Here are six ways to find the courage you need to make “wow” happen.
1. Take a stand for greatness.
Like many important things in life, creating a wow experience begins with making a commitment. You must resolve in your own heart that you will not sell out or settle. This isn’t necessary for every project, of course. But when you decide that the dream warrants it, you have to take a stand and play full-out.
2. Connect with the original vision.
King Solomon once said, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This is also true for wow. Before it exists, it is only an idea. The only place it exists is inside your head. Sometimes, you just have to close your eyes and once again become present to what it is you are trying to create.
3. Remind yourself what is at stake.
I have found that the best way to do this is to ask, “Why is this so important?” When I was writing my first book, I had a list of seven reasons why I needed to write the book. I reviewed it every morning before I began writing. It gave the project an almost epic significance, but it kept me going when I wanted to quit.
4. Listen to your heart.
Most of us have spent a lifetime ignoring—or even suppressing—our intuition. I don’t know if this is a product of modern rationalism or American pragmatism. Regardless, I believe intuition is the map to buried treasure. It is not infallible, but neither is our reason. And it can point us in the right direction. We need to pay attention to this inner voice.
5. Speak up.
This is the crucial step. You must give voice to your heart and go on the record to defend your wow ideas. If you don’t, who will? You may be the original dream’s last best chance of staying alive. This is why you can’t afford to remain silent.
6. Be stubborn.
This is perhaps the toughest part of all. We all want to be liked. We don’t want to be “high maintenance” or unreasonable. But think back on your own history. Aren’t the people you respect the most also the ones who demanded the most from you? You may not have fully appreciated it at the time, but looking back, their stubborn refusal to settle is what made the difference.
The truth is mediocrity is natural. You don’t have to do anything to drift there. It just happens. But if you want to create truly wow experiences—and if you want to build your platform—then it is going to require courage. Are you willing to be brave?
