We all have two lives. The second one begins when you realize you only have one….
– Confucius
I sat at my desk for a while thinking about getting what I want out of life, wondering how I drifted so far from my dreams as a child. No book covers had my name on them. I never became a chief editor of a magazine. So convinced I was headed toward a path of greatness in the literary world, I focused on journalism and English for my bachelor of arts and minor, respectively.
It was my calling. Until it wasn’t.
Twenty one and newly graduated from college meant that the world was my oyster and I had a multitude of directions I could proceed in. However, I let my fears talk me out of my ultimate dream. Newspapers were dwindling in readership, which meant that my opportunities shrunk to relocating to places like Montana or Wyoming. And who had time to write a book as I frantically searched to bring in income to pay rent, a car payment, or buy food?
Instead of dreaming bigger, I dreamed in alterations. Why hadn’t I studied business?
Ultimately my series of choices landed me with a complete redirect out of the very field I spent my entire life pursuing before I even turned 22.
Fast forward 15+ years, and though I was content with so much of my life, it had become so different than I had expected. After having my 40-year-old, closest-in-age cousin pass away from cancer last year, I realized that life is too short to not pursue greatness.
Taking a deep look into my soul, I started to imagine getting what I want out of life; not what someone expected of me.
If money and time were no object, what would I be doing or wanting out of life?
I get why it’s stereotypical that there is a mid-life crisis around the age of 40. It was happening to me – and early!
Looking back there were so many pressures when I was young; get my education, pursue a career, start a family, lead a decent, well-respected life. The American dream, right?
At the core of it, when I stripped away the junk and looked at my life, though I was well intentioned in my early 20s, I never took one course of action to obtain my goals and make them my reality.
If I look at the core of my existence, the three big choices that I make daily are:
- What will my life look like now?
- Who will I become?
- What will I do for God (or others)?
In this pursuit, I’ve watched millennials take the bull by the horns, fashion a business out of a social media niche, or corner a market on a small, yet powerful concept/product/identity. A lot of millennials are not working for someone else; they’re creating a career where one never existed before. It’s a concept that I see from afar and have admired.
Long gone are the days I’d pour over magazines for hours, or books for that matter. That dream has morphed into creating a business based on my compilation of time, energy, and effort that I’ve so lovingly devoted to other companies.
Instead, I’m starting to pour into my passion.
Creating, learning, and designing my life around what I want took some time to figure out. But I must say that I feel like truly the best is yet to come for me in life. Setting aside time each day to meet my goals has given me passion and stamina far beyond my own reach. Extending beyond my obligations to reach into my far-off dreams has now become my reality.
With a little elbow grease, focusing my mindset and empowering those around me, I believe by pursuing my dreams, I am spreading the joy to others.
I think our world is a better place for everyone when we tend to our own souls. My hope is that you are on your way to greatness as well.
(And if you’re wondering what that passion is, it’s empowering clients in the real estate market.)
