“Leadership is not a place to be, but it is a lifestyle. We do not determine if we are a leader. It’s the people around us who will.” Today I spoke with the Founder and Chief Motivating Officer at Ignite the Dream Coaching and Consulting, Sam Thiara. He is a professional who has created a personal journey as a coach, speaker, storyteller, writer, workshop facilitator, educator, and entrepreneur. His goal is to engage individuals in their personal and professional development. His work is reflected in the hundreds of individuals he has mentored and the thousands he has engaged.
Let’s dive into this episode and learn more about his inspiring life journey.
[00:01 – 07:59] Opening Segment
Have you ever thought of your 9-5 job as something that you could do but it’s not really who you are?
If yes, then you’d probably love listening to Sam Thiara’s story. Sam used to work in auto claims and road safety. However, in this episode, he’ll tell us about that time in his life when he took the leap from employee to entrepreneur and how he’s never had a single regret and had never looked back. At present, Sam likes to tell stories. He is an applied lecturer, mentor, author, coach, speaker, and problem solver. Most importantly, he also takes pride in himself in being a Community Do-Gooder who helps a lot of both non-profits and individuals. He’s doing a lot of things but instead of asking himself (and being asked by others) ‘what do I do’, he prefers to ask himself ‘who am I?’ He also encourages everyone to ask themselves this too! Keep on listening to find out why.
[08:00 – 17:59] Finding Who You Are
When Sam started asking himself ‘who am I,’ he realized that he has five core element pieces which are guiding and directing him. These are Servant Leadership, Story Sharing, Activator and Igniter, Champion Enabler, and Community Do-Gooder. He hasn’t always called them this way but when he discovered that he’s always had them in him, it allowed him to look on the landscape and say where he is is not fitting. According to Sam, when you focus on who you are and not what you will do, everything in your life will start to fall into their right places.
At present, Sam is mentoring 3-8 people every week. Doing so makes him feel like he’s looking in a mirror because they were all just like him a few years ago. He tells the people he mentors to ask themselves the same questions he asks himself. He helps them take the leap and find their path like he did.
When making decisions, Sam teaches us to use the concept of comfort and uncertainty– we stop growing as individuals when we’re comfortable. We must take control of our uncertainties instead of allowing it to control us. Lastly, if we really want to be able to find our paths, Sam also advises us to look for the right people—those who will support us and not let us fall.
[18:00 – 29: 28] The Hour Glass Analogy
One of the amazing things that Sam wrote is the hourglass analogy. He wants us to think of our days on earth as grains of sand in an hourglass.
When Sam wrote this piece, he says he has lived 21,300 days on earth and would like to think of it as 21,300 grains of sand in the bottom of his hourglass. However, Sam wants us to focus on the grains above. “How many grains were there above?” he asks. “What if today was your last grain of sand?”
From this analogy, Sam wants us to think of the things that add richness to each of our grains of sand. For every grain, for every day in our lives, he wants us to focus more on the things that we can do and not on the things we can’t do. From here, Sam also helps other people to look at their goals and shift their mindset. Whether you’re an organization or an individual, Sam wants you to think about four key ingredients that are very important in our lives: Collaboration, Adaptability, Resilience, and Empathy or CARE. We’re all wired for CARE, Sam says. Just think of it every time and you’ll be able to control the uncertainties in your life.
Lastly, for people who want to make a difference and change the world, Sam has a golden piece of advice for you: The world and its problems are complex, you can’t change it. So instead of trying to change the world through your eyes, try to change it instead through the eyes of the people that you help. Listen to the rest of the episode to hear more of Sam’s tips on how shifting to the right mindset can help you change your own and others’ lives.
[29:30 – 35:17] The FOCUS FIVE Segment
The FOCUS FIVE are five questions I ask every guest on my show. Keep on listening to find out what book Sam gifts most often; who would he talk to if he can get an hour of any person living or dead, from the past or the present, and why; that one thing he believes but most people will disagree with; his morning routine; and lastly, where are the best places we can connect with him online. (See the links below for Sam’s social media links!)
Tweetable Quotes:
“Leadership is not a place to be, but it is a lifestyle. We do not determine if we are a leader. It’s the people around us who will.” – Sam Thiara
“When you start to focus on who you are, not what you are going to do, everything will start to fall into place.” – Sam Thiara
“Everyones’ life is an autobiography. Make it worth reading about.” – Sam Thiara
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- The Difficult Monk
- Lost and Found: Seeking the Past and Finding Myself by Sam Thiara
- The Storyteller’s Secret by Carmine Gallo
- Schedule a call with Hans
You can connect with Sam on Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. or visit his website at www.sam-thiara.com/
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A few last words
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