Stephanie and I were strolling along the beach this morning in Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas. It is not uncommon for us to take several hours early in the morning to be with each other and connect before the day begins. As a matter of fact, we deliberately make time for it every day (rain or shine)! Normally, it is on our patio looking out over the small woods and golf course adjacent to our backyard; however, we have been blessed to spend a few days in the Bahamas as I was invited to speak at the Bahamas Unity and Heritage Festival. (Thank you to Christine Campbell and the Superior Speakers Bureau for the opportunity!)
Anyway, as we enjoyed the calm of the water, the empty beach, and each other, we found ourselves talking about a variety of things. However, we focused on some of the opportunities and decisions we have faced in recent weeks about where The Identity Doctor, LLC goes from here. We have decided to formally cement our partnership (in the business; we formalized our partnership as husband and wife 27 years ago, and I wouldn’t change a thing!) and expand the Identity Dr brand. I will not steal her thunder in this post, but rest assured AWESOME things are coming!
We talked about where we are going from here, and as I have spent the last month and all day yesterday talking about identity and empowerment, one particular phrase from this morning echoes in my mind. To be fair, I am paraphrasing because my brightest thoughts come when I have nothing to write them down.
You are the only one who can bring your specific vision into the world.
The Identity Dr brand, the ideas Steph is concocting, and the things that you, the person reading this, have are wholly unique to you. Even if somebody else has done something similar before, you have your own perspective and background.
I have spent many years thinking that what I have is not unique or valuable. There have even been moments in the past few weeks when I listened to the other speakers on the program and got worried or afraid that they were saying the same thing I was, so why should I say it? However, as I stepped on that stage, one phrase from my speech shouted in my ear: Two people can have similar backgrounds, similar support systems, and even similar identities and achieve different outcomes. The difference isn’t in what they know; it is in what they choose. And there is the difference. I am the sum of all the decisions (good and bad) I have made over my lifetime. No one else in the world has walked my exact path. Everything I know and believe is colored by that VERY specific lens. My thoughts and ideas may not resonate with everyone, or even most people, but there are other people out there who may benefit from what I am saying.
The same is true for all of us. We all have a unique us-sized mark to make on this world. And that is what Steph and I came to this morning: we have been dancing around these plans, and we realized maybe the reason they keep coming across our path is because that is what we are meant to do. All of the other things have just been noise and distraction. Sometimes we just need to cut through all of it to figure out the path we are supposed to be on. I know that I feel most aligned when I am helping other people figure out what their next step is supposed to be, whether it’s in the classroom, through a blog, or from the stage. Maybe that is the invitation for all of us: to stop waiting for the noise to quiet down and start paying attention to the places where our lives already feel most aligned.
So I ask you,
What “you-sized” mark are you supposed to leave on the world?