There is one unseen "Power" that's kicking our butts in the area of our dreams and goals! It operates below the surface of our conscious awareness but with such profound force that it must be considered one of the Supreme Concealments of all time. What am I talking about?

The Power of Forgetfulness.

This insidious "Power" can secretly overtake our thoughts and emotions like a giant glacier silently advancing through a canyon. The Power of Forgetfulness can be all-encompassing as in people with Alzheimer's disease or other kinds of dementia. Or, it can be as benign as not remembering where you left your keys. In its more subtle and dangerous forms, however, it can undermine your dreams and professional life in often devastating ways.

I got a call from a friend who told me that he had been let go from his company after 15 years. He was shocked!

I told him, "Congratulations! This is the greatest day of your life!"

He said, "What?"

I reminded him, "You hated that job! You got divorced in that job! You forgot who you were in that job! Isn't it time to do what you love?"

Today, doing what you "love" is one of the most essential components of finding your dream. One of the great disconnects of life–a truly monumental error that people commonly make–is not allowing love to direct their course. Why? Because they don't know their own hearts, so they distrust themselves and their natural instincts. When you allow yourself to be so programmed by the culture you're in that you become disconnected from your own heart, you're in major trouble. You render yourself unable to make decisions about what's best for your life and the lives of those you love. The real danger here is that you'll begin to follow somebody else's idea of success and fulfillment.

You forget "who" and "what" you are. You attempt to become someone or something else for which you're ill suited, and there are several possible reasons for this:

1. You Want to Be Somebody Else
   You may admire people for their achievements in life and want to be like them. But you don't possess that person's level of talent, skill, or charisma. Unfortunately, a lot of people live in their own fantasy world, falsely believing they do have what it takes. This is a big mistake and a huge time waster.
   
   
2. You Need the Money!
   I believe that working to pay the bills is one of the most common causes in forgetting your dream. So many people are just too tired at the end of the day to work on or even think about their dream. Too bad. Turn off the damn television! The television will suck your dream right into the black hole of oblivion. Refuse to veg–unless, of course, your dream is to become a vegetable.
   
   
3. Somebody Else Told You What to Do
   So many people allow a parent, teacher, preacher, or some other authority figure to manufacture what they thought was a good identity for them. All of us need wise counselors and good guidance, but only from those who have no other agenda except to help us discover and develop what we love and are well suited for.

Allowing someone else to remake you into their image will rob you of personal satisfaction, peace of mind, and contentment. Don't allow anyone to derail you from your destiny. Why?

Let me remind you: You're a treasure chest filled with amazing talents, gifts, capabilities, dreams, aspirations, originality, passion, power, encouragement, and joy. You've been designed for maximum performance. You can choose to turn off that negative self-talk and choose, instead, to think positive, creative, life-giving thoughts. Or, you can let the tormenting self-talk have its way with you.

It's up to you.

You get to choose.

Bob Beaudine is the CEO of Eastman & Beaudine, and he manages the nation's leading executive search firm in sports and entertainment. He has helped shape the leadership teams of some of the world's most innovative and dynamic businesses. A dynamic, engaging speaker, he vibrantly speaks on a multitude of topics centered around his new book, The Power of WHO, a grass roots movement that's transforming the way people think about "Networking." Unleash The Power of WHO in your friends and family's lives today at http://twitter.com/yougotwho, www.linkedin.com/in/bobwho, and http://www.facebook.com/yougotwho?ref=profile.