We were made to do work that makes truly come alive.
 
But too many of us feel stuck.

We could care less about our jobs. If we could get out, we would, but we feel like we don't have any choice in the matter. Jobs are hard to come by these days and we need the money.

And so we sleep walk through life, numb to the dreams that we'll never see realized.

But let me invite you to step outside of that reality for a second and really take a look at the possibilities that are before you.

First, for comparison, take a look at a couple of people who really are stuck - trapped in a hellish world that is beyond their control. In the past week I shared the story of a 12 year-old girl in Thailand who'd been trafficked and a nine year-old boy in Pakistan who was a slave in a brick factory.

In contrast, if you're an average American, what does your world look like?

• You can quit your job.
• You probably don't owe your employer money.
• You are literate.
• You have relatives whose home you could go to in a crisis.
• You have dreams and aspirations.
• America has a number of safety nets.
• Lots of employers are looking to hire.
• There are many free or cheap educational opportunities on line.
• Food costs just 6% of a typical budget.

Given the options before us, the world is our oyster. I look at the contrast between those who are trapped in a world without options and our reality; the question we really have to ask is "Am I on a track to go through life under-challenged and sleep walking?"

And if the answer to that is "maybe" then, consider the possibility that maybe it's time to work on figuring out your dream and then going for it.

We can get locked into a job that feels like a dead-end. A job that doesn't use our skills and doesn't touch our passions. The dreaming part of us can go numb as we cycle through the same routine, walking along in the same ruts, telling ourselves the same lies about why we can't pursue our dreams.

It doesn't have to be. The world needs us to care. We can make a difference. But we have to wake up.