This is a message that I’m incredibly passionate about. As parents, this is critical information that we need to pass along to our kids, especially those in high school and college. Given the tragedies that I’ve seen, this information could literally save lives.
This was the story of my life until I ‘woke up’ seven years into a successful career straight out of college. Experiencing the damage of family and societal programming myself, I want so much more for everyone out there and our future generations.
It’s time to change the way the system works and you’re a vital part of that.
Please spread this message far and wide and support this Kickstarter project before June 22 however you can (I did!). I was literally in tears watching the trailer below because I could identify so closely with it.
I’m re-posting this from Scott Dinsmore’s Live Your Legend site. I was going to write my own version but he did such an amazing job with this post.
*Important Update: A short video you have to see…
Last week my good friend Adam Baker (founder of ManVsDebt.com) released an uber-inspiring 4-minute video trailer that’s been rippling across the Internet. It’s for his documentary “I’m Fine, Thanks“, which deals with the epidemic of Career Complacency and the lives of quiet desperation that so much of the world lives. It’s a movie about the moment people realize the life they’re living is not the life that’s true to their heart… and, as a result, what they decide to do about it.
His crew interviewed over 60 people around the U.S. and I had the honor of being one of them – you should see how much equipment their 5-person crew had in my office!! I have a feeling the results are going to change things in a big way.
Whether you’ve already seen this or not, take a few minutes and watch this video. It will open your eyes to a problem that we can all do something about. It will also prepare you for the below article. Check out the documentary’s Kickstarter page and video here (if you feel moved, I encourage you to contribute to their Kickstarter project to ensure their message is heard). These guys have my full support and I really want to see this film succeed. More on the documentary at the end of this post.
No topic is closer to my heart or our purpose here at Live Your Legend.
The world needs to hear this message – and then do something about it.
So in its honor, I want to cover something that I think about most every day.
In fact Live Your Legend wouldn’t exist if this wasn’t such a massive problem in our world.
But it is and here we are.
As a friend, mentor, parent, student, teacher and active participant in the world, this is a story that needs to be told (that’s why Adam’s documentary is so important). And one that is on all of us to do something about.
Let’s dive in.
“Most men die at age 25 but are not buried until they are 70.”
- Benjamin Franklin
The Day the Dream Died…
Once upon a time when we were really young, we were given permission to dream and think anything imaginable. Some of us wanted to go to the moon and others wanted to become President. Nothing was off limits. In fact we were rewarded and encouraged to think and dream in such ways.
This was life for maybe the first 10 or 12 years. But then something odd happened. The world as we knew it shifted from listening and supporting our dreams, to telling us what our dreams should be.
Words like ‘practical’ and ‘realistic’ started to get thrown around.
No longer were these invigorating ideas so well received. The older you got, the less those who mattered in your life accepted your dreams.
More and more of the ex-dreamers around you started to adopt the same new frightening language. The people you looked up to, your mom and dad and teachers, all seemed to be scheming in the same way.
Then one day, say thirty years later, you come across a freshman in high school who says he wants to be an astronaut, and suddenly you catch yourself using those same words people you admired and respected once said to you. You tell this young freshman, “It’s fine to dream but you should think a little more practically.”
You realized the second the words came out of your mouth…you’ve become what you despised.
But you can hardly blame yourself. As a kid what were you to do when everyone you trusted and respected seemed to be telling you the same thing? Naturally, you conformed to your surroundings.
Next stop is college, where you get another, much more potent, dose of practicality.
You hurriedly choose an area of study (often times spending less time making the decision than what TV you want in your dorm room). Then you proceed to be trained to be a cog in a corporate wheel. Interests, passions and dreams get traded for hopes of being the guy who can claim the best job title, company or salary out of college – forgetting that none of that shit actually matters when it comes to being happy.
At this point you probably forgot you even wanted to do something different in the first place.
The stereotypical advice becomes an all too broken record: “Go out and get a good safe job with a reputable training program and start building your resume. You can always pursue your ideas later.”
But we all know how often ‘later’ actually comes. And most of you might remember a couple week’s back Warren Buffett comparing a life spent resume building to a life spent saving up sex for old age.
None the less, we graduate and become a corporate monkey.
And as we grow into our early twenties and beyond, we slowly start to notice ourselves using some new words: O.K., fine, alright, not that bad, could be worse – in response to the questions “how’s life” or “how’s work?”
