One of the things my folks have told me is to follow my dreams. They often gave everything to have the doors to my dream open to me. It was my responsibility to walk thru that door. The other quote I always heard, do what you love, and the money will come. The challenge you always see, is what is a realistic dream. Someone who is 5’2″ most likely does not have a change in the NBA, someone who can’t skate like the wind can’t be a pro Hockey player, and someone who sings like Ethel Mermen can’t be the lead singer of Asia (ok Bumblefoot you get a pass)
But the only issue, is that if you don’t try to do something you love or dream, there is no guarantee you will succeed. If that happens where you will be, in a job or place that you really don’t like, failing. There is not success story that starts with, well this was my fall back plan. There are tons of stories where people were down to their last dime, their last chance, their last opportunity and somehow pulling themselves out of despair. People have always heard the stories of people like Jim Carey who wrote a check and put it in his father’s coffin, Ed O’Neill’s waiting on tables in NYC trying to get a break in acting, Harrison Ford was a carpenter till 31, and I know there is more.
But what is different than a pipe dream, something you love and something you can actually succeed at, and lastly for every success story there are most likely 1 million who didn’t. Though there are one million peoples who chose not to follow their dreams, and didn’t succeed either. The question you should be asking is not if it is a pipe dream, but what if I fail at the fallback what will happen. There is no guarantee the easy way out will succeed. I know it may sound like am rambling, but there isn’t a good way to discuss this.
I often wonder if I am a success, I have been told by other people how well I am doing, but till this day I don’t know. I also I don’t know if I followed my dreams, I did something I love. But I also find lots of time to do things I also love, spending time with my girls, walking my dog, playing the guitar or keyboards, writing, exercising, playing hockey, going to see live music etc. Maybe being practical, and doing something you love don’t have to be the same thing, and can still be done together. There is nothing like scoring a goal playing beer league hockey, learning a new riff on the guitar, mastering a Keith Emerson keyboard sequence, running around with a dog, screaming at the top of your lungs at a concert and how should you just your success.
So, my running around may have confused you, but this is soul searching, and a long conversation I have had with my kids trying to figure out their dreams, and whether or not to follow them. The one thing I remind them that all of them take hard work, and dedication. That hoping they will come true is not enough, you need to put the work in. Each goal with come with obstacles, and it will be how you get thru them will determine if you are a success or not. It is also ok to turn around, and say it’s not for you, not every goal is achievable, and every mountain climbable, as when this happens, it’s how you react, get back on your feet that matters. Having resilience is the key. Even if you fail at something you don’t love, you still need to pick yourself up and move on. It is much easier when it is something you do love, but not everyone can chase their dreams. But hopefully you will do something you love on the side.
I have not posted my disclaimer for a while so hear it is…
This opinion is mine, and mine only, my current or former employers have nothing to do with it. I do not write for any financial gain, I do not take advertising and any product company listed was not done for payment. But if you do like what I write you can donate to the charity I support (with my wife) http://give.nyp.org/site/TR/DIYTeamRaiser/General?px=1031549&pg=personal&fr_id=1080 or donate to your favorite charity. I pay to host my site, to keep it add free and use wordpress, and try to spend any time on the usability on the site (I apologize for that)