How many times have you woken up in the last year, month, day, knowing that you were about to do something remarkable? How many times have you felt like you were changing the World with every action you had penciled into your calendar?

I ask you this because I read a couple of blog posts yesterday that really inspired me to take a long hard look at what I do day to day, and how I come to the decisions about the direction I want my life to take.

The first was Chris Guillebeau’s guest post on Zenhabits titled Staring Out Over the Bridge, here’s an excerpt that gives you a good idea of the point he was making:

When you were a kid and wanted to do something your parents or teachers didn’t like, you may have heard the question, “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?” The idea is that it’s not good to do something stupid, even if everyone else is doing it. The logic is think for yourself instead of following the crowd.

He concludes the post with the following advice:

Take a hard look at the life before you. Are you staring out over the bridge? Take a step back. Decide for yourself what’s best.

The rest is entirely up to you.

I don’t know about you, but I’m up to the task.

The Second post came from Everett Bogue’s Far Beyond the Stars.  For those of you that are new here, I mention talk about his work in several articles and even recommend some of his elegeantly composed ebooks.  Everett’s writing has evolved into a powerful voice for change through minimalism.  In his latest article, The Unconvetional Guide to Changing the Future of the Human Race, Everett has surpassed his own high standard of practical rhetoric.  He starts boldly by stating that:

The hardest day in the world is the one when you realize that you’re a leader.

When you stand up in front of a group of people (or tweet, because that works better) and say something that matters.

He then goes on to challenge his readers to do just that.

So, I challenge you. When you wake up tomorrow, step up and start creating a movement.

I wrote about creating movements before, and then slowly that work fell by the wayside. Creating a movement is NOT a rest stop on the freeway. It is the sole reason that we are on this planet.

So, I challenge you. When you wake up tomorrow, step up and start being a leader.

Read a book that will make you think about your potential.

Take a yoga practice.

Go live on a boat, Julien.

Say one thing that matters. One thing isn’t too hard, right?

Destroy your TV and leave your house and never go back, because this is life. We’re living it, and every fraking second we’re dying it too.

He concludes by reminding how hard taing that first step can be.

Yes, that’s hard. Yes it’s the hardest thing you will ever do.

But if you don’t do it, who will?

Well I wanted to take this opportunity to take him up on his challenge and turn the challenge over to my readers.

On many occasions throughout my life, I have been unlucky. I have been unlucky in love with two relationships that I thought would, but failed to go the distance. I have been unlucky financially considering my bank accounts never have more than a few thousand dollars in them at one time, and even those occasions are rarer than I would like.  I have made mistakes that have cost me all kinds of things.  But there is one thing I know when I wake up every morning that trumps all of the setbacks I have had to endure in my life:

Every day I wake up knowing that I am going to change the World with the work that I do.

In my case I can take it one step further. In fact, as an architect, the work I do changes the World … literally.

No doubt that is a great feeling, but it is a feeling that comes with great responsibility. A responsibility, which can at times be utterly overwhelming. In fact, it can be downright paralyzing.   I know, I’m often overcome with life’s pressures.  But the risk is always worth the reward.

Here’s how I literally change the world every day.

I’m not showing you these images to brag, or show off, or somehow to prove that I’m making a difference.  I’m showing you these images to inspire you. I want you to wake up from the drudgery that consumes you when you put limits by taking busy work that doesn’t make a difference.

I also wake up every morning with the pleasure of tying to come up with simple ways to inspire others to discover the power within them through the articles I publish on this blog.  I often find myself devoting 12-16 hrs a day, six to seven days a week to these tasks. Notice I don’t call it work because it doesn’t feel like work when you do things you are passionate about.

It’s hard. It’s challenging, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Now, not everyone is meant to be revolutionary. Not everyone is going to invent the next great technology, or advance the next breakthrough in thermodynamics.  That’s fine because that’s not the point. The point is that big changes often come in small packages.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You don’t need 500,000 fans. You just need one. Inspiring one person to change, to grow, to flourish. That’s huge. That’s what this movement is all about.

So tell me, tell all of us … how will you change the World today? Have you thought about that yet? Maybe it’s time you did? We’re all waiting for you to show us what you’ve got.

Don’t know where to start? Why not take a chance and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Onwards and upwards,

–

If these articles help you, please help spread the word by taking a moment to Share them on Stumbleupon or Retweet them to the world. The links are included below to make it easy. Thank you!

If you haven’t already, consider signing up to receive updates on your email or RSS. It’s totally free, and you can opt out at anytime! I know Simply optimal is not for everybody, but look forward to a dialogue with those who feel it is for them.

Want to stay in touch? Join the movement by following me on Facebook or Twitter. I’ll keep you up-to-date on my upcoming ebook project, Revolution 2.1: A Brief Guide for Microrevolutionaries, Change Agents, and Just About Everyone Else.  You won’t want to miss it. Thanks for stopping by.

{PHOTO CREDIT: ERIC FISCHER}