Warning: – This post may fire you up like never before.
Reading this could change your life and make you do things you had never thought possible.
“The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do” – Steve Jobs
When I was a young boy, I was going to change the world.
To start with, I was going to eradicate world hunger. Then get rid of nuclear weapons.
Then I was going to go around the world, taking a stand for world peace and social injustice.
I was like a dragon with fire. Fierce. Unstoppable. Ready to take on the world. And change it forever.
So what happened?
Life happened.
I got on the treadmill of finding a job, earning a living. Getting married. Getting divorced. Buying a big house and a fancy car.
Somewhere along the way, my dragon’s fire got quenched.
Does that sound familiar?
Perhaps it even sounds like you?
Whatever happened to your fire?
For some of you reading this now, the fire is burning as fiercely as ever. And I am so grateful for that. May your fire ignite you and your dreams inspire you always.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited” – Plutarch
When I coach clients, a recurring topic that seems to be coming up lately is the loss of this internal fire from their youth.
The challenge is to reconnect with this dragon’s fire. And once a client is reconnected, they are never the same again. Their life is never the same again.
So what is this about finding your fire?
It is all about moving through your doubts and insecurities.
About forgiving yourself and others, and learning from your life lessons.
About being assertive.
About focussing on the right things.
About living a fearless life.
Yes, we can have all the abundance and prosperity the world offers – and we can leave our legacy.
Yes, we can indeed shake the world.
I have found that the hardest thing is to get people to think big. And to follow their true calling.
When I was coaching a client recently over Skype, she was in tears of joy when we connected with her real passion and her true calling to inspire others through her work.
At moments like this, all the petty stuff becomes irrelevant and forgotten.
Playing big helps you let go of small things.
She has found her true calling and I am in awe as her life journey now blossoms the way it’s meant to do. She has found her fire.
What will it take to find your fire?
By now, as a regular reader you will know that I believe that all of us want to impact and change the world in a positive way through our lives.
So this is my challenge for you this week. Spend some time reflecting on this question:-
What did YOU want to do with your life when you were a child?
What was your dream of changing the world?
When will you begin?
As for me, you may well ask – whatever happened to my own fire!?
Well, it may have been dampened for a while, but I would like to think it’s burning brightly again.
Yes, I do help the world in my own way – through this blog, my books, my coaching, my charity involvement and my Social Media activity.
But it never seems enough. There’s so much more to be done. I guess not everyone can be a Gandhi, Nelson Mandela or Mother Teresa.
Or maybe we can!
Maybe it is simply about having that huge vision and remaining single minded to make it happen.
I do what I can. I help when and where I can. I smile at strangers. I look for ways of helping someone clearly lost.
Oh, I almost forgot – I take part in fund raising activities. Like the London Marathon.
I took part three years ago and wrote about how easy it was to change the world in less than 8 hours and 27 miles.
I even wrote about my 10 life lessons from running the London marathon.
And here I am about to the same thing all over again.
Some people may think I am crazy, but how can I possibly quench my fire!?
In two weeks time, I’ll be taking part in the London marathon again. Once again, my intention is to walk the whole way and simply finish.
“It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop!” – Confucius
Once again, I am raising money for WellChild, a charity that helps look after sick children.
This is where I would like your help. I would love you to help me help these children.
Please sponsor me via my fundraising page.
Yes, the day I take part in the London marathon, my fire will be burning again for sure. And by sponsoring me, you can do your bit.
Thank you.
In the meantime, remember to search for and find your own fire from your childhood days – your life will never be the same again.
Go, find your fire!
I am thrilled you’re doing this, Arvind. Personally I believe we must all make a significant difference to our community. In my own way, I do it. And yes, that is a big part of my “fire”. You already know my goals and aims and I am confident I will achieve them. I also talk to children/teenagers about finding their passion and pursuing them. Yes, I am the in-house counselor /motivator /go-to person when some parents want to convey something to their children, when it is not always easy for them to do it directly. All very harmonious – and I love it that way. We’re all friends after all, and it makes sense to leverage the influence of someone the children are fond of, anyway.
I am right behind you in supporting you in the Marathon. This year I am proud to say I’ve “up”-ed my contribution to the charities I support. I know I have miles to go before I sleep.
Have a great weekend!
Thanks Vidya for your encouragement. I have just been for another long walk – just 2 weeks to go now before the big day!
It is great to be able to educate, motivate and inspire others. The best inspiration of course is to live your own life in such a way that others are inspired too.
And you are clearly walking your talk:-)
When I was a child, I wanted to be president of my country, and then a geologist… none of which interest me in the least now.
For a while I wanted to perform as a contortionist, so I trained very hard, and did. And then I lost interest. I wanted to work with horses. So I did, and then that fire died too. I wanted to teach. So I did. Maybe that fire is still a little bit alive… I don’t know.
Where is there to look if not at your childhood?
I have faith that things will happen if I keep moving and doing, but I don’t feel like I have much control beyond that…. hmmm.
Tathata, the only “control” you have is what you can do for yourself in your own life.
By getting clear about what you want and taking daily actions towards that, you are more likely to get there than if you just had some vague dream and you didn’t take any action to make it happen.
Great that you achieved your dream to be a contortionist. I envy anyone who can bend themselves so much:-)
Here’s to finding more of your fire…
Your post made me recall that I had no big burning ambitions when I was a child. In high school many of my friends were artists and musicians while I enjoyed more analytical pursuits. To marry the interests, I thought I would be the business manager of an artist. Funny that I’m a finance executive married to an artist (and acting as his business manager :)).
I have many burning passions and ideas today and I’m pursuing as many of them as I can in a day. Like you say, there’s so much to accomplish and so little time. I do what I can each day and am learning to be OK with that.
I wish I had someone like Vidya around when I was younger. All the adults and role models I had only reinforced going to college and getting a good job with no messages about contribution. It took me a while to figure out that the opposite should have been encouraged and I’m doing that for my kids.
Love the new look with your hair on “fire!”
Hi Arvind,
How exciting that you are doing the London Marathon again and for such a worthy cause. You are making a difference. When I was a child, my dream was to be a teacher and make a difference that way. I fulfilled my dream, but then life found a new cause for me. I hope I can make a difference one blog post at a time, as well as do more with face to face interaction in the area of addiction and recovery. I remember hearing long ago, that we may not be able to save the world, but if we all just pick one person or one cause and focus on that, we will make a difference.
Best of luck to you in the marathon. Can’t wait to hear about it!!
Hi Arvind..When I was very young I wanted to be a teacher and some other things but now, I don’t want any of them now… Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us…
Hi Arvind,
I must admit that the warning drew me in…my external message is gentle but within my life, I cultivate my fire and create from such a place..impossible is truly possible when we allow it to be:)
When we are children we have such innocence, and our faith is unmarred by “less than” experiences; may we continue to re-set our hearts and spirit to such innocence and faith and, as per your examples, allow our light to shine in myriad ways.
I love that you are walking the marathon, honoring your own pace, hugely symbolic.
Thank you for being you and for all that you share:)
Good job you Arvind. Another London Marathon for a wonderful cause. I admire your ‘fire’ and your choice to walk and not run. We can make a difference in the world by the choices we make, the love we share, the caring and support we offer.
And you are so right, if we follow the impetus from within, it’s like following the whisper of the universe, of God and it always takes us down the best path for all.
Blessings to you for the difference you’re making.
xoxo
Elle