Living the Dream

I don’t know about you but I was sick and tired of saying “not bad” or “pretty good” or even “good” when people asked me how I was doing. I wanted to say “Great!” or “Living the dream!”. Before this point in my life there once was a time when I would say “Excellent” when people asked how I was doing. That time was when I was in high school. Young, naive, getting good grades, there was a world of opportunity out here and the world was my oyster. So many possibilities abound. But what happens to us? I have met many people that were on a great path, pursuing their dream and then I would see them a few years later working a dead end job. What happened?

Responsibilities, life, and the soul crushing task of going to a job you don’t love everyday. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom that I realized what was important in life.

Who wants to spend the most able and vital years of their life working to make someone else rich? One of the more recent turning points in my life was at a retirement party for a co-worker. It was actually the first retirement party I had ever been to and more depressing than any funeral I have ever attended! I could not believe the impact this event had on me. Who would think merely attending a retirement party would have any impact whatsoever. This woman had spent the past 40 or so years of her life working for others and now she was free to spend her later years doing whatever she had the budget for. While picking out a card for this coworker, I was drawn to one particular card showing a beautiful tropical beach scene, one of my favorite things in the world. Inside the card read: “Congratulations on your retirement… You are now free to follow your dreams!” Follow your dreams?!?! You’re 65, what the hell have you been doing your whole life? I am a firm believer in better late than never and it is never too late to start, starting today is a lot better than next week, month, or year. You will be that much closer tomorrow than you were today.

You and I both came all this way; and we didn’t just come to watch!

Until Next Time,

-Jeff