San Diego, CA – 11.2010
It’s amazing how things change over time; What’s even more amazing is how people change. It’s so interesting to watch the winding paths of peoples lives as they grow and develop into their adult lives. This has been very evident over the past year, as many of my friends and schoolmates have begun their lives, careers, and even families in the so-called ‘real-word’ (which in my opinion, doesn’t exist).
The interesting thing about it, really, is how people and their interests change. For instance, someone who was so passionate about music years ago, has since but let that passion fall to the side because they have become distracted, or in my opinion – conditioned, by the ‘real-world’, that those passions of years ago are no longer relevant or appropriate for a ‘grown up’. As I’ve settled into my job, I’ve met dozens of people across the country, most all of which are at least 5-10 years older than I am, and seem to have this air of defeatism about them. With some people it’s a bit more prevalent than others, but it’s as though they’ve given up. They no longer challenge themselves to progress, to grow as a person, and become the person they have always wished they to become. Instead, it’s like they have begun just accepting what’s given to them, and just continue to be pushed around by life, like a sailboat with no sail. This is a bit troubling in my opinion. It’s troubling because I think that people are just too scared to take a risk that could lead them to whatever dream it is they have for them self. Why is that? What happened to chasing your dreams, and not just chasing money?
If you walk up to a friend and tell them that you are moving to another country, halfway around the world, and you have no job in place for when you arrive, they will certainly tell you that you are crazy. Is it because you are actually crazy? I guess you may be, but generally speaking, No, it’s because you are taking a risk and becoming the person that you want to be, not just thinking, dreaming, and wishing that one day someone will knock on your front door and say “Hello, I’m here to take you away to your dream life.”
When I look at my friends my age who have already graduated college or started working after high school, I can almost separate them all into two groups. The people who have put themselves out there and have gotten the job they wanted, or have moved to another country, or whatever it is that they have always wanted and have pursued that passion to achieve those goals. On the other hand, there are also those friends (not that I think any less of them, I still think they are nothing less than amazing people), who have unfortunately just sort of given up on growing and challenging themselves to chase their dreams.
When I say chasing dreams, I’m not implying anything having to do with money, because let’s face it, it will never make you happy. When I say that people have given up on chasing their dreams, I mean people have given up on pursuing their passions in life. If you love to play music, play music and never stop no matter what anyone says. If you love to travel, do it as much as possible and keep that thirst for experiencing the world and don’t give up on it. Do everything that you love, don’t stop because you think you will be perceived by your peers or coworkers in a certain way, do it because YOU love it. Share those things you love with everyone you can. I say that because when you speak with someone who is truly passionate about something, regardless of subject or type, you are naturally inspired by their passionate nature. So if you continue to chase after those passions in life, and you are sharing that with as many people as you can, you can do nothing but inspire them and challenge them to become more passionate about the things they love doing.
Do what you love, because you love it.
