‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’  The quintessential question we were asked as children.  Draw the answer, our teachers told us.  Dream big, our parents said, as they hung our illustrations on the fridge to serve as a reminder of who we one day could become.

Adults play this game with each other too, except the inciting question sounds more like this: ‘if you could choose any career and money was no object, what would you do?’

You know what’s scary?  No matter the span of years, the answers given - those dream occupations - are usually the same.  But the realities aren’t.

2.19.TW

Purchase Pier 1 Wall Letter 'Dream' set here!

So what happens on the journey from childhood to adulthood that causes someone to abandon their dream?  Perhaps you set your own goals aside to help a significant other achieve his or hers; perhaps you had a family legacy to fulfill; perhaps you were intimidated by the time or resources it would take to accomplish your goals; perhaps you were told that you simply weren’t good enough or don’t have what it takes.

Regardless of the reason, the remedy is this: if you are unhappy where you are, it is never too late to veer back on course.

Find Your Compass

I should add one more ‘perhaps’: perhaps you haven’t found your passion yet, but you know it isn’t in your current line of work.  Not to worry; you haven’t squandered any time.  Every skill you’ve learned along the way, regardless of how far off your would-be path you’ve traveled, will serve you in some way.  How do I know?  Because even your weaknesses are skillsets-in-disguise.  Discovering your passion can occur when you least expect it.  To find your passion, pay attention to what lights you up and gives you energy.  Take time to remind yourself of what makes you happy, unique, and at peace.  Shut out all the voices of ‘should’ and ‘shouldn't’ -- and just tune in to your inner voice.  Once you identify what parts of your life give you that feeling of fulfillment, find ways to work towards spending as much of your career doing exactly that.

Failure is Not a Stop Sign, It’s a Detour

Challenges, fears, and obstacles are not only inevitable, they are a guaranteed part of following your dreams.  However, they should never be mistaken as signs to give up.  Hearing ‘no’ means you need to readjust your path, not abandon it in defeat.  Be resilient and resourceful.  Once you’ve found your passion, heed the feeling inside that tells you this is the right path.  Your inner voice is an intuitive muscle; it is built with gradual patience and constant practice.  The more you tap into this voice and the more you follow its guidance, the stronger, louder and more confident it will become.

In my pursuit of a career as a writer, I’ve been turned down for opportunities because I don’t have a traditional writer or journalist background.  Rejection and failure bruised my ego, but I tried to not take hearing ‘no’ personal.  I knew I had found my passion and purpose in writing, even if others couldn’t see it.  So instead of landing a traditional writer position, I started my own company, offering writing and editing services directly to clients.  I could have perceived hearing ‘no’ as a sign to stop, but I decided to see it as a detour -- and arrive happier at the same destination.

Grey.Line.7

Challenges, fears, and obstacles are not only inevitable, they are a guaranteed part of following your dreams.

Grey.Line.7


Patience, Persistence, and Grit

It was the summer of 2003.  I was going away to college, leaving home a month earlier than any of my friends to join the soccer team.  I was excited and I felt ready, but more than that, I was terrified to fail.   I’ll never forget the advice my friend gave me as we said our goodbyes: ‘hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.’  As I woke up at 5 AM to run timed miles, and competed against athletes with superior skill, speed, or strength, I remembered what set me apart from the pure talent: hard work.  

I played all four years, watching as a freshman class comprised of twenty talented athletes dwindled to just four graduating seniors on Senior Day.  Other women who were more talented than I was quit, failed drug tests, or broke under the pressure.  My hard work, my grit, got me to the finish line.

However, that wasn’t the biggest lesson I learned from my collegiate athletic career.  After all the hours of running, practicing, competing, and succeeding, I knew what I could achieve with hard work, but I still didn’t know what my talent was -- and that was a daunting realization. (I would later find out, of course.)

So, this is my challenge to you: find your talent first and then work hard.  Confidence in your conviction will make you unstoppable.  The journey will not be glamorous.  You will learn to say no to the invitations that will distract you from your goal, and say yes to the opportunities that will take you towards it.  Take the lead.  By following your dreams, you will inspire others who want to follow theirs as well.  And as for those wrong turns, you’ll still take them, but now you’ll feel the difference when you make the right ones.  Armed with your inner compass, your resiliency, and your grit, you’ll never regret following your passion and protecting your purpose. 

 

Comments (0)

There are no comments posted here yet

Leave your comments

Posting comment as a guest. Sign up or login to your account.
Attachments (0 / 3)
Share Your Location