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“It’s not about me, I’m just the messenger.”

 

I remember this one time I did an activity at George Brown College. We went up and talked about seeds of greatness. I said, "every seed needs water and sunlight. Sunlight is people. Water is learning. Sunlight is energy."

I got them to pick one voice – their happy voice. I told them I do an “I own you” pep talk before I go into every speaking session or classroom. I also told them why we do the AOTG program. We believe in the value of people. We see the fruit in others while most still view themselves as seeds. And we feel that if we can water them with the right amount of energy, love, resources, and support, they’ll turn into the phenomenal beings that they were called to be. I also talked about a sense of dedicating yourself to a mission. And because we’ve dedicated ourselves to a mission, we will maximize our effort and enjoyment of what we do.

Dedicate yourself to something greater than yourself and you will actually find that you will work harder.

When you dedicate yourself to something greater than yourself, things are no longer about you. If I ask someone to raise $100 for the AOTG program because they’ve bought into my vision, they’re going to spread the word and drum up support for the program, not me. But for some, asking people for fundraising can be tricky; some will be reluctant and feel like others will think they are asking for a handout for themselves.

But when you dedicate yourself to something greater than yourself, you don’t have that bias. Let’s call it the independent bias. The narcissistic bias. The pride bias.

Because you think you seem prideful, you assume people will think it’s all about you when it really isn’t. You know in your heart that you’re not going to do wrong with any raised funds. You know where it's going. But you put yourself in other people’s shoes and think that they’ll assume you’re not going to do the best thing with the money, which is actually a crazy thought to have.

As a former football player, I learned that you fight on a team for someone else. You have other people counting on you, and the pressure is a little higher. You have different people holding you accountable. I trained so hard because I know there were other people counting on me. In the end we’ve all bought in to one thing: winning. So, we're willing to put aside ourselves and change the way we talk, the way we dress (with a team uniform), and the times we practise because we've bought into something greater than ourselves.

As a speaker, I’ve become obsessed with pouring into people. I love pouring into seeds with love and water so that they can grow and produce fruit. I see a lot of fruit in people. I've learned that once you understand who you are and your purpose, you can share and dedicate yourself to something greater than yourself. You will become obsessed. You will become fanatical. And you will come to realize that that goal is greater than you as an individual and it leaves a legacy behind. And that that legacy is greater than you could ever imagine. You leave something behind your name. 

It's not just about what you’re doing here and now, but what you’re going to leave for generations to come. Your gifts. Your talents. Your name. The way you act now and the principles you live by influence people. You are a force to be reckoned with.

So let us move in such a way that we leave legacy. Let us move in such a way that we buy into something greater than ourselves. And let us really bring forth some serious fruit. Whether you’re a server at Joey’s or a student in university, maximize your learning experience and work hard in everything you do.

#GetAfterIt

 

-JH

 

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