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Throughout history we have heard stories about the mythical chosen ones.  The chosen ones are born of greatness and usually not aware of it until some event allows it to come forward.  Then they arise and fulfill some great service to the world.  These legends of history are embodied in religion and ancient books such as the bible.  The Jews were considered to be the chosen people by some accounts.  It could also be argued that Jesus was chosen by god.  In recent times movies have kept this myth alive.  Harry Potter from the books and movies was recognized as chosen for greatness by his unknown ability to defeat Voldemort.  Eddie Murphy in the movie The Golden Child was also chosen to rescue a young boy with mythical powers.

We enjoy these movies I believe because we all want to be chosen for greatness from humble means.  The stories give us hope for our future and many wait for the opportunity to be chosen to come into their lives.  We wait for the job promotion.  We wait to be accepted into the management training program.  We wait to be selected for the acting part that will launch our performance career.  We wait for a leading role in our lives instead of supporting others dreams and goals.  We wait for that great business idea.  We wait for the stock market to change.  We wait for the economy to improve.  We wait for others and outside events to choose us.

Why do we wait?
What if you didn’t have to wait?
What if you already had that greatness inside of you?
What if the world was waiting for you to choose yourself instead?

The truth is we don’t have to wait for others to choose us for anything.  All the great minds that came before us chose themselves as leaders.  We are all free to choose ourselves for greatness at any time.  True personal greatness never comes from the outside anyways.  It only comes from an inner decision when we recognize our own talents and abilities.  We dismiss the negative thoughts that we have allowed to hold us back.  We release the judgments of ourselves and others.  And most importantly, we forgive others and ourselves for the past.  We make a conscious decision to change our lives.  We make it a real decision. A real decision has only one possible outcome.  We make a decision that we cannot go back to our old ways of thinking.  The outcome is we hold ourselves accountable to overcome the limitations we have put on what we are capable of doing and who we can be.  We have no limits.

In my own life I have made many decisions to choose myself for greatness.  In one example I applied for a leadership development program at work.  The 2 year leadership program had a history of producing promotions and future leaders.  I took great care to ensure my application and recommendations were stellar and I was confident I would be accepted.  Ultimately I did not get into the program.  My reaction could have been to go into depression and lose self-confidence.  I could have believed it meant something negative about me.  Instead I chose to enroll myself into a leadership program outside of my company using my own funds.  The first class was only $495.00, however, that was a significant investment in myself at the time.  I had not made many investments in myself since graduating from college years ago.

The result of that investment in personal growth has been profound my life.  It started me on a course of personal development that has taken me much further than anyone who was accepted in the company leadership program.  I received that job promotion within months of starting my own leadership program.  The awareness training caused me to focus on how to think instead of what to think.  This has made all the difference.  I discovered knowledge alone is never powerful.  Most training classes and schools focus only on knowledge.  Knowledge must be paired with ability, confidence, and vision.  My leadership program focused on giving me self-confidence and vision so now I know how to use the knowledge I already possessed.  The job promotion was just the beginning of the incredible events that have been unfolding my life and my wife’s since we both chose ourselves for greatness.

Here is what I have come to understand:

Chosen ones are the active creators of their lives instead of bystanders waiting for outside events to affect them.
Chosen ones no longer hope for luck to smile upon them.
Chosen ones know luck is for those who have no plan and no hope.
Chosen ones would rather pursue their dreams one step at a time not knowing the ultimate outcome.  Chosen ones strive for excellence and not perfection.
Chosen ones stay in movement towards their goals and they accept the opportunities that arrive along the way.
Chosen ones focus their minds on what they want.
Chosen ones do not accept the well intentioned by limiting advice from others.
Chosen ones don’t make up stores about what others are thinking about them.
Chosen ones like to be different.  They do not want to fit in.
Chosen ones have a daily routine of caring for themselves through exercise and meditation.
Chosen ones always look for win-win solutions.
Chosen ones want the world to be a better place and find ways to make it happen.

Are you one of the chosen ones?
Do you want to be?
What are you waiting for?

By Joe Parker