"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." — Carl Young

Brian Tracy tells the story about the moment his life changed. He was reading at his table in a run down apartment. He did not like his life and was drowning in the tears of his own pity party. He was suddenly hit with a revelation. He was watching his life go by. He was not being a player in his life; he was being a spectator of his life. From that moment on, he set his mind on getting in the game.

Our entertainment culture has trained our brains to watch our life go by. You can see it painted all over our culture. All you have to do is log on to your favorite social media platform during a new season release of Stranger Things or more recently, the finale of Game of Thrones and watch people act as if that stuff is actually part of their lives.

I’m guilty of it too. I have binged-watched my fair share of shows and felt very entertained. But after I am done with my entertainment marathon, I feel more disengaged from my life than ever. Movies and TV shows are great, don’t get me wrong. But they are training us to be spectators of our own lives. Some of us would much rather sit on the couch and watch Survivor than go camping for a night. We would rather watch Friends for four hours instead of inviting new friends over for dinner in real life.

This shows up in leadership as well.

Have you ever met someone who waited for someone else to make a call before they took action? They would rather be on the sidelines and play it safe. True leaders are in the game. They are taking action and creating change. A leader must engage, not spectate.

"The game is on and the clock is ticking. Take control. Take responsibility" - Brian Tracy

Where are you spectating?

Do you feel like life is happening to you or because of you?

What will it take for you to get in the game?