Avoiding the sign post syndrome

A sign post is a sign that gives information about directions or distances and is typically found at a road junction or crossroads. Crossroads being a point where a crucial decision needs to be made which may have far reaching implications. The fact that a sign post gives directions and gets people to their destination, does not mean that the sign post has been to the place it speaks of. It is a stagnant sign that merely lets people get to their places of interest and enjoy the benefits of arrival. Sometimes the sign post rusts and starts to lose its informational value with time. I have thought of an analogy about people in life who are like sign posts. They have gathered a lot of information which they know and can direct you where you are going quite accurately, but they themselves have never been there. They carry all the directions and time lines to your destination and can get you there, but they themselves stay at the crossroads failing to make the decision to move towards something great. I encourage you today to avoid being a sign post. Do not be content speaking of places you have never been or getting people to where you will never go. There is nothing wrong with helping others to go places, be great and achieve great things, but there is a lot wrong with not telling of your own experiences while having been there when you speak. So how do you avoid being a sign post? I think three important points stand out which can help. Firstly you need to do something, anything to create momentum. Start with what you have to get you where you want to go while helping others on the way if possible. This means purposefully moving towards something through focused effort and not just merely intending to move. Secondly, get moving and pursue those goals that you want to achieve in your life. Avoid only talking about places and things that you have not yourself pursued. Lastly keep your information up to date through continuous learning and sharing of that information with others. Information is one of the things that one can share while still retaining all of it. Today I challenge you to move from being a sign post, to actually progressing towards that which you have been directing others to so that you may also share in the benefits thereof.