Tomorrow Isn't Promised-Take The Risk

“If at the end of the day you don't feel an inch, step or foot closer to your dreams you're doing something wrong.” –The Diplomat

Greetings folks and welcome to another edition of “The Diplomat’s Report”.  I apologize for my absence from the blog last week but it was a really busy week. Between meetings, interviews, travel and very little sleep, there wasn’t much time to pen a post. No worries, I’m back and ready to go. Despite my incredibly busy schedule as of late and the fact that there appear to be no signs of it slowing down anytime soon, I’ve managed to stay upbeat and focused on my #1 goal…”trying to take over the world.”

I’m a superhero…or so I tell myself. My superpowers are focus and drive. I have an uncanny ability to focus on the task at hand when life is anything but stable, uncertainty is at an all-time high and Rome is burning. Some of this is due to my life experiences that forced me to adapt and some of it comes from lessons I learned at home. I learned from my parents, at an early age, that “one monkey don’t stop no show” and that even when my life may be falling apart, the world continues to turn. While it’s perfectly understandable to take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts after a death in the family, a forced career move, or a relationship disaster, we must not dwell any longer than is absolutely necessary on these things. Give every event its due time and energy but not a second or ounce more. Anything extra is time and energy not spent on working towards your goals. My parents taught me how to be strong in the face of adversity and my past experiences were tests to see if I paid attention.

Every breath, every step and every second spent on this planet is a gift from God, which is why it’s called the present. The only guarantees in life are death and taxes; everything else is to be determined. Once we’re able to accept our fallibility, our humanness and our lack of control over tomorrow, we should then live life with passion, vigor and unrivaled zeal. In the words of Jack Harbaugh, we should attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. In doing so, we should do 3 things every day:

1. Thank and Praise God

2. Get Better

3. Get Closer to Our Dreams

If you aren’t doing these things daily then you’re doing it wrong. If you aren’t moving forward than you’re moving backwards. Every step that you don’t take is a step in the wrong direction. A colleague of mine by the name of Randall K. Benjamin, II (@rkbtwo) has adopted the mantra “take the risk.” I encourage you to do the same. You will fail every challenge you don’t attempt. You will miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. You will miss out on every opportunity you don’t take. You will regret every risk that you don’t take.

Take the risk to realize your mortality and thank God for an opportunity to make your mark while still on earth. Take the risk and don’t settle for who you are today (in life, health, and wealth) and work towards who you want to be tomorrow. Take the risk and take a step away from the mundane and the routine and take a step closer to your dreams. Take the risk!

Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!