Before I go into the topic, I have two questions. How many times have you seen a social influencer, an entrepreneur, a real estate agent, or a musician and thought to yourself that they are performing at a high level? How many times have you seen or heard of these individuals and thought to yourself they are performing at a high level, possibly higher than you are? Now imagine that for whatever reason this person, or people, were to leave a void. A void that needed to be filled. Well, imaginations become reality because that is exactly what will happen. And the filler of the void is you and I.
It is common that we see the people that are performing at the highest level and we do not envision their time coming to an end. We do not envision who will be next up. And while I am not advising you to go around predicting when anyone's success may come to an end, I am advising you that at any moment their success can come to an end. The real question I should have asked is are you prepared to fill the void they will leave? Regardless of age, nationality, stature, creed, or public image, you are next. We are next. We are the next ones up. And we need to be prepared to step in when the time comes.
OK, I know, it all sounds good and everything but how? How could someone that is possibly 64 years old be the next one up? How could someone that is short on luck be the next one up? How could someone from humble beginnings be the next one up to fill the shoes of a giant? Well, it all depends on which shoes you are trying to fill versus which shoes you will be needed to fill. Let me explain.
It is probably easier for you to believe that a 20 year old or 23 year old is the next one up. I get it, They are young and brimming with energy. But I need you to believe that a 40 year old is next up too. A 65 year old is next up also. if you are ACTIVE and putting in the work, YOU ARE NEXT UP. Let me clarify more. First let me explain where your feet need to go.
Your feet dictate your next steps. And to fill shoes, you will need to use these feet, at least figuratively speaking. But when there is a line of shoes in different sizes and colors it is easy for us to pick the shoes that we think LOOK the nicest. But these are not always the most comfortable for our feet. They may not come in our size, or they may be too narrow, or the sole of the shoe may be too heavy when we walk. There is a multitude of reasons why the shoes we pick may not be right. This applies directly to roles we are to assume "next." See our feet are all different but every now and then someone else's feet may fit in the same shoes as you. But when those differences keep us from fitting in where we want, we need to embrace them to fit in where it is best suited for us, and usually others.
As an aspiring writer, for the past 15 years, maybe I will not be able to write the book I thought would sell millions. But what I have over the 23 year old writer fresh from college is experience. I have the life experience of trying to write a best seller. And while this experience may not have helped me succeed, it may very well be able to help someone else succeed. So maybe instead I can write a book instructing others on what to do and what not to do. Our age does not limit us from being successful, it is our mind that can limit us from becoming successful. It is the limitations we set on ourselves that will limit us.
We are next. You are next. You may be the next Oprah, or you may be the next program director for the next Oprah, the important thing to understand is that we are next. We are the next crops ready to be harvested. It is up to us to be ready for the harvesting. it is up to us to put in the work until our time comes. because when the moment comes, it will be sudden and abrupt. it will not always come with warning, but if you are not prepared when it arrives you may not have another chance for a while. Chances will arise again in the future but that does not mean we should throw away opportunities that are there then and now.
So go get ready because we are next. Remember there is no competition. We can all cohabitate with each other. It is up to us to make it work. And it is up to us to put in the work. So start now, wait no longer, and be ready when the opportunity arises.