Where are you going? Do you know? We are all on the road to somewhere. Some of us know and some of don’t. Do you have a map already? Is there a co-pilot or navigator? Or are you just along for the ride? Or are you in the driver’s seat? Far too many people live their lives in a kind of haze. They let things happen TO them rather than THEM happening to THINGS.

Drivers are always moving toward something. Passengers are moving, but not under their own power. They are being moved by someone else or are moving away from something. Drivers have goals. Real goals, not wishes. Goals that they decided upon themselves, not ones that the boss or anyone else defined.

Passengers are passive. They may offer directions, comments or advice to the driver, but the driver doesn’t have to listen to it. Why? Because ultimately it is the driver who is in control. The driver determines the direction. The driver determines the speed. The driver determines the pit stops, rest breaks and meal breaks. It is the driver who decides when the journey is complete.

At some point in our lives we have all been in the passenger seat, and we have all been in the driver’s seat. Some people naturally gravitate to one seat or another. Some are naturally more aggressive about where they are going an how they are getting there. Some either don’t care or are too afraid to slide over to the steering wheel and take control of their life.

Some interesting things about drivers:

  • Drivers attract people to themselves and their ideas.
  • Passengers don’t.
  • Drivers probably read or listen to audios 4-5 times or more than they watch TV. Passengers almost never read or listen to audios.
  • Drivers have hope, belief and faith in something better than what they have now. Passengers don’t even contemplate the possibility of something better.
  • Drivers aren’t afraid of making a wrong turn every once in a while either. They know they can adjust and get back on the right road. Passengers tend to be wary of getting off the beaten path. No risks for them.

Do you see the difference between the two?

The driver is outward focused, not paralyzed by fear, not content with just going along. The driver is someone that is happiest when moving toward the future he or she has defined for themselves. They don’t like detours caused by others, but will learn from their own detours.

You know what the real kicker is?

Passengers look a lot like drivers. Some also act a lot like some drivers. They can have successful careers, happy families and great children. Things could look like they are perfect. But the passenger may be a totally miserable and unhappy person inside, because they don’t have their own dreams and goals to pursue. They could feel and be trapped by circumstances.

The driver on the other hand may look like a financial failure or a business failure. The driver may have problems galore. He could be overweight, sick and in debt. She might be struggling to keep afloat and get through school. They might be eating mac and cheese one night and Ramen Noodles the next.

For now.

The difference is that a driver is not willing to accept circumstances as they exist now. The passenger is someone who accepts what life throws at them. The driver drops what they don’t like and catches what moves them forward.

So, are you a passenger or are you driving?