There exists within the heart of every man, woman and child that has ever been born a subconscious awareness that they were born to be conquerors. The world we are born into does everything that it can to suppress it — to push it down and silence the inward burning for greatness to arise. Systemized religions do all they can to dumb it down and instead create mindless drones with no vision or passion for life. Systemized education systems are designed in such a way to produce employees who will work for the rich instead of refining and sharpening the minds of its students to create world changing products and services that will serve the masses. 

The harsh reality is that most people around the world are aware of this internal fire, yet they often resort to watching television shows that temporarily excite it instead of learning to cultivate it and harness its true power and potential.

This creative power inside of us contains within itself the ability to shake nations, vanquish disease and poverty, invent new technologies, and eradicate hatred and destructive forces from the face of the earth. 

Hollywood knows about this force - it is the very reason that movies such as Gladiator, Braveheart, The Matrix, and others are so incredibly successful.

Video game companies know about it. Adventure and action games generate billions of dollars of revenue every year for CEOs around the world who have hired others to create games that appeal to this burning desire within us to be world-changers…to be someone who matters…someone who makes a difference to our communities and our planet. What is it about the notion of being a dragon slayer that appeals to so many? What is it that causes so many young people to spend what little money they have to purchase games that put them in life-threatening situations? 

Fiction authors write about this constantly. They write stories that all directly appeal to the drive for excitement…the adrenaline that hits your system as you read about a warrior charging into battle despite impossible odds, the passion for justice that is lit within you when you hear that someone is victimized in a story and the protagonist stands up for what is right and true.

It is the thrill of victory, the gleam of the sword as it silences the taunt of its enemy, the excitement of conquering what all others have written off as impossible, the scattered army banding together to overcome a much tougher, more organized foe. All of this points to the reality of the existence of this inward burn for excellence and greatness in all of us.

All of those above have learned to capitalize on the very real desire within you to embrace and wield greatness. All of those above have realized the existence of this passion, this drive for success, this gift of zeal for a life that is actually worth living.

What has stopped you from realizing it, too?

What is it that has you consumed with the petty things that the world has thrown at you?

What are the relationships in your life that have hindered you from truly embracing the potential that deep down you know is there? 

What have you sacrificed on the altar of people-pleasing at the expense of your own dreams and passions?

Do you even know why you have done so?

Most importantly…

What are you going to do about it?

-Ryan Rhoades