field-of-dreams

“Field of Dreams” is  a classic American movie interweaving baseball, family and good old-fashioned Midwestern ideals.  If you haven’t seen it (are there any of you out there?), it is absolutely worth a look.  Love it!  In the film, Kevin Costner plays a fledgling Iowa farmer (Ray Kinsella) wracked by both current debt and past issues with his deceased father.  While walking through his cornfield one evening, he hears a voice whispering from the heavens: “If you build it, he will come”.   Hijinks ensue (as they say in Hollywood) and soon, Ray chops down his cornfield, builds a baseball stadium and sees lots of dead people.  (I need to work on my Wikipedia skills!)  Anyway…by sticking with his gut instinct and building the baseball stadium instead of planting crops, Ray realizes the dream of reconnecting with his father while presumably attracting untold riches as a tourist attraction.  He built the field, and the people came in bunches.  Problem solved.  While that may work in Hollywood (or Iowa), that same approach does not work in our business and personal lives.

In our business lives, it is not enough to train, study, and role play in order to achieve success.  You have to execute!  In sales, we can review the most effective techniques but unless we pick up the phone and visit our clients, we will never get ahead.  As entrepreneurs, we can design a killer business plan and pinpoint our target audience, but unless we effectively market and actively drive demand, customers are likely to stay away.  As coaches and teachers, we can absorb the latest approach to training, but we will never make an impact on our students and players unless we earnestly connect on an individual basis.  Building our tools for advancement is now table stakes.  In order to translate that building process into success, we must vigorously put these skills into practice.  The crowds are not going to come on their own.  The fish are not going to jump in our boat.  If we are going after a dream and trying to make this world a better place, we have to demand attention from our audience.

The same is true in our personal lives.  It is not enough to go out to social functions.  If we want to make new friends or meet someone special, we have to actively engage with other people.  It is not enough have children and hope they grow up to strong.  We have to play an active role with discipline and guide them down the right path.  It is not enough to enter into a marriage.  We have to put in the work and collaborate and communicate if we want to achieve a lasting relationship.  Just showing up in life is not a recipe for happiness.  We need to actively participate and connect with those we treasure the most.

When we suffer a setback, it even more important to stay active.  A lost sale.  A failed business. A broken relationship.  Things just aren’t going to get better on their own.  Time does not heal ALL wounds.  If we want to get back on a path to success and happiness, we have to take control of the situation.  Resilience is not inevitable.  It takes hard work and planning.  We need to analyze our mistakes and apply this new insight to our next great adventure.  We need to pour everything we have into repairing our relationships.  Or, if the damage is irreparable, pour everything we have into making new connections.  Sitting back and hoping someone will magically show up to solve our problems is not realistic.  Resiliency starts with an active choice to move forward.

Only you can control your future. –Dr. Seuss

Building it (whatever your “it” is) is only half the battle. People don’t always line up to make your life better.  You are not in Iowa anymore!  Stay active!  Stay positive!  Do not sit back and rest on what you have accomplished.  If you work hard to demonstrate you care, the crowds will come.  If you connect with your loved ones, you will achieve fulfillment.  If you stay focused on your next great accomplishment, you will move forward with grace and dignity.  You are the star of your own life.  Actively pursue your own dreams and go the distance!

Until next week, keep smiling!