I’m not the biggest Elvis fan (though my wee one had a sweet suit one October), but one thing was very clear – Elvis wasn’t Elvis without the Colonel. And though I always picture Colonel Sanders, it makes me wonder:

Would I be Elvis if I only found my Colonel? Would I want to be?

I don’t mean to mislead you: I can’t carry a tune or really shake it like the King, but I think we are all capable of some amazing things when preparation meets opportunity. Maybe if I was solely focused on my craft, I would really see some crazy progress. Ed Griffith-like progress.

Don’t think. Don’t question. Don’t challenge. Execute.

Yes Colonel? I can’t say that would work. You see, I like the pondering, the planning (not always as dilligently as I should, but I do enjoy it). The discoveries and (sick, I know) the frustrations that come from blazing my own trail. I like that my relationships are mine to manage. That while I can share my successes, I will own my failures – and should be learning from them.

This is my one great life. It’s mine to invest or spend, enjoy or squander. I would hate to find myself an older, fatter man wondering what it would have been like to pursue my own passions, to follow my heart. My career hasn’t been a linear path, but I continue to find that my experiences play well into the next series of challenges. I can’t say that I could have orchestrated this had I tried (or that the inflection points were of my choosing), but I do know that navigating the changes and plotting my next course has been mine to do.