Without knowing it, a dream has been killed. A fire has gone out. The passion dies.
Even worse, many forget the fire ever burned in the first place. It’s amazing how fast even a light drizzle can turn a bonfire into a pile of grey muck.
I’ve been there too…
Eight years ago, after listening to the people I respected, I found myself in a job society said I should have; great company, good paycheck— something I could really tell people about.
You know how long it lasted? Seven months, and not a day longer. And I knew within the first month I was not meant to be there. The inertia kept me there another six.
For some, the inertia, fear, laziness, whatever, keeps them working for a couple years or even a couple decades. The word “someday” quickly transforms into never. Then you awaken thirty-five years later, only to realize you got zero fulfillment out of the way you spent your time. Society didn’t benefit. You didn’t benefit. You might even be fat and lazy by now. Your family hardly saw you.
All for what? The money? The status?
Really?
What are you going to do with it now that you’ve missed half your life?
The majority of the working world (over 80% last I checked) condemn themselves to this existence of quiet desperation for the rest of their lives. The walk of the living dead has become a cultural march (this is exactly what the “I’m Fine, Thanks” trailer and movie is lashing out against).
This is my nightmare.
I have spent time with far too many people living squarely in the middle of this scenario. I refuse to let it happen to me, and I refuse to let it happen to you. That’s why everyday I build upon what I do at Live Your Legend.
Because…
Complacency Is the Silent Killer
There are two reasons humans don’t change things:
1. Their current situation is enjoyable.
or
2. Their current situation isn’t painful enough.
Obviously, if we are all suffering from reason #1, all is good in the world. But with over 80% of people unhappy with their work, that leaves us with #2 as the culprit.
There is no more dangerous place to be. You think things are fine because everything is just “okay”. And that’s exactly how you stay in a job for a few decades, grinding out every single day.
I guarantee if your job is “not that bad” today, if you keep doing the same things, things will only deteriorate. As with anything in life, there is no standing still. Poor communication with your husband today, left unchanged, will not leave you in the same place a decade from now…
If your current situation isn’t painful enough, change doesn’t happen.
Being “fine” is not a good thing.
That is not the end goal. We are not here to be just ‘alright’ – to be average. No one benefits from a complacent life. If my friends spend their life counting down the days to the weekend, not only will they suffer, but so will I, and everyone around them (hence LYL’s tag line “change the world by doing work you love“).
But that is the root of the problem.
The school systems, college, graduate school, society and most cultures train the future generations that this complacency is a good thing. That it’s the reality to be expected.
And as long as that’s the case, over 80% of the world will remain unhappy with their work – and many of them will never find the motivation or inspiration to change. They’ll never know what it feels like to set the world on fire with work only they are capable of doing.
And we will all be worse off as a result.
But is that really what you want to work towards? All this studying, learning, doing – a lifetime of work just to be average?
I doubt it.
That path does not look pretty.
Don’t wait until the pain is unbearable. That time might never come. And what might you miss while you’re waiting?
Happiness not spent today does not equal more happiness tomorrow.
Complacently Needs to Be the New Change Agent
That is the only way to make things better.
If we believe things must be the way “they” say, then things will never change.
We must adopt the beliefs of the Passionate Worker:
- Life is an active experience. You are the driver, not the passenger.
- A job, a career and work is our chance to do something that actually matters- to you and to others. Work is not something we are meant to endure. It’s something we are to embrace.
- The world will be better if you spend your time on things that light you on fire.
- It is possible to work on passion, have fun and help people at the same time.
- Doing work you love is a right. It is not some privilege reserved for the lucky few.
- The end goal is excitement, not complacency.
Doing things differently always starts with believing it’s possible.
It’s our duty to embody these beliefs, not just for ourselves but for those around us.
It’s on all of us, as students, teachers and mentors, to do something about it.
Here’s how to start…
8 Steps to Killing Complacency & Writing Your Own Script
This goes for every one of us – both in how we conduct our own lives and how we encourage those who look up to us. Read these once as steps for yourself and then look over them again as steps of what you can do for those around you.
There’s someone looking to each of us for guidance. Live in a way you’d be proud of.
1. Encourage dreams, don’t kill them. The older we get, the less we seem to believe is possible. Mainly because the people above us, who we trust, respect and look up to, tell us it cannot be done. Listen to others’ dreams. Provide ideas. Don’t judge. Share in their excitement. Whether they’re five years old or fifty, be their support. Fuel the fire. Don’t put it out.
