Come alive.

For those of my readers that immediately thought of the Greatest Showman - hells to the yes. And the tenor of that song is exactly what this post is about - not the person, but the meaning.

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

This Howard Thurman quote was mentioned in the book I am currently reading, "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown. She incorporates this into a section pertaining to self-doubt and supposed-to, and how these thoughts undermine our process of finding our gifts and sharing them with the world.

And I'm all about this. My line of work is to help people figure out what they want to do with their lives and get connected to those opportunities. I am driven by helping others discover their potential, to fully become who they are.

In my own personal experience and in my work with others, I am well aware at how our brains can get locked on a cycle of negative thoughts - those that society feeds us, and those that we feed to ourselves (whether we know it or not). Brown refers to these thoughts as gremlins and how they can keep us from pursuing things are that meaningful to us. Have you ever thought "they call it work for a reason"? Or "I am not [insert item or descriptor here] enough?"

I work with students every day that are going after something because everyone is doing it, talking about it, or competing for it. Whether that be applying to the elite business school, being a member of 18 organizations, or going out four nights in a row. I love my job because I get to challenge them on this; I ask them to confront that status quo and ask them why - what is actually meaningful for them? I get that most of you aren't students and life looks a little different packed with many responsibilities, but how many of you have ever found yourself on someone else's path?

Brown encourages us to learn to own the messages that run rampant in our brains so that these gremlins don't eat us alive. "Gremlins are like toddlers. If you ignore them, they get louder. It's usually just best to acknowledge the message". So the next time your mind starts playing that "not enough" song on repeat, maybe take a moment to listen and write down the lyrics you hear. Don't let it run unchecked; own the message. Challenge your own status quo.

The world responds to that authenticity. So if you find that spark, light that fire. Don't be afraid to come alive.

The world needs you.