Do It for You: Fueling Your Own Fire

“Somebody else’s dream will never fuel your fire.”

I’ve learned this the hard way, and I’ve seen it too many times in the lives of leaders, entrepreneurs, and even teens trying to find their path. We spend so much of our early energy chasing validation, approval, and success based on someone else’s definition. We must learn that if we want fulfillment, we have to stop running someone else’s race.

To build something that lasts, you have to build it for you.

That doesn’t mean you don’t care about your team, your family, or your company’s mission. It means you know how to stay lit from within; because external motivation will burn you out fast.

So, how do you do that?

• Find what motivates you, not what looks good on paper or wins applause.
• Choose your goals based on what aligns with your values, not others' expectations of you.
• Let go of perfection; what matters most is taking action.

I used to think if I couldn’t do it perfectly, it wasn’t worth the effort.

What I have learned, though, is that it doesn’t matter how polished your plan is if you never put it into motion. It doesn’t matter how great your idea is if fear keeps you silent. If you don’t put it out there, it’s not going to happen. Period.

Dream big and set goals. Take the first step.

And when you take that step? Celebrate it. Not just the big wins; celebrate the courage it takes to show up day after day. Celebrate the small wins because not every day will be a mountaintop moment. Some days are just head-down, keep-going days, but they count.

We don’t build confidence from waiting. We build it by doing. By starting messy. By trying again. By remembering why we even cared in the first place.

That’s the secret: remembering your why. Not the borrowed one. Yours.

At TAP, we see it all the time: the moment a leader stops chasing what they should care about and starts leading from what truly matters to them. The ones who thrive? They’re not the most polished or popular. They’re the ones who know what fuels them and they keep feeding that fire; even on the hard days.

I remember the moment I realized I had to start TAP and later, Jason’s Safe Harbour Society. It wasn’t some grand epiphany. It was a quiet but unshakable knowing: if I didn’t do it, who would? I had the passion. I had the experience. I had the tools and the lived knowledge to create something that mattered. I knew deep in my bones that I had a responsibility to steward the gifts I’d been given. To use my voice, my story, and my training to build something that could lift others, especially those navigating hard things.

That decision didn’t come without fear, but it also came with deep conviction.

So, if you’ve been feeling stuck, waiting for the perfect moment, or wondering why you’re still not satisfied chasing someone else’s version of success, let this be your nudge:

Do it for you.

Fuel your fire.

Don’t quit.

We’ll be here cheering you on every step of the way.