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[Note: This is the 2nd article in the series How to Make Your Dreams a Reality.]
I’ve wasted a lot of time in my life doing what works. I can’t count how many times I’ve used this excuse to stall pursuing my dreams.
- I went to college because that&#
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Comments
10.17.08
Just a bit of practicality rearing its ugly head: How are you going to pay for all this, feed yourself and family, house yourself and family until you hit this magic point of your blog generating enough revenue to support the basics of your life?
http://www.despair.com/blogging.html
http://www.despair.com/bitterness.html
http://www.despair.com/success.html
http://www.despair.com/dreams.html
http://www.despair.com/delusions.html
http://www.despair.com/gettowork.html
http://www.despair.com/individuality.html
http://www.despair.com/overconfidence.html
http://www.despair.com/potential.html
10.17.08
How do I do it?
I bust my ass. I work a full time job and work extremely hard to finish my work so I have time for blogging. I wake up at 5:30 and write. I stay up past midnight and write. I network with other bloggers. I help them achieve their goals. I do what I can.
It's hard when you're starting out, but the more you stay persistent, things tend to snowball. What was just a lonesome snowflake in your entrepreneurial dreams is now the size of a beach ball. You keep rolling it and eventually, you'll get there. I'm not saying it's easy. In no way is it easy. But it is worth it.
10.17.08
Jonathan,
It's interesting the perspective that following your own path means not following a path - a template as you call it. It seems there is a lot of fundamental tension within this idea - because really, all your saying is, my path is relevant because it is mine. So it would follow that other people's paths are relevant because they are theirs. To me, I think it only follows that all paths are relevant, whether they are well-worn or new. I don't know, however, that this always means defying convention is necessary to find personal fulfillment. Many times, someone's own personal path, their relevant way, may mean conforming to convention.
I look to so many women around me right now, for example, successful women trying to live their own relevant path, struggling when they find that desire to live a form of convention that is now thought to be parochial: staying at home to raise a family rather than pursuing a "career."
So to me, I don't really know if this question really resolves itself. There may always be tension between convention and innovation, but they aren't always mutually exclusive. Maybe that's what you're saying though, after all.... :)
10.17.08
Jonathan,
I applaud you. When you're a trailblazer in life, by default you've taken a risk...and it's ok when people don't "get it." It doesn't diminish who you are or the difference you make in the world. Stay your course, be yourself and artistically design your own life. It's well worth it!
10.17.08
The idealism of this post is admirable.
However.....
Life is neither fair nor accommodating, and it never will be. There will no doubt be millions of people who will never be blessed with the skills, help, tools, or timing to both do what they want to do for a living and have all of the necessities (let alone creature/material comforts) they desire in our society.
So most of us eventually accept that there will have to be some trade offs. Maybe all of our dreams will come true one day. Maybe some of them will. Maybe none of them will. And for many these options are all equally possible no matter what we try to do to change the outcome.
In the real world, everyone does not get a trophy. The world does keep score, meaning people win and lose (independent of and sometimes in spite of one's best efforts). But how you define/achieve your dreams is a function of your expectations as much as your effort. If you expect to have a nice home, nice cars, nice vacations, money for gadgets and toys and retirement, you likely will have to accept what most of us do - you have to work, save, and delay gratification so you can keep what you eventually will find that you really want out of life a possibility.
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