How does your ambition make a generous connection?

Who benefits from the fulfillment of your ambition?

Your generosity and willingness to make a connection vice a mere transaction will pay huge dividends, eventually. This mindset forces a change in primary metrics. Gone is the need to check for likes every 30 minutes.

I struggle with this shift. I am a product of now and addicted to the quick dopamine fix delivered by the positive affirmation.

Now the discussion turns to questioning how did my ambition help others. The focus is looking outward. What is the surprise and delight factor vice total dollars spent? How can we serve the need today and build trust for tomorrow?

Bridge cables work in unison and through multiple connection points to create a useful imposing structure that adds value. Multiple strands combine to make one cable and one connection. Each customer or fan interaction strengthens or weakens this connection by another strand.

The bridge requires every connection to keep your travel safe. You and I have a choice to pursue this same consistency or not.

How does the investment of your time on this project ensure connections are established? 

When is it your turn?

The overhead sign, on the way into Charleston, on Tuesday, read 630 traffic fatalities in South Carolina during 2016. As we left on Sunday, the sign read 645. During my vacation, 15 lives ended and countless families were altered forever. 

The statistics lead us to believe that it will never happen to us, and it is a longshot. We don't want our turn. However, over a lifetime, the odds are against us, and an accident will touch our lives.

When the U.S. Powerball lottery topped $1.6B, the odds of winning were one in 292.2 million. Finally, I am ready to announce publicly, drum roll please... one of my five tickets was not the winner. Yep, nada, bupkiss, nothing, zero and squat is what I took from the winnings; but it was fun to dream for a day.

The statistics lead us to believe that it will never happen to us, and it is a longshot. We do want our turn. However, over a lifetime, the odds are against us, and you won't win the lottery.

Yet, we spend time dwelling on the horrific, and terrific things that can occur in our lives that are outside our influence. 

What about those things that are within our influence? When is it your turn?

Society, family and internal expectations influence our belief about when it is our turn to follow our dreams, make an impact on the world or take a risk. Most often all these influences will scream "be safe" and "don't take any risk." The safe, secure job with good benefits is the best option, and for goodness sake, "forget those crazy ideas of making a significant impact."

Seth Godin provides a clear answer in the title of his last book, What To Do When It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn). Seth encourages the reader, you and me, to decide it is our turn and not wait to be picked.

Choosing to take your turn, requires bravery. The world will most likely ignore the ideas keeping you up at night and in the worst case, will hate them. This doesn't mean to pass on your turn; it is yours, and it is waiting.

What change are you driving?

What have you said or done that is worth memorializing in stone? This question regularly flickers through my mind during my commute around Washington D.C. I drive by the Lincoln, MLK, Washington, and FDR memorials daily. Each recounts noble words and deeds these men did with the few years they had on this earth.

While you may never be President or lead something as significant as the civil rights movement; we must expect to bring about change to the people and causes that are important to us. Our hands were not made to be graciously clasped in your lap or pressed between your butt and chair. They are at the end of your arms to manipulate, create, fold, press, and caress. These words are verbs and imply action.

Everything around us has changed, and humanities reach continues to expand into more of the natural world. The clothes on your back and the device you're using to read this post, were the result of a change someone decided to bring into this world.

Your influence is significant, and the world will be a better place because of your investment. Resist the temptation to search for another cat video or binge watch another season. The actors, directors, and costume designers created their art, and it is time for you to generate your art and drive your change.

I am grateful and humbled by your willingness to read these words. If you never make it beyond this sentence because you went to, as Seth Godin says, "make a ruckus," then that is the highest compliment.

If you're still reading, know that I am pulling for you to be brave, and drive your change. I look forward to reading of your exploits, engraved in Internet trons or carved in marble and stone. Post your project what changes you are driving in the comments. My change is this blog.

Writing soundtrack: @theglitchmob @MatiasPuumala @thescript (Hall of Fame)