2. Promote constantly learning. Provide the tools to help people understand themselves. This is not the stuff taught in schools. Get them excited about learning who they are. Take personality tests. Understand strengths and natural talents. Your number one job role is always to become a self-expert.
3. Focus on strengths, not weaknesses. Spend as much time as possible learning and building upon what you’re best at. If you know what you’re good at and love doing, you are much less likely to settle for something different. Even if society tries to get you to value something else, once your forest fire catches, it’s near impossible to contain. Start the burning as early as possible.
4. Encourage constant exploration. Test assumptions. Try new things. Take nothing for granted. If ‘they’ all tell you it’s this way, ask why it’s not that way. Life is an experiment. Act accordingly.
5. Value experiences and emotions over things. When are we going to start listening to the real research behind the fact that money does not buy happiness? Come on. Racing through life to get yourself into 500k+ of debt just to ‘own’ a home is not what life’s about. How was that ever considered part of some American Dream? You should know better by now. You will never have it all. Stop worrying about it and start experiencing what matters.
6. Dream big every single day. An untended fire will eventually die. Spend a minimum of a few minutes each day entertaining and exploring your biggest ideas of what you want out of life. Think about the things that make your hair stand on end. Give the dreams attention. Tend to them like a newborn baby.
7. Act on those dreams daily. We know what happens when we put things off. Do something, no matter how small, to get you closer to that dream. Momentum is hard to notice in the beginning, but soon becomes hard to stop. It starts with starting. Watch the bricks pile up into a cathedral. No matter how tiny, create something every day.
8. Provide an environment that makes it certain. Environment is everything. If you spend your life around complacent people, you will experience the same fate. This goes for friends, coworkers, peer groups, lovers and family members. The people in your life will change your world – for better or worse. This is 100% in your control. The fastest way to do things you think are impossible is to start hanging around with people already doing them (that’s why I’m so fired up about the How to Connect with Anyone course I’m creating). Spend time around people who do things differently.
Complacency has a bigger impact on our world than we realize.
It’s the silent killer. Something has to be done.
You can either follow the broken script or write your own.
The good news is that we are in complete control of it – assuming we’re willing to take the reigns.
The above are not that hard. We can literally start doing them right this second. They can change everything. We are all a part of the solution.
Up until today, Ben Franklin has been more or less right that “most men die at age 25 but are not buried until they are 70″.
But that is not some fundamental scientific law.
All we have to do is disprove it.
You are the student. You are the teacher. Act accordingly.
This will not change on its own. Our community of 14,000 at Live Your Legend is a start. But it’s still just a start.
Think what would happen if each of you followed the above, both for yourself and for just one person close to you. And then if that person began to do the same. 14,000 quickly turns into a very very big number. Revolutions start with ripples.
What would that world look like?
We are going to find out.
I will not let past expectations limit our future. There is another way, a better way. We just have to give ourselves permission.
Permission to Explore.
Permission to Experiment.
Permission to be Who We Are.
The only thing holding us back is what others may have thought, or what others may have done in the past. But what do they know anyway? There is no rule that says we must live life and our careers the same way everyone did before us.
Quiet desperation is not a fact of life. “I’m fine” is not a way to live.
We have a responsibility to give ourselves, and the next generation, a better alternative.
Think about the people in your life who look up to you. The sons and daughters. The friends. The colleagues.
Provide an environment that makes this change possible.
Because if not us, then who?
One thing you can do right now…
Please, as part of our community here, take it upon yourself to do even the smallest thing.
Take 4 minutes and watch the trailer for “I’m Fine, Thanks” – then do one thing to support the movement by sharing it with someone close to you or supporting the cause directly (you can see how on the linked page).
The movie is the story of how five film makers are tackling the issue of scripted living and career complacency head-on. It’s a story of how everyday people turned a life from meaningless to meaningful. And it’s proof that dreams don’t have to die with age.
I was honored to be one of the 60+ people they interviewed around the country (pictures below), and I cannot tell you how excited I am to see this film go live. I’ve literally had the trailer on repeat since last week.
Also, they’re using Kickstarter to bring this project to life, which means that the only way the film will see the light of day is if enough people support the movement. Amazingly, thousands already have in the past few days. They have my full backing and I really want to see it succeed.
