Live a life of passion

It’s been said if you want to be happy for a year, win the Lottery. If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make a living doing something you love.

All this talk about living the dream and making a living doing what you love has made me think of my son’s story. I thought I would share it here and maybe encourage you to go after your dreams, no matter how far out of reach they may seem.

When my son was in preschool, he wanted to be a professional wrestler like nearly every other preschooler. As he got older his aspirations changed to professional ballplayer—either football or baseball, depending on which season we were in. Sadly, the poor thing took his athletic abilities after his mother and only made the team because our local school was so small, they didn’t cut anyone. If you showed up in cleats, you were on the team.

It wasn’t until high school when a friend of mine asked him to provide color commentary for broadcasts of our county schools' ballgames that he found his passion. For the first time, he was able to combine his brains with his love for sports. He thought, “I’ve got to figure out a way to do this for a living.”

Everyone knows it's highly unlikely to get a paying job doing something like that. ESPN wasn’t hiring precocious kids who loved ball.

He took his scholarships and enrolled in a traditional college. It didn’t take long, though, for him to realize this was not the path he wanted to take. Against everyone’s advice, he quit school and entered the Ohio School of Broadcasting, a non-accredited school that meant he lost all his scholarship money.

As his mother, I worried and listened to all my friends tell me he was making a huge mistake and I needed to step in and make him see the light, and did I want him living in my basement the rest of his life. I held my breath and prayed he was doing the right thing.

He soon got an internship for a local talk radio station. That eventually led to hosting a show on a local country music station where I only heard his voice during 10-second promo spots between programming. The job paid minimum wage so he cleaned floors at Kroger’s, worked the front desk at a discount motel chain, and worked a short time at an Amazon distribution center just to pay the rent while pursuing his dream.

Fast forward five years. Those little spots on the radio, working for peanuts and experience, led to a producer’s job in a major market. Now he interviews celebrities, athletes, and politicians for a living. He’s paid to attend sporting events and concerts. Last month his station even gave away tickets to attend a major sporting event with him as a prize to a lucky caller.

Whatever your dreams, there are ways to make them come true. Spoiler: It will take a ton of hard work and personal sacrifice. You will endure abuse and ridicule from friends and family who think you are wasting your time or making a huge mistake. The only question to ask yourself is: How bad do you want it?

Only you know the answer.

Livin' the Dream

Did you know more people suffer heart attacks on Monday mornings than at any other time? I can’t say I was surprised the first time I read that statistic. My father-in-law used to say he dreaded Sunday nights because he knew the next morning he had to get up and go to a place he hated. He did this for nearly forty years. A sad way to spend the biggest part of your life if you ask me. So what can a person do in this situation? Regardless of what Washington wants us to believe, the economy is still wretched. Millions out of work. Millions more giving up on looking for work. People with Master’s Degrees serving up iced coffees at Starbucks. Finding any job is tough. Finding one you love can be nearly impossible. You can’t just walk away from a job because you don’t like it or it doesn’t fulfill your calling, and you’re destined for greater things.

Recently I heard a man say he didn’t dislike his job, but he loved doing something else. He wanted more out of life than to spend it doing a job he didn’t hate. Maybe you don’t dread Monday mornings either. You don’t hate your job, and you’ve never really thought about leaving it. But is it what you imagined doing when you were a kid? Does that job give you an opportunity to impact your world the way you want?
I’m a true believer in doing what you were designed to do, not what pays the most and has the best benefits. We’re on this earth for such a short time. God has created each of us with specific talents and gifts for a reason. I believe it’s our responsibility to use those talents and strengths to impact our world.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to look back on a life of regrets. The if only I had… Or I wish I did…when I had the chance. What is your dream? What would you rather be doing today to impact your world than what you’re doing right now? It isn’t too late you know. If you’re still breathing—and you must be if you’re reading this—you can make a difference and begin to make each day count.

You probably can’t walk away from your job today. You probably won’t move to a different part of the world by the end of the week to pursue a dream you’ve always had. You might not even be interested in a big change, but something small that could alter the legacy you wish to leave. Whatever your dreams or ambitions, there is probably a step you can take today to get closer to them. Closer to making your life better. What will you do today to make this day count?

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ---Mark Twain