I Always Wanted to Be Somebody
May 20, 2009
Long flights like this one are great opportunities to get work done. No real distractions, coffee, and a five-hour stretch in a relatively isolated environment. On these flights, I tend to work on the Inner Circle Newsletter, get caught up on a thick stack of “airplane reading,” and relax – just a bit.
I was flipping through the airline’s in-flight magazine, and came across a page of interesting quotes. One in particular caught my attention. It was by the great Lily Tomlin:
I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.
Aside from the fact that this is pretty funny, it’s also quite relevant. Too many people are far too vague about their goals and aspirations, preferring to let life happen to them instead of working to create the reality they truly want.
As we just saw in the last article, action – and generally massive action – is required to achieve lofty goals in the face of overwhelming odds. But that’s only half the equation. The other half is knowing what those goals are!
There’s an old expression that if you don’t know where you’re going, then any road will get you there. Try to be specific in terms of the outcomes you want from your relationships, from your business, and from life.
If you’re going to be “somebody” then make it somebody really good!
Comments
3 Responses to “I Always Wanted to Be Somebody”
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Dear Ron,
May I reprint this article in our electronic monthly member newsletter, eConnections. I would be grateful and I would of course give you full attribution.
Chris Daniels
Executive Director
SRA International
Ron:
Very true. You wrote: “I was flipping through the airline’s in-flight magazine, and came across a page of interesting quotes. One in particular caught my attention. It was by the great Lily Tomlin: I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” How many of us sit around waiting for life to “happen” to us instead of taking responsibility for the kind of life we want?
Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
Very well said …thanks for the reminder!