Chad Silverstein on why leaders and parents must model courageous living. Define your Opus, a clear ambitious vision, and take small steps toward it. Fear is an excuse that leads to paralysis and regret.
Chapters
Becoming built to lead is. It's not rocket science. It's the same themes over and over and over again. Easy to understand, hard to do. Fear in today's day is an interesting concept if you think about what Chet's teaching over and the thought of growing old and looking back and having these regrets and regretting the things you did versus the great things you weren't courageous enough to do. It's an interesting concept to think about. And I'll never forget learning in practice when Chet first shared I think it's the Emerson quote that talks about how the biggest failure of a parent is the unlived life of a parent. Such a crazy thought. How much if you have kids, you have an obligation to live a certain type of life that teaches them how to live the life that you want them to live, which is to follow their hearts and go after something big and be whole and find that oneness and be successful and accomplish things that you know they're capable of accomplishing. But maybe they don't know it yet or they don't believe it. We all have that within us. This is why Opus is the driving force behind every great leader that I have a dream. Here's where I'm going, here's my highway. And it's weird that there's so few leaders that have a clear vision. And if you're in charge of your team, if you're in charge of your space at work, if it's your company, if you're the leader in your family and your community, you're not off the hook. You have to have an aim. You want that to drive you, and you want to make sure that your playbook of productive actions is just full of things that are going to help you, lead you towards that aim. And being scared because you don't think you can do it or because it can't make you money. It's such a good excuse. Such a good excuse. The problem is, is that it's exactly what it is. It's an excuse and it paralyzes you and you will one day regret it. So figure out where that is and start writing. And make sure you revisit your opus. Don't get lazy. Be a little unrealistic. It's okay. Don't try to be like everyone else and go big and go big, and you don't have to accomplish all of it overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day. Take a baby step. You don't know what unfolds as you start doing that, what opportunity opens up because you have the courage just to take that first step. Don't live with regrets. You can't predict what you're going to regret. You can have fear of what you might regret. But you have all the power right now to actually go do something so that you don't make that a reality, a self fulfilling prophecy. So figure out, bubble that up. Wherever you are in your life right now, where are you holding things back that you could possibly regret? And are you moving towards a bigger aim? Get some clarity and keep writing.
