for them to think possible?
I’m not bothered though – it has always been this way.
The Gradual Divide…
Along the way, I have become distanced from many people who didn’t share my big and crazy ideas for life. The ones that are still around either encourage me or at least refrain from sharing their opinion simply because they love me the way I am – to let you in on a little secret though… I really love spending time with the ones that encourage me and in all honesty most of those are also someones “crazy” friend.
Unfortunately in our society, people often feel the need to justify their own lack of drive and inspiration by suggesting that you are crazy or too different. They want to box us into what is acceptable. Acceptable by whose standards, I would like to know.
Don’t get me wrong, each to their own. If they are happy with their lives, and that works for them, then I have no problem with that. We are not all built the same. However, the result of these associations is that soon enough, you too will start to think you are “crazy”. Then soon after that you may notice, that you have suddenly reverted to living a more ordinary life, just like them. Yikes… don’t do it!!
So, here is a little test for you… Take a moment to think of the 5-10 closest people to you. What are their dreams and aspirations? What do they want to achieve in their life? And, what do they think of your big ideas? Do they inspire you and do they uplift you?
I ask these questions as the biggest predictor of your success is the people you surround yourself with! Scary thought if you are not currently inspired by your peers.
If the answer is no, which for most people unfortunately it is, what should you do now?
It doesn’t have to be as harsh as cutting all contact with that lifelong friend who is simply has no desire to do anything other than be a part of the 9-5 comfy (?) rat race of life, but it does mean perhaps moving out of your comfort zone to seek like minded “crazy”, big dreamers like yourself. They are out there, I can assure you and based on my experience, they will welcome you with open arms and support you to push the boundaries in order to achieve your dreams.
Find Your Tribe
Ben shares my crazy-ness and we are very grateful we found each other. We are both passionate about life and love thinking outside the square. We want more for our kids from the point of view that we want them to feel excited about life, every day just like we do.
We did things the ordinary way in the past, gently pushing the boundaries so those crazy ideas didn’t explode all over everyone around us but as of early last year, we decided even that wasn’t going to give us the results we wanted. We then sought out other big dreamers like us and were fortunate enough to come across the Six Figure Mentors. This group is a community of amazing and inspired entrepreneurs who all want more out of life and are all on an amazing journey to achieve their individual dreams. Through this community we have met people from all over the world, of all age groups who want to make a difference – to their lives, their families lives and beyond.
Some of them want to help build schools in third world countries, some want to build an empire to pass on to their children and some just want to retire on their own terms at 45 (not 65) and never feel like they couldn’t keep up with the changing world around them. One thing they all have in common though is that they are the so called “crazy” ones, the ones that will never stop dreaming big and I cherish every opportunity to connect with them.
Connecting with these types of people is like therapy for us. It makes us want to achieve more, be healthier, dream bigger. It will make you realise too, if you haven’t already, that you DO NOT have to settle for what everyone else is settling for. Your dreams are worth fighting for and believe me when we say these people will help you push to the next level.
I will point out that most of these people may seem ordinary on the outside and they are not necessarily the ones you will notice at school pick up or on your lunch break. They wont be shouting those crazy ideas from the rooftop for they have most likely felt the disappointment in others who did not believe or dared to try cut them down. They like to gather. They seek each other out and then they make spending time together a priority. They mentor and support each other and they are, in my experience, very welcoming to any newcomer with a “crazy” idea.
You just have to know where to find them. But once you have found them, you will have found your tribe and you will be able to strive for so much more than you ever thought possible. They will fuel your fire and you will be able to do the same for them and this momentum alone will just go to show the impact that you can have on the world around you.
They will up lift you and their presence will call forth your best!
It only takes watching a few TED videos or searching on youTube to realise that nothing is impossible these days. Your life can be different, it can be better and we can all make a difference to the world around us. Hell, it only takes talking to a group of people who dream as big as you to know that your life can be everything you ever wanted and much, much more.
Come join us on the other side 🙂
If you are having trouble finding your tribe of inspiring people, we would be happy to introduce you to ours at the Six Figure Mentors. They will teach you how to turn your ideas into a reality and they will support you all the way.