Are You Driving Through Life With Your Foot on the Brake?

Can you remember the words that have made the most impact your life? Maybe it was a quote from a famous author or millionaire. Perhaps the words come from a book in the Bible. Or, maybe it's the words of a wise grandparent that have stuck with you through the years.

If you think about it, can you remember the words that changed your life?

At 6:06 am on Saturday morning I sat straight up in bed. I had just lived out a dream that was revolutionary in its simplicity and wisdom. It was one of those dreams that convinces us of the extreme power of our mind. I woke up and was just clear-headed enough to think,

I should write this dream down in Evernote!

But also just groggy enough to think,

Oh, I can remember this when I get up.

Lucky for me, I took a second and made a note of my dream, and I want to share its power with you. Here we go…

It was late at night, and a friend and I were driving out in the country. We were sitting in an old, blue truck with tan and black vinyl seats. The kind of truck your uncle might drive while hunting.

The road was completely dark. We could barely see past the dim headlights, and even those didn't show us much.

After driving for several minutes, we became lost. My friend, who was in the driver's seat, slowed the truck so that we were barely moving at all. For some reason, I felt somewhat familiar with the road. Though I wasn't sure exactly where we were, or where we were heading, I remember feeling like I'd been down this path before.

After a while, my friend came to a cross-road. The road before us turned to dirt and gravel and split off. One path went straight, the other to the right.

He pulled off to the curb; the car sat half on the black top, half in the dirt on the side of the road before it became ditch. Not knowing exactly which road to take, my friend sat behind the wheel, foot on the brake, and with the engine idling at a low rumble.

We sat there for what seemed like forever, just thinking about which road to take.

After a few minutes cars started to drive by. They were obviously more familiar with the roads and blew by us without hesitation. Some honked, others just drove by quietly.

Again, I got the feeling I'd been at this crossroads before. I felt like I knew which way he should head. But I said nothing. My friend just sat there, both hands on the wheel, eyes forward. With the dim halo of light coming from the headlights, it felt as if we were all alone out in the darkness. It wasn't a scary feeling, just tense with inaction.

Several minutes later I turned to my friend. His hands still on the wheel, his foot still pressing down on the brake. I looked at him and said,

No one is ever going to tell you to go.

And then I woke up.

I've shared my dream with only a few people, but I think its impact is huge.

How often are we faced with a decision but we sit idly with our thoughts as the world passes us by?

My friend, who was sitting in the driver's seat, was in complete control. He only had to let his foot off the brake, and he would have moved forward. The other cars were driving by, some honking, some with a little more understanding. Each of them letting us sit in the car without bothering us.

That is so much like life isn't it?

We get passed over for promotion because we hesitated and waited for someone to tell us what to do. We get stuck in our business because we waited to get noticed or stalled while hoping someone would come to us. We shake our head in frustration that our blog or podcast isn't taking off like we'd imagined, and quietly hope we'll catch a break.

Maybe my dream doesn't apply to you. Maybe you've already made the decisions you needed to make.

But if you haven't, if you're still idling on the side of the road with your foot on the brake,

No one is ever going to tell you to go.

No one will tell you to move forward or that it's time to decide. No one will tell you the right path to take. No one can tell you to bet on yourself.

You have to take your own foot off the brake and push down on the gas. You must tell yourself it's time to go.

If you're ready to take your foot off the brake and stomp down on the gas pedal, I highly encourage you to join a mastermind group or get some business coaching. Having someone throw fuel on your fire will get you further faster than you could ever get alone.

I happen to offer both 1×1 coaching as well as a group mastermind and I would love to see you succeed. Even if you don't work with me, you absolutely must surround yourself with people who will tell you to go, and help you along the way. I hope to see you out there!

Click here to apply for 1×1 private coaching.

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Question: What words have had the biggest impact on your life?