Most people I talk with are excited about pursuing their dreams. We can get into the juicy details of what they want their life to look like, what they want to be doing, what skills and talents they want to be using, what values they want to honor, who they want to be impacting, where they want to be living, etc. And then...
Then the bad economy slips into the conversation. Or their retirement. Or what their spouse or parents or kids or boss or friends or total strangers think they should do. Or why they can't change jobs. Or why they can't move. Or any other possible aspect of why they can't pursue their dreams right now.
The life they really want to be living...the one that taps into their greatest dreams, vision, passion, purpose, strengths, skills, and impact in the world...becomes that intangible, ever-elusive "thing" that is always just out of reach. It's always around the next bend or over the next hill. It's the future, not the now. It's something for tomorrow, and never for today.
Okay, I agree. The reasons for putting off the life you want to be living are usually quite sensible and realistic. Sometimes there really are limitations we can't fully change. Often we really do have responsibilities we can’t ignore. On a logical, head level, I can't argue with the choices made or actions taken.
Yet how sad!! I believe everyone should be living life to the fullest. Think of how much happiness we pass up by choosing to remain stuck in circumstances or the path someone else chose for us. Not to mention all the opportunities we miss for making a bigger impact or difference in the world around us.
I heard a great, sad story the other day. Great because it illustrates my point so clearly. Sad because this a real story about a real person. This guy worked in a job that really didn't fit him. He didn't enjoy it, and it wasn’t using his greatest talents or passion. He knew it, and his friends knew it. In spite of their wise counsel to get out, he refused to retire early because it meant he would miss out on $200 a month in extra pay. He gutted it out that additional four or five years so he could get the bonus retirement benefit. Was it worth it? Not even close! After too many painful years in a job he didn’t enjoy, he died a very short four months after retiring. Since when is happiness worth an extra $200?
The good news is pursuing our dreams doesn’t have to be black and white. It's a journey we take, not something that magically happens overnight. There are always options and different perspectives we can take to get us started down the right path. It begins with deciding we aren’t going to remain stuck any longer. Once we make that critical choice we can begin exploring the truly limitless possibilities for getting where we want to go.
So as you reflect on your dreams, let me ask you:
- What dreams are you putting off until that elusive "tomorrow"?
- What dollar figure or other measure of value are you attaching to your dreams (or your current life that isn’t following your dreams)?
- What are your personal "roadblocks" that are keeping you from that life you really want to be living?
- What would you like to do about those roadblocks and your dreams?
I've said it before, and I’ll say it again: There is no time like the present to take a stand for the bigger life you are meant for. Don't let an extra $200 keep you from it!
