Why NOW is the Time to Live Your Dreams!
Recently I saw a post actually asking the question “when should you give up on your goals?”
I don’t know if this was posted simply to start a conversation, or to gain attention, but the obvious answer here is: NEVER.
But maybe that answer is not obvious to a lot of people. So allow me to tell you right now, with unshakable certainty that you should never, EVER give up on the pursuit of your goals.
“Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.”
– Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith in the popular 2006 movie ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’
Think about a time when you wanted something that you currently have now. How did you achieve this? You decided on an outcome, developed some semblance of a plan on how to get there, and you gained what you were after. So if these goals, no matter how small, were achieved then what’s stopping you from going after bigger, loftier goals?
We call these bigger goals “dreams” because they seem intangible. A dream home, a dream job, a dream life, they seem bigger than we are capable of achieving. And the only reason they seem that way is because our brains are telling us that we cannot do it. We lack the tools or the intelligence or whatever it is that we need to get from where we are to where we want to be. It’s all bullshit. We have everything we need inside of us to make our dreams come true. In essence we’re standing in our own way.
But let’s go back to that goal you already accomplished. It started as a seedling and you watered it until it grew into a full blown reality. The problem is we’re shoveling too much fertilizer in the direction of our main desires and burying it until it no longer resembles anything remotely attainable.
Stop shoveling shit. Stop telling yourself you can’t do it.
When I was a fitness competitor we had an event called the box jump where you had to leap from the floor atop this 12’ box about 50 times. Training for this event I missed the target and smashed both shins into the side of the box. Needless to say I didn’t want to do it anymore. But I kept going…the only problem was now every time I went up to try the jump I hesitated. My coach saw me and said: “Stop shaking your head; Stop telling yourself ‘no’.” Once I did that I managed to crank out all 50 jumps in record time during the event.
I often reference fitness in dealing with day-to-day struggle because fitness performance comes down to a mental game…not a physical one as it might seem. This same rationale can come into play as you chase your life’s ambition.
I’m a writer by trade, a modern day bard if you will, and it’s been a love affair of mine to be a bestselling author and have my words touch, help, and entertain readers. I’ve stumbled with this goal for over 20 years. So does that mean I give it up? Absolutely not. I retool my approach and I keep going! Because let me tell you something…it’s in the chase where you find magic. Once you achieve that goal or dream you’re after you feel a great sense of accomplishment but you move on to a new goal. Don’t let your negative thoughts derail you from experiencing everything you deserve and desire. Life only comes around once and it’s important to make the most of it.
I started this blog because so many of the personalities I grew up with passed away within days of each other. Luke Perry, King Kong Bundy (Chris Pallies), and others died so young. But if you look at what they left behind they really lived a lifetimes worth. Both men touched so many lives during their time here. They pursued careers that they were passionate about and created a legacy that will live on even though they’re no longer with us.
What do you want your legacy to be? What are your dreams and goals? What’s welling up inside you that you can’t hold in anymore? Whatever it is, as long as you’re not malicious in your approach, go for it! Life’s too short to wonder “what if.”
“Imagine if you will being on your death bed – And standing around your bed – the ghosts of the ideas, the dreams, the abilities, the talents given to you by life.
And that you for whatever reason, you never acted on those ideas, you never pursued that dream, you never used those talents, we never saw your leadership, you never used your voice, you never wrote that book.
And there they are standing around your bed looking at you with large angry eyes saying we came to you, and only you could have given us life! Now we must die with you forever.
The question is – if you die today what ideas, what dreams, what abilities, what talents, what gifts, would die with you? ”
– Les Brown
