The other day I called a company to ask a question about one of their products. After the service rep politely introduced himself, I asked him how he was doing. His reply: “OK, for living someone else’s dream.” [For this post, we won’t go into how this is the totally wrong answer (regardless of what this man’s truth may be) for someone to say in a customer-facing environment.] Then the conversation went something like this:
Me: Really! Whose dream are you living?
Him: The people who own this company.
Me: Well what is your dream?
Him: To do anything but this.
Me: You realize that if all you think about is “anything but this,” all you will ever get is “this.” If you could have your dream, what would it look like?
Him: I don’t know.
I then proceeded to introduce the idea to him that he truly could live any life he wanted if just decided on what it was and took steps toward it. I told him that’s exactly what I’m doing. He scoffed and, in a sarcastic tone, said, “Well I hope it works great for you” as if to imply that such thoughts are ridiculous and he would never consider them. Does he realize that he has trapped himself in a world that he hates with no way out? It pains me to hear that but I know that most people live their entire lives like this. I’m definitely not one of them and I hope you’re in the boat with me.
Most of us grew up being told/programmed to “go to school, get a good job, have a family, save for the future and retire.” I did all this for about 20 years until I finally woke up. Did I miss something? Where’s the part about having fun? Finding and living our passions? That anything, really ANYTHING, is possible? When we bring those things up now, people tell us to “get real” as if none of that is possible in the “real” world.
Well, I’m here to tell you that finding, following and making money from your passion is real and it’s happening every day. No matter how crazy or off-the-wall your passion is, you can do it. Following some basic steps and adding hard work, patience, and persistence, anything is really possible. Everything worthwhile happens in baby steps. I will hold your hand and guide you down the path to taking your own baby steps to your remarkable breakthrough.
How do you think something like Soap Opera Digest started? A woman sitting around wondering how she could make money from watching her favorite soaps (true story). You really can monetize any idea – just look on the internet. Is there something you love to do? I’ll bet you’re not the only one. You can teach other people how to do it. You don’t have to know more than anyone else, you just have to know more than some people. There will always be a few people who are better than you and a boat-load of people who want to know how to do it as well as you.
Do you do mildly (or very) exciting things in your life? All the people sitting around wishing for a different life would love to live vicariously through your stories (and will pay for it). The possibilities are really endless.
But it all starts with figuring out where you want to go. As the saying goes: If I say, “Don’t think of a pink elephant” usually, the first thing you think of is a pink elephant because your brain doesn’t know what to think about if you just put a “not” in front of a word. Think about what you do want, what you want your life to look like on every level: relationships, finances, spirituality, health, etc. That’s one of the biggest hurdles.
Now pick one area that you identified where you want change. What is one thing you can do today toward that goal? What is one little baby step you can take that will move you in the right direction? The smaller and easier the better. If you want to lose 100 pounds, start by parking your car at the far end of every parking lot you have to park in so you have to walk a little farther. Or making the choice to not eat the chips or fries with your lunch.
Taking those baby steps every day and adding to them when you feel comfortable (but not too comfortable) will add up before you know it. With patience and persistence, anything is possible.
What steps are you going to take today to move closer to your dreams and passions and turn them into your daily reality? Post them below to inspire others.