“You are the CEO of your life. . . . You have a duty to dream. It’s your job to set the vision, to look up from the ground and out to the horizon and imagine what might lie beyond. You’ll find that following your blue flame will light the path to a better way. But to do any of this you need to get a . . . break so you can have a few minutes to think.”- Jennifer Fulwiler
In Chapter 21 (“You Can Blow It Up”) of Your Blue Flame, Jennifer Fulwiler talks about one of her most popular interviews. When a scheduled guest fell through at the last minute, Jennifer turned to her husband Joe. She asked his secret to loving life – since he hadn’t always felt that way. He answered, “I was willing to blow it up.”
As Joe defines it, blowing it up means an openness to changing absolutely any area of your life. Hold nothing back. Keep brainstorming ideas until you stumble upon your vision. A vision you might actually want to live. However, that all takes time.
Yet, Jennifer cautions, it’s not a good idea to start firing blindly. You need a vision, a plan. So, whether your goal is to fully ignite your blue flame or stop living in crisis mode, it’s critical to carve out time to focus on it. Above all, the author counsels, it’s important to act in a prudent manner when you decide to radically restructure your life. Also, seek wise counsel. And, in case your idea doesn’t work out, create a detailed backup plan. Pray about it.
But, you must also be realistic about the risks. Because it’s easy to tie yourself in knots as you worry. You think the entire universe will melt if your plan fails to work. In many cases, though, when you look with clear eyes at the worst case scenario, you find it’s not that terrifying.
Today’s question: As the CEO of your life, what blue flame prospect inspires your passion the most? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Withhold your blue flame = withhold your gift”