This story has to be told. These are the guys to do it.
You’re more powerful than you realize.
It’s time to start doing something with it.
Check out the 4-minute trailer and the film details at this link.
Here’s to changing norms…
-Scott
Need a reminder to be mindful or grateful? I recommend iThrive Journal and Live Intentionally, two new apps for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch that help you develop the power of positive thought and mindfulness.
iThrive Journal is a beautifully designed journaling app to record your efforts to thrive each day. It reminds you at set times to record how you’ve thrived. It prompts you with questions like:
How is your day going? Surviving or thriving? You are in control!
Do something today your future self will thank you for. Thrive!
How did you thrive today? Record your success
Live Intentionally is a simple, intuitive app that pulls events from your calendar and allows you to set an intention for each event. Then gentle reminders throughout the day help you to lead the life you intend.
The tools used in these apps helped their developer pull through depression and grief to a life of thriving and intention, and they can help you too!
I made the list of the Top 100 Personal Development Blogs of 2015! Click here to see the other amazing bloggers on the list. Lots of great resources here!
The Mindful Body program includes many ideas that you can use every day to avoid gaining extra weight while keeping your energy and spirits high. It’s also a great gift to share with the special people in your life.
Click here to pay what you want for the Mindful Body program
Commented: 06/07/2012 at 11:58 pm
What can I say? I am a crybaby with this post. It shook me up a bit. I am going to print it so my son can read it, too. Complacency is a killer – is so right. We get so caught up with our must-do daily routine, that most of our dreams die a slow death in our heads without ever seeing the light of day. Or night. I’ve been consciously trying to make wishlists with time frames, gratitude lists, feel good lists (because lists motivate me) and to a large extent, have been able to let go of things or thoughts that drag me down or keep me from achieving “happiness” I use the word happiness as an all encompassing state of mind for different goals.
Yet, there’s always room for improvement. With that niggling thought, when things seem harder, that maybe am not good enough? maybe i should leave it? Luckily these are mostly temporary thoughts because I am mostly good at self-motivation.
I am always grateful for super-inspiring posts like this that have the power to suddenly turn my day around. This is definitely going into my “Feed good, read when you’re low” folder.
Much indebted to you, Paige. This is going to be the best I’ve read in a long while. You always surpass yourself. Love you for it.
Vidya Sury recently posted..Book Review: Puppalicious and Beyond
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 2:00 pm
Wow! Thank you so much Vidya! I agree that we tend to get so caught up in our to-do’s and the minutia of daily life that we don’t even realize we’ve gone through life on auto-pilot.
This morning I was telling my husband about a blog called 17,000 Days. When she started the blog, the author looked at her life expectancy and figured out that she had about 17,000 days left. The point of her blog is to have us all be much more aware of how we spend our remaining days. My husband said, “Wouldn’t it be powerful to cross off each day on the calendar when we get up in the morning, knowing that there’s a limited number of them?” It would certainly make me think twice about what I’m about to do that day.
I’m so glad that you’re sharing this message with Vidur. I can’t tell you how many kids in their teens and twenties feel so utterly lost and like failures because they don’t have the rest of their lives all figured out. What a crazy expectation to place on anyone at any age!
Thank you so much for being the Angel of Happiness for all of us!
Paige Burkes recently posted..How Committed Are You To Your Dreams?
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 4:17 am
Reading this post reminded me of Adam Sandler’s film “Mr. Deeds”. What struck me most is the statement on this post about being realistic and practical is the same as the comprimises the shareholders did in the movie.
Which left me to the question of how our six grader version of ourselves will be mad at our present selves for letting go of our dreams.
Denis recently posted..learn guitar software
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 2:04 pm
I love it! I just watched Mr. Deeds not that long ago. When our monkey minds remind us to be realistic and practical, it’s just the mind’s desperate attempt to keep us “safe” which is code for “stuck.”
My little kids constantly remind me to keep life fun, especially when they call me on being in front of the computer too much. We all need to maintain that sixth grader mentality. Thanks for the reminder, Denis!
Paige Burkes recently posted..5 Steps to Creating Your Awesome Life
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 4:44 am
That was a long one Paige! I have to go back again later to reread some parts because everything here is spot on! I can deeply relate to it. I will no longer be complacent. We have to step up if we want to live our dreams and be happy, like, real happiness and contentment.
