Start Moving

For a lot of people, the scariest question anyone can ask is "what do you really want to do?". We have so many things we would like to try and yet, we don't know which to do. We worry about failure and not actually liking what we choose and if we are going to be good enough and what the future will bring if we choose this but not that.

We hesitate and end up defaulting to what we are doing without really making a choice. There is no moving forward and we continue to bitch and moan about how we aren't happy or we aren't doing something we are passionate about. Making a choice is hard. Changing our trajectory in life is even harder. Doing nothing new is easy and takes little effort, but it doesn't lead to anything better. When this happens, the only person we can blame is ourself.

Spend some time today thinking about what you want to do. It can be within the job you have now. If you could do anything within your company, what would it be? If you don't see anything within your company, start looking outside of it. Find something you want to try and then do it. You don't have to know what will lead you to happiness, you only have to know what you want to try. If you don't like it, then you find something else to try. Keep searching and changing and doing new things. Don't be afraid of the future that will unfold based on your choices...if you are bored or unhappy now, it will be better than where you are.

Not making a choice helps no one. Once you become frustrated or bored, you are no longer able to do great work. Yes, you can get by, but who are you really helping? You don't have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life. All you need to know is what things you would like to try. No one knows exactly what the future will bring, but if you have ideas, you are already ahead of many of us. If you start acting on these ideas, you will be doing something many of us only talk about. 

Really think about this. What do you really want to do? This shouldn't be a scary question, but a question your have multiple answers for and are excited to answer. We shouldn't paralyzed, but instead should jump at any opportunity to continue moving forward. Yes, you may end up thinking you would have liked it better if you didn't make the change, but this should only be a fleeting thought before deciding it is time to move forward again. Keep pushing ever forward and trying new things.

If you have been reading this blog and continue to come back, my guess is you are not the type of person who is going to stick with the same job for the rest of your life. We live in an age where most people will not stay with the same company for their career and then retire. We are doing something new and different, something our parents and their parents wouldn't understand. We are searching for what will make us feel good. We are searching for the niche where we will be able to do the most good. We are constantly changing and moving around and trying new things. We have multiple interests and talents and want to try them all out. The world is constantly changing around us and we need to change with it.

What do you really want to do? Instead of freezing when asked this question, spend enough time thinking about it to come up with multiple answers. We only get one shot at life, shouldn't we give it everything we've got? No excuses. No hesitation. Start moving.

What's The Best That Could Happen?

My dad has embraced Tumblr and posts more than just about anyone else I know. I enjoy following his posts as many are interesting and every now and again, he posts something directed at me. It's an unique and easy way for my dad to give me (and my sisters) advice on life. The latest one was this:

This advice was directed to my sister (who is in her last year of college and has no idea what she wants to do) and me (who is long past college and still has no idea what he wants to do). This is something we should all be taught in school...something all kids should learn. Unfortunately, this is something usually forgotten or not discussed. We spend so much time focused on learning (or usually memorizing, regurgitating and then forgetting) what's in the books or what's going to be on the test that we never really learn how to listen to our heart and intuition.

We live in a society where the most important aspiration anyone can have is being the best. In the media, when they aren't sensationalizing the negative aspects of life, they focus on the rich and famous. In history class, we learn about people who changed the world for the better. We rarely look at their motivations or how they became the central figures they are today; instead we learn how they changed the world with their actions. There is always a disconnect as these are figures from the past, often times dead, who lived in a time we have difficulty relating to. Often, we don't hear about the people making a difference today (unless they are super-wealthy). We aren't taught about the Blake Mycoskie's or the Yvon Chouinard's of the world who follow their heat and inspiration to make money and try to make a difference in the world today. There are many, many other examples out there (Holstee, Liga Masiva, etc.) and most people today, especially the youth, have never heard of them.

As we get older and have more and more bills to pay, it becomes more and more difficult to follow your heart and intuition. There is a gaping void of uncertainty and many of us are afraid to take the leap and face the fear to do what makes us truly happy. With any decision, we always ask "what's the worst that could happen." We picture failing, losing the house, losing a spouse, not being able to provide for the kids...basically, we fear losing our way of life. The flip side (and the side we fail to imagine) is we find something we truly enjoy, something fulfilling and motivating and awe inspiring. We never ask, "what's the best that could happen."

Should we continue to be stressed by punching in and out at a soul numbing job, just to make sure we can keep paying the bills, all the while becoming more and more unhappy? Or should we take the risk of following our heart and intuition and work our asses off to get to the best that could happen?