Who will I be if I stay? This was the heart wrenching question Diana (Wonder Woman) had to ask herself before going off to war. That moment, when she knew in her insides, that she was much stronger than she ever thought. The moment she knew there was so much more for her to do, than just staying where it was safe and comfortable. (Sound familiar?) Diana was torn (like many of us have been) by the pleas of her family and inner circle to stay where it’s protected and predictable. However, she knew she was destined to do more.
This was the most pivotal moment of the movie for me. It was at that moment, that I remembered I felt the exact same way while I worked in corporate America. I knew that I could be doing something that brought me more satisfaction, and allowed me to offer my superpowers to a target audience, and have a greater impact on others. That gravitational pull between leaving what I knew for sure, and doing what I was passionate about.
Have you ever stayed in a job, a relationship or career knowing that you should have left long ago?
According to a new study at Gallup, 51% of Americans aren’t engaged at work, meaning they feel no real connection to their jobs and thus they tend to do the bare minimum. Similar stats are accurate for the number of marriages that end in divorce. Why do we stay, when we know it’s time to go?
FEAR. Most people would rather stay in their situation because while they might not like it, there’s a sense of security and familiarity that trumps doing anything differently.
Jim Rohn once said “Don’t be afraid to CHANGE, you may lose something good, but you may gain something better”
Back in February, Tamron Hall a broadcast journalist, made a tough decision to follow her heart, and walk away from the Today show unexpectedly. Five months later, she is working with Weinstein Television to develop her own daytime talk show. Her IBS (inner belief system) was strong enough to guide her to do what was right for her.
JK Rowling who invented Harry Potter was once a secretary, until she lost her job for writing fiction on company time. Who would she have been if she stayed?
The sweetest victory is the one that’s most difficult. The one that requires you to reach down deep inside, to fight with everything you’ve got – to be willing to leave everything you’ve got out there on the battlefield- without knowing, until that do-or-die moment, if your heroic effort will be enough.
“To achieve any worthy goal, you must take risks.” says writer and speaker John C. Maxwell
So, if the answer to the question “Who will I be if stay” is, a happy and fulfilled human being, then you’re in the right place. If the answer to that question is something different, then check in with your IBS (inner belief system) and don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.