Take action of your "What if" thoughts.....

"What if......?" when put together, these two words can provoke a colorful thought and image within the minds of several of us. At moments, these "what if" thoughts seem endless when you begin to deepen the pondering of where this "what if" thought can lead to. We sit on our couch, as we watch Discovery channel, or listen one of our favorite tunes on our IPod.....thinking ...thinking. We catch ourselves smiling about the success of this "what if" thought, sometimes leading to a little victory dance while in the shower. Then you go to bed.........wake up the next morning......and that "what if" thought is no longer in existence. There is no life to this "what if" thought, and there is not one piece of this great "what if" thought jotted down anywhere, nor did you share this potential opportunity to anyone. Poof!......gone.

"What if" thoughts can be a barrier or wall if you do not take or know the next steps in bringing these "what if" thoughts to life. Make these opportunities exist and happen! Take time right now to think about an individual that you know of that has succeeded. Do you think this person arrived at their success by stifling their thought process at a point of just a "what if" thought? Majority of your great success stories begin at a moment of thought, but it took great work and commitment for each of these individuals to strive towards each of their goals, whether they set short-term or long-term goals along this success path. However, no matter what path they took, I am sure each great individual overcame challenges along their path to success.

I do not want to sit here and give you a blueprint as to what the next step is in making your "what if" thought exist outside of your head. I believe each individual has made such thoughts exist today by utilizing a variety of planning skills and tools. What I challenge each one of you to do is to choose an idol of yours that has succeeded. Find out what their "what if" thought was that sparked their road to where they are today, and what they did to get there. Next, utilize a plan of action or tool that this idol of yours used, and make an attempt to apply this plan of action or tool to your "what if" thought........ Make it happen.

~Rich Lorton, M.A.
Program Director of Dream Big Career Center