Wild Cards

We all have our wild card. We keep them in our back pocket as a backup plan just in case our typical conservative plans don’t work out.

“All I have to do is build an app that takes off and then I’ll earn some real money.”

“I’ll write my book when I have more time.”

“I’m just working here till I get my big break and then I’ll be set.”

“I’ll go back to school when it makes more sense.”

We stick with the life path that has predictable cost and equally predictable return because we’re scared to play the wild card — the wild card that secretly inspires us every day — the wild card that we secretly wish we could work on full time — the wild card that we’re too nervous to play because it’s unpredictable.

The wild card helps and hurts. It inspires and yet it also keeps us insecure.

Somehow, along the way, we’ve convinced ourselves that it’s safer to keep our biggest dreams on the shelf rather than risk damage, or worse, failure.

Dreams on a shelf grow dusty. Graveyards are littered with unrealized dreams that were left on shelves. Wild cards.

Don’t keep it in your back pocket.

Play the wild card.