Mr. Shawn, an individual with a life full of regret, once shared some wise words with me that have stuck with me since: “Don't Let Your Ship Sail By.” His words prevented me from making a major regret in my own life by not going after what I want. After hearing Mr. Shawn's story, I hope it inspires you to pursue your dreams, too.

Mr. Shawn's Ship

Eight years ago, Mr. Shawn, my 55-year-old neighbor, was obsessed with cooking barbecue in the back patio of our apartment complex. One day, when I got home from work, he was grilling some steaks. He said to me, "Gene, I want to talk to you for a second."

I walked over, and he continued, "Man, when I was your age, I wish I had your mindset. You're focused on trying to have a better life for yourself. If I had been focused, I would have started a barbecue business by now. It's been my dream since my early 20s, but because I couldn't stop giving into distractions, I never pursued it. Gene, I’ve got a question for you. What is something you really want to achieve in life?” I looked him in the eye and said without hesitation, “I want to own my own business, be an author, and use my voice to motivate others”.

"That's good, Gene! You have the right mindset to make it happen. I want you to remember this if you ever feel yourself start to lose focus. Your dream is like a ship--you'll have many opportunities to board it. But if you don't stay focused and that ship is presented to you time and time again, and you fail to take advantage of the opportunity, eventually it will sail away and get so far from you that you'll regret not boarding it. So stay focused, Gene, and Don't Let Your Ship Sail By."

Discipline vs Regret

The regret in Mr. Shawn's voice as he spoke those words showed how much hurt one will feel when they realize they let their dream pass them by. Those words also motivated me to take advantage of every opportunity to pursue my dream. That's why I work daily to reach my full potential.

Jim Rohn famously said, “There are two types of pain you will go through in life; the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. The pain of discipline weighs ounces while the pain of regret weighs tons.”

So, which will you choose? The pain of staying focused and disciplined, so you can take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way? Or the pain of regret, caused by a lack of focus that let your ship sail by?

I hope that after hearing Mr. Shawn's story, you choose to stay focused, so you can take advantage of every opportunity to jump on your ship because YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE GREAT!