The 8 steps are going to be printed out.
Glori | Crazy Introvert recently posted..Introvert Myth Debunked: Introverts are NOT Self-Absorbed
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 2:07 pm
Yes, it was a long one but I didn’t want to mess with how Scott so beautifully wrote it. Unfortunately, I think all too many of us can relate deeply to it, which is why I’m so passionate about changing things going forward. We have to take the initiative to create our own lives, otherwise we’re simply pawns for someone else’s agenda and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Glad this helped Glori!
Paige Burkes recently posted..If It’s Broken, Fix It – Right Now
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 10:16 am
I have one word for this Paige…WOW…this one blew my socks off. This post has it all, respect, inner value, desires of the heart. Living the complacent life is not really living at all. Like Glori, I have to go back and read this a few times…there was so much of value. Thanks for sharing.
Elle
xoxo
Elle recently posted..New Shoes – New Life?
Commented: 06/08/2012 at 2:11 pm
Thank you so much Elle! Living a complacent life is sleep-walking through life. Then we suddenly realize that we’ve reached the end of the road and we wonder what happened – where did all the time go? My husband and I are doing our best to live each day on purpose and happy, empowering our children to do the same. It’s an amazing way to live!
Paige Burkes recently posted..Letting Go
Commented: 06/09/2012 at 1:44 pm
Paige — been a bit swamped and hadn’t made it back to your blog for a couple weeks. Glad I returned in time for this post — amazing stuff. Will require several re-reads to let it sink in properly. Great project and so glad you’re helping promote it. Was at a wedding last weekend with my family and stepped out of the reception hall at one point to find my 8-year-old son helping a photographer snap candids of the guests. It had never even occurred to me that photography might be an interest of his, even though he walks all around our neighborhood taking hundreds of shots with our iTouch. Suddenly, I thought — “Holy cow, this might be something we need to nurture! What else am I not seeing about him?” This post is a great reminder to keep paying attention. Thanks!
Commented: 06/09/2012 at 10:26 pm
I’m so glad to have you here Stephen! You might want to check out my recent post on unschooling which is about exploring your child’s interests vs. simply teaching him what others think he should know. Kids are pretty amazing when we slow down enough to notice, as you’ve found. Even without a camera, your son has figured out how to express his talents of capturing the world. My kids love taking pictures (still or movies).
Yes, there’s a ton of important information here. Scott did an amazing job. I also can’t say enough about the I’m Fine Thanks project. I think it’s a very sad state that we have to feel brave to find our own paths. It should be expected.
Thanks so much for your great comment Stephen!!
Paige Burkes recently posted..The Unschooling Revolution: Taking Education Into Our Own Hands
Commented: 06/09/2012 at 5:26 pm
The best decisions I’ve made in my life were ones that other people cautioned me not to do. Too risky, too much uncertainty, too much whatever. Great post and great links/videos. Thanks!
Galen Pearl recently posted..Pinocchio’s Wish
Commented: 06/09/2012 at 10:28 pm
And great for you, Galen, for taking action on your decisions! The reactions of others simply reflect their fears which have nothing to do with you. Follow your heart and you can’t go wrong. Thanks for your comment!
Paige Burkes recently posted..Why I Listen To The Voices In My Head
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 7:13 am
BOY OH BOY PAIGE….am I ever glad I opened this up to read. I’m getting ready for a trip to the states BUT something told me to get to your post. Scott’s passion is glorious. It is one of the best manifesto’s I’ve read in a long time. And I firmly believe in his message. Am going to watch the video right now but I didn’t want to let the moment pass without thanking you , my friend, for bringing this this to our attention. With much love….Fran
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 12:18 pm
Thank you so much Fran! The video really hit me between the eyes and put me in tears because I could relate so closely to it. It’s a message that so dearly needs to be spread far and wide.
When I said that spreading this message could save lives, I truly believe that it can. There’s an increase in suicide rates in kids just before and during college because these kids never feel heard and feel like failures because they don’t have everything figured out and society doesn’t support their individuality. We’re not one-size-fits-all cogs in a machine. Each of us is a beautiful individual who deserves complete respect.
I am very grateful to Scott, Adam and the rest of their crew for working tirelessly on their missions and this movie.
