The End of Good. The Beginning of Great!

The reality of the summer coming to an end really set in yesterday as I scheduled my first school assembly of the 2013-2014 school year.

Wow! Where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that I am going into my 13^th school year of inspiring youth to dream bigger DREAMS, make better DECISIONS and walk into their DESTINIES!

I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun!

It seems like only yesterday when I made the decision to follow my passion instead of my purse, which has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

People often ask me whether it was scary to leave a successful career to go in a direction where I had no idea how I would get paid, and my answer is always “No!” Surprisingly, it was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made.

Now, I am not a huge risk taker by any stretch of the imagination. Or at least I wasn’t back then. My skydiving adventure a few years ago, however, proves that I am starting to take more risks as I age. Funny how that happens! But, I digress. 

The only way I can explain the ease of taking such a huge leap into the unknown is that God gave me a “peace that surpasses all understanding!” In the words of Les Brown:

I knew that I wasn’t created to work for a living. I was created to make what I live for my work.

So making a difference became more important to me than making a living. Thankfully, God has blessed me to be able to do both.

After making my decision to leave Procter & Gamble, I read the following passage (I’m not sure where I read it.), and it was further confirmation that I had made the right decision.

Safe living generally makes for regrets later on. We are all given talents and dreams. Sometimes the two don’t match. But more often than not, we compromise both before ever finding out. Later on, as successful as we might be, we find ourselves looking back longingly to that time when we should have chased our true dreams and true talents for all they were worth.

Don’t let yourself be pressured into thinking that your dreams or your talents aren’t prudent. They were never meant to be prudent. They were meant to bring joy and fulfillment into your life.

Does this resonate with you? Are there dreams and talents that you have pushed to the side because you want to play it safe? Is there something you need to end in order to begin chasing your true dreams and talents?

Had I not stepped out on faith and left a very comfortable lifestyle and career, I would have never experienced the joy that comes with knowing my words have played even a small part in changing the trajectory of thousands of students’ lives.

No paycheck has ever given me the feeling I get when I read comments from students like the one below:

Almost the whole school has been talking about you so I want you to know you’re changing lives—one student at a time, one school at a time & eventually changing this generation.

Just as the ending of my corporate career brought the beginning of a wonderful life that I never could have imagined, I am looking forward to the ending of my summer bringing the beginning of a new school year full of wonderful opportunities to positively impact the lives of students who are hungry for truth.

What about you? Have you ever stepped out on faith and ended a “good” thing that led you to a “great” thing? If so, please share your experience below so others can be inspired by your experience.

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