It’s 1983 and Flashdance’s Irene Cara is powering out the lyrics, ‘Take your passion and make it happen.’

Some wait for the feeling before they move.  Sometimes the feeling never comes.

Others, though, know, when they move, the feeling follows.

Here’s something sent by Andrew and Pete,* two energetic and enthusiastic marketing guys I enjoyed meeting recently; they say:

I thought to pull this in here because, whether you need to earn some money for that thing you do, or find some space and time to contribute it in a gifted way,  the important thing for your future to emerge is for you to turn up.

Every day, turn up with their passion – identified by the thing or things you’re curious about, your skills and do something to change the world.  Even if it’s one person’s world (if you can change one person’s world, you can change more).

When you turn up and do what you must do, your feelings will change (you will also change the feelings of others who share your space).**

One thing for sure is to do nothing, or to hold back, will result in nothing.

I went out for a run earlier.  I’m feeling good about it now.  After injury, I’m getting good signals my body is doing okay.  But in the winter, I never really feel like running – I only know I love running.  So I turned up, pulled on my shoes and went out into wind strong enough to almost stop me in my tracks a few times as I ran up one of the  hills.  At times like this, I remind myself I must respect the miles,which break down into steps.

When you turn up with what it is you must do, then you are developing mastery of something no-one else does.  Chris Anderson brings encouragement to see the market has many more niches than it has had before:

‘What we will see is simply more.  More innovation, in more places, from more people, focused on more narrow niches.^

When I first read these words from Robert Greene, it was as if he was speaking directly to me:

‘You push yourself to learn from every possible source.  You read more books than those who have a formal education, developing this into a lifelong habit … . You try to apply your knowledge in some sort of experiment or practice.  You find yourself second-degree mentors … . You try and make their ideas come to life … .’^^

The future will not be a progression of what already is.  It is unlikely to find you.  But when you increasingly clarify and develop your passion and your skills, you will see your future.  And you will know what you must do now to arrive at your future.

If you struggle with either of these, get in touch because it’s what I do – I imagine people’s futures.

(*Check out Andrew and Pete’s site.)
(**I’m learning this the hard way.  I’ve been in some pretty dreich meetings, where I’ve waited for someone else to lift the mood, and, often, it never happens.  I must do this.)
(^From Chris Anderson”s Makers.)
(^^From Robert Greene’s Mastery.)