Paige Burkes recently posted..Letting Go
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 2:39 pm
I’m so very glad you shared this Paige. I’m bookmarking it for sure! Since I left on my trip last week, I’ve found myself trying to explain again and again to people about this very topic! Why it’s so important to spend your hours doing what you believe in AND how it is actually doable and achievable! I can’t believe how closed people are to the idea. There’s this entrenched mindset in our culture that work has to be a drag, painful and something to be put up with so we can have fun later. It doesn’t have to be this way! This article (and Baker’s project) will help me articulate the ‘whys’ – and I now have somewhere to direct those folks who might have a chink of an opening to the idea.
Sarah at Holistic Hot Sauce recently posted..Tips To Cultivate Serenity While Traveling (And Avoid That Death Warmed Over Look Despite Only 3 Hours Of Sleep)
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 3:33 pm
Our societal brainwashing is so deep! And it’s also a little funny how we can get so immersed in our bubble-world of blogging, filled with like-minded people (nice place!). When we emerge and mingle with others who don’t exist in our bubble, we’re a bit surprised that they don’t understand us.
Like you, I wish we could shake everyone by the shoulders and make them realize that there’s another, much happier, way of living. People don’t have to follow the old paths. It’s time that we create our own, new paths that work for us, not someone else’s agenda.
There are many blogs out there working to get this message out. Each of us is an important part of spreading the word and more happiness. Every person and their word counts.
Thanks for being part of the movement Sarah!!
Paige Burkes recently posted..The Unschooling Revolution: Taking Education Into Our Own Hands
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 3:46 pm
Paige,
I loved the video and the whole post! One of your best ever! Your tips are just great!! I think the pain you know is sometimes easier than the fear of what you don’t know. I have always been a teacher and never worked in the corporate world. I can’t imagine doing it. My husband left it early on and has owned his own advertising agency for years. But now he finds himself hankering to do something totally new. It’s very scary! But I’m totally behind him. So this post really hit a chord. I’m going to share it with him. Thanks!!
PS I’ll head over to kick starter. Just love that site!!
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 4:09 pm
Fear of the unknown keeps so many people from getting out there and following their dreams. Many won’t even make the effort to figure out what their passions and dreams are in the first place.
Sounds like you and your family definitely have the right ideas in doing what feels great instead of what we’re programmed to think that we’re supposed to do. Yes, it’s usually a bit scary at first but once you get going, it’s an amazing ride!
Best of luck to you and your husband Betsy!!
Paige Burkes recently posted..How Committed Are You To Your Dreams?
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 5:52 pm
I just watched the video with my husband. He loved it, too. So we just donated to the project at Kickstarter! Thanks for the recommendation! I can’t wait to see the movie.
Betsy at Zen Mama recently posted..My Digital-Free Vacation
Commented: 06/11/2012 at 8:40 pm
That’s awesome! I can’t wait to get my copy too! If I lived in a physical neighborhood, I would be inviting all my friends over to watch it!
Commented: 06/12/2012 at 2:47 pm
What a wonderful inspirational post my friend Paige and everyone should see this – I will post on Facebook and would love to see this as a movie – reminds me of the I AM movie from Tom Shadyac –
The American dream – WOW! Where did the thought come from? I think it’s more of the Individual DREAM – living in your truth always and usally when we go against what the world tells us we are usually on the right path. FEAR blocks so many and causes that dangerous word of complacency! So many walking dead in this world – go out one day and walk around – sullen faces, no smiles….dreams shattered by the naysayers……the power of thinking BIG – the only way to think!
You got me fired up Paige
Thanks!
Nancy
Nancy Shields recently posted..ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR THE LITTLE THINGS LIFE HAS TO OFFER?
Commented: 06/12/2012 at 10:25 pm
Thanks Nancy! I love it when I get people motivated! Thanks for sharing on FB!
Fear, complacency and doubt keep so many sleepwalking through life, never even realizing that there’s another way. Once I realized that my life could be radically different, there was no going back. I had to make the changes happen. Boy, what a ride it has been! And I get happier every day! My mission is to help others see the light and take action toward their own individual passions, goals and marvelous life.
Paige Burkes recently posted..Why I Listen To The Voices In My Head
Commented: 06/12/2012 at 5:08 pm
With the recent economic “crisis”, so many people lost their jobs. The Universe is guiding everyone to their true life purpose. Everyone freaked out because they lost money, but they never freaked out about losing their jobs, because they hated their careers. Now the Universe is giving us a chance to go for our dreams.
