Know When to Say When ... and Start All Over Again!

Okay ... I'm a glutton for punishment. I really do dig American Idol ... but check this out ... I only REALLY like the first couple of weeks of the show. I don't really care too much about the competition part when they get to Hollywood. I LOVE watching the people who just straight get rejected! Now I know that does not sound very motivational or inspirational, but just bear with me. I'm not going to lie ... It's a guilty pleasure to watch these people and laugh. But let's be real here ... the majority of these people are just looking for a hot moment to just say they were on the show.

Then there are those others ... the poor souls who sound good ... in their small churches, in their cars, in their showers, and in their minds. These are the people who stand before Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell (and now the new judge) and just pour their hearts out. Because the judges pull no punches, in the end their feelings are hurt as they face the harsh reality that they are not meant to be professional singers. I get a good laugh at them as well, but then I do take a second of pause and give them a silent applause. It takes a great deal of courage to expose yourself like that.

I truly believe that we can do, have, & be anything we want; however, there's a catch to it! You have to be willing to put in the work necessary to achieve your particular goal. On the flipside, being the realist that I am, I have to also share with you that just because you might want a particular thing, you are not automatically entitled to it. Sadly, you might even put a lot of effort into it, but just not quite make the cut. Once again, I know this isn't coming across as motivational or inspirational ... once again, I ask that you bear with me.

All of us were delivered upon this world with gifts. Our job while on this journey called life, is to live and learn; to find those gifts, and share them with the world. Unfortunately, many people are not in tune with what their true gifts are. There are many times when people are desperately holding onto things that God, the Universe, or whatever they deem their higher power to be are trying to keep them away from. The end result is confusion, and constant failure.

In life there are times when we are not doing the things that we are meant to be doing. These are the times when we encounter most of our setbacks. If you really want to succeed, you have to be true to yourself. You have to know when what you're doing just isn't working. I'm not saying give up after a few tries ... NO. You see, I also believe that when you take a stand before God, the Universe, or whatever you deem your higher power to be - and proclaim your desire for greatness, you are going to be tested. This "testing" will serve one of two purposes. You will either be proving yourself worthy of the greatness you claim to want, or you will be hit with example after example to show that what you're focusing on just might not be YOUR gift.

Either way, there is knowledge and wisdom to be gained on that journey. There is no shame in saying "I need to change gears." Like the old saying goes, "there's more than one way to skin a cat." There's more than one way to reach your goals. The most important thing, however, is that you be true to yourself. When you are honest with yourself, you don't have to worry about what anyone else says. When you're honest with yourself, you know when to say when ...

... and then start all over again.

Remember ...
Fortune Favors the Brave!