| We are always told to “think of the future,” and I developed such a habit of planning for the future that for many years I forgot to enjoy the NOW. I have since discovered that planning for the future means planning for the best NOW’s you can have for your life.You may think you have plenty of time and that “someday” you will finally “get around” to doing the things you want and to actually enjoy living. But the only time you can actually experience the joy of living is NOW. And if you don’t take care of how you spend your lifetime of NOW’s, you may end up never doing what you really want to do in life.My brother is a good example. Not happy at college, he had the courage to change the course of his life mid-stream. He discovered that he would rather design and build his own boat and go exploring, so he built his first boat and paddled down the Mississippi River with our Dad. Then he built a magnificent sailboat and sailed the high seas both alone and with his girlfriend. And then, tragically, at age 29 he was gone. He died of a massive coronary (due to a congenital problem) – but he was doing what he loved ’til the moment he died!What a lesson for me! I learned that if there is something you want to do in your life, DO IT NOW, because now is the only time you can do it. You can dream of past and future doings, but you can only DO in the NOW.
I finished college because I thought that was “the thing to do” and I became Vice President at a small research and development company, which made my parents happy. But I was NOT happy – what I really wanted to do was dance! When my brother died, I realized that I only have one life and that if I wanted to love living my life I needed to keep improving my dance technique so I could earn my living choreographing and performing dances and coaching other dancers. And that’s what I did. However, I started loving my life much later than my brother did, because I followed the expectations of others rather than my own dream for my life.
A Huge Difference
When you try to live up to other people’s wishes or expectations you feel like you have to push your way through your day. But when you dare to do what you love you feel drawn like a magnet to the things you have planned for your day!
Because of the things my brother had to learn to build and sail his boat, he ended up being smarter than most college grads…and happier, too! Because I finally devoted my life to doing what I love, I have discovered the joy of learning more and more about everything related to the dance…including psychology, physiology, history, philosophy and nutrition. And that has opened up other fields of work (like being a life coach) that give me great joy.
How can you love living the one precious life that only you can live?
HERE’S HOW TO GET STARTED
Know What You Want: Explore and discover something you love doing.My brother discovered he loved sailing and exploring. He also discovered that formal education was not for him and that he could learn on his own what he needed to know to do what he wanted to do. On the other hand, I was confused between wanting to please my parents and doing what I really wanted to do.
Don’t Allow Yourself To Be Intimidated: Know that your values are more important than your fears. My brother was willing to face the disappointment of my parents who were paying dearly for his college education, and he was willing to make his own way despite “society’s expectations.” On the other hand, I let myself become intimidated by one parent saying, “Only prostitutes go into dancing” and another parent saying, “You’ll never make a living as a dancer.” And I let myself be intimidated by the high regard my friends and family held for careers in science and the low regard they held for careers in dance.
Take Action: My brother left college, got a job, and built a boat. Three distinct sets of actions. I finally auditioned for a show and got the job!
By the way, our parents ended up being proud of both of us, but even if they hadn’t, my brother and I have each lived the kind of lives we love.
I hope this helps you ACT NOW to cherish your life by doing what you love!
I’d love to hear how these steps work for you — feel free to email me at Terry@YourRecipeForLivingCoach.com, or post a comment on my Break Free Blog at www.YourRecipeForLivingCoach.com. Please know that you are welcome to share this BREAK FREE TIP by forwarding this message to a friend or colleague. |
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