My mother has also been pushing me to “follow my passions later” when I have a “stable” job. But I’m glad there are no stable jobs. 2012 is not the end of the world, it’s the end of the 9-5 lifestyle, it must be destroyed for something new to replace it. This kickstarter project is part of a even bigger movement, even bigger than the “hippie” movement of the 60’s. I’m so glad to see people being fired up over this message, it’s time to break free of our comfort zone, and live the life of our dreams.
Rad recently posted..Why Denying the Beast Within Never Works
Commented: 06/12/2012 at 10:32 pm
Wow! I couldn’t agree with you more, Rad! Due to consolidations and downsizing, I’ve lost two high-paying, “safe and secure” jobs (and I agree with your distinction that I missed the money, not the job). You’re completely right: There’s no such thing as a stable job. Having your own business doing what you love is the most stable thing you can do. I just finished reading Chris Guillebeau’s new book, $100 Startup, which is all about how to do just that. It’s an awesome book that I highly recommend, along with The Four Hour Workweek.
Follow your heart and don’t wait for “later.” Later is now. The old systems are crumbling, being replaced by this new thinking and ways of working together. The new ideas respresent much more sustainable ways of living and lead to much more happiness and fulfillment.
So glad that you’ve figured out that you don’t need to follow the old ways. More power to you!!
Paige Burkes recently posted..The Unschooling Revolution: Taking Education Into Our Own Hands
Commented: 06/17/2012 at 9:47 pm
I’ve seen and supported this project. It is what I’m all about. I remember when I decided to move to Hawaii I had a group of close friends in San Diego which was my home at the time, who have all proclaimed to live out on the edge, most of them at one point of their lives were professional athletes. Most of them now have corporate jobs. They freaked about me selling my house, leaving my business and going to Hawaii to start an entirely new life.
I mean why would I? I was “fine” there! And they all had the corporate job that provided stability, health insurance, a way to support the way over priced huge house everyone had bought……
It was a risk. And yes, my life is entirely different here in Hawaii. Its slower, its more meaningful and I’ve truly become a writer. I’ve also started being that go to person for people to do exactly what this post is all about. Move out of your comfort zone and do that thing that you’ve been talking about doing, wishing for, hoping for yet haven’t taken the steps to start. Or even worse, the dream has been totally given up on. Rekindle. ReVIBE. I’m writing ReVIBE daily as I coach people to do what I did. Figure out a way to go live your dream NOW. No matter how big or how small it is.
I can say it hasn’t always been easy. There are times it has been scary. Stability is one of those things that gets lost in complacency and when it’s suddenly gone there are moments when one questions, “What am I doing?” However being one who is living it live and getting to help other move towards it, I can honestly say the scary moments, the risk, the newness of it all has been TOTALLY WORTH IT.
I’m Fine, Thanks is a message that does indeed need to be out there. To those young people who aren’t encouraged, to those who have become adults and it doesn’t seem to be what they thought it would be, to those who have done a lot, been through a lot and are settled into I’m fine, but there is this thing that they really want.
I’m blessed. Even better I get to share it with others. And movies like this one is going to get that point out to even more people. It will do good for so many, and that is a great thing.
Jt Clough | Big Island Dog recently posted..Coconut Oil for Dogs (and Their People)
Commented: 06/18/2012 at 12:12 pm
Bravo to you Jt!
Update on the film: I got an email today that they reached their funding target at Kickstarter so, it’s a go! Thanks to everyone who helped with the funding!!
I love that, not only are you continuing to push your own comfort zone, you’re also taking an active role in helping others to do the same. We need more like you!! Yes, those changes are big and scary and so worth it.
I think stability is one of those myths created by our society. Jobs are about as unstable as things can get (I know from personal experience). Jobs generally lull people into that complacency and warped ways of thinking – If I just show up, I’ll get paid and have all the benefits. Which is why it’s so hard for most people to start their own businesses. Just showing up doesn’t even start to cut it. Once you tell people that hard work is required, they run back to the jobs in which they’re miserable.
Hard work can be fun and amazingly fulfilling. That’s what I’ve chosen to do. Simply doing something every day that means something, that helps people, that adds value somehow – that’s what we’re all really looking for, whether it’s in a job or anywhere else in our lives.
You’re awesome Jt! Keep being you and following your heart!!