We play small because we think we are safer staying in the shadows, not making a noise, not wanting to be seen.  Many people don’t want the attention on them because they don’t feel adequate to the task.  They worry that people will find out they are faking it.  Not really up to the task at hand.

Other excuses are not having enough resources. Not enough money. Not enough time. Not enough connection. Not enough ME. There are a multitude of reasons that hold people back from playing in a bigger arena, but none of them are valid.

We keep ourselves small because we are afraid we are not big enough.

We think that by entering a bigger playing field life will become more stressful, busier and more difficult.  Well, the answer is, it probably will.  I’m busier than I’ve ever been, but I’m also feeling more fulfilled.  It’s certainly more stressful living this kind of life, and I’m challenged on a daily basis with decisions I have learned how to make, and choices that will affect the future.  But I keep on doing it because I believe I’m doing something worthwhile.  I believe my purpose in life is to be doing exactly what it is I’m doing.  It’s my passion.

But interestingly, the more engaged I am in the work I’m doing, the less stressful life seems to be.  This is the paradox.  I have way more going on in my life on a daily basis than I ever did before, and I feel more engaged in life than ever before.

In my martial arts training I discovered that the secret to success is simple.

Commitment, focus, determination, courage and follow-through are all hallmarks of a fearless approach.  With these elements in place there is no chance to get stuck.  No resistance to change.  In a fight, you must have all these elements in place if you are to win.  But it’s not about violence. It’s simply about methodology.  These are the elements that add up to any successful endeavor.

History is replete with people who played a bigger game and changed the course of history.

• H.H. The Dalai Lama
• Bill Gates
• Jonas Salk
• Martin Luther King
• Rosa Parks
• Mother Theresa
• Richard Branson
• Barak Obama

The one thing that differentiates these people from us ordinary mortals is they had a vision. They believed in something that was much greater than they were.  They played for much higher stakes that would influence the world.  That’s playing a HUGE game.

But for the rest of us mortals, our playing a bigger game is simply learning how to be in the world in a bigger way.  Making a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.

If you’re ready to make a difference in your life pick a complimentary excerpt from The Fearless Factor at www.thefearlessfactor.com/excerpt/