The Straw
I've often wondered, what was the straw that broke the
camel's back?
What was the one idea, the one
"thing", the one epiphany... that gave someone the courage to say,
"I've got this great idea. And I
know I can make money at it, and I know I can do it right. I'm going for it." And just like that, the brave he or she quit
the 9-5 grind, gave up the subway, parkway, interstate or gridlock, to buckle
down and see their idea come to fruition.
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| Hey, sometimes it's a fortune cookie that gets you moving... Whatever it takes... |
At what point - in the midst of uncertainty - was there that nudge, that
said "it's now or never."?
Just a few days ago, I attended the funeral of a
friend. In her early 40's, and mom of
two boys, she was always (in some form or fashion) a librarian. As an adult, she was a children's librarian,
and to anyone who knew her, that was her calling. Parents and children alike sang her praises
of creativity, fun, education, and a genuine love of what she woke up to do,
every single day.Sadly, I lost touch with her over the past few years. I reconnected with her just recently. It was a short conversation, but I was surprised to hear she had recently taken a new career path. She had left the world of libraries and the children in them, to work for a mortgage company. Upon her passing, it was shocking to all of us who knew her, to hear she'd left what she dearly loved - what we all believed she was born to do - to take a job that gave her more "stability".
Stability, she told me, was the reason she left the job she
loved, and took another. The exact words
of my friend, I believe, were, "She realized doing what she loved wasn't
giving her the stability that she needed."
I found that to be profoundly sad, as the myriads I come across on a
daily basis rarely tout that they are doing what they love to do.
In the few days that have passed since her funeral, it has had me
thinking. When my alarm goes off at 4:08
am every morning, do I have excitement and the wherewithal to jump out of bed,
excited at what the day has in store for me? Do I have the gumption to crawl
out of bed, knowing that for the next 10 hours of the day, I'm contributing to
something that I have a passion for? The
answer is no.
Unlike my friend (or maybe just like her), I jumped from my 12 hour days in my home
office - complete with getting my kids on and off the bus, taking temperatures
when they were sick, or taking a bit of time out of my day to hang out and just
"be" - to the life of "stability". The salaried job, that offered what we all so
desperately need. 60 hours a week, over
worked and under paid, and paying a good chunk of my mediocre paycheck towards
insurance benefits that don't cover dental, vision or prescription
coverage. Living the dream, right?
Hardly. If there were any lesson to take away from the tragic incident that took away a person who had found her passion in life, shortly after trading in that passion for "stability", I've learned this: life IS too short. Every cliche that I've heard, read or found on a great Facebook post holds true. Do what you love, and love what you do. There is no time like the present. Live in the moment. Yada yada. We have heard them all. But, there is a reason for them; they ring true to those who choose to believe in them.
If we don't trust enough in ourselves to take that jump -
despite the uncertainty, instability, unknown or general "what if's"
- who will? Who will continue to cheer
us on in our quest for making our dreams realities? Most likely, not those who continue to
suppress the dreams they have tucked away. You are the only person who will
champion your dreams.
If you aren't
happy, change your circumstances. It's a
rare occasion that the great bird of fortune will zip on by and poop on your
shoulder.
Quit waiting for it. Quit waiting for other people to validate
your dreams.
Knowing that you have peers and resources who are where you
are - or who have been where your are right now - are your champions. With the advice and support of those who
believe in helping others grow, succeed and achieve, the only thing holding you
back is YOU.
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