Thomas Gardner of the Pursuit of Happiness fame once said, “I dont want a job, I want an opportunity.”
This post isn’t really about me, but it does touch on the frustrations I deal with on what seems like a daily basis. I am writing in regards a friend of mine, who as far as I am concerned, might probably be one of the most creative people I have ever met. The guy simply churns out ideas relentlessly. I am almost convinced he is a machine. People just don’t work the way he does. He’s pretty much got his life planned out, everything from business moves, to marriage, to retirement etc etc has all been mapped out. Unfortunately, just like I have realized, things don’t always go the way we plan, especially when we need others to facilitate our goals.
Its one of those things I dread, that is, having my future placed in the palms of their hands. I listen to my friend talk about his dreams and I have no doubt he can implement, but just like me, he needs someone to give him a chance. You can call it, ‘the foot in the door’ to be able to do so. Sadly he’s been faced with a lot of disappointments. Disappointments that would have dissuaded a lot of people if they were in the same shoes. Believing in something so passionately, getting praise from everyone who sees your idea, but ultimately being let down because people are either too scared to invest in those ideas or scared this person is about to leap frog them. The human psyche can only take so much. How long can you keep falling and pulling yourself back up? He’s been going at this for the past seven years, talking to anyone who will listen. Interviewing with anyone that will give him a chance. Meeting with anyone who can put him through, but all to no avail.
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Well to a certain extent I am in the very same boat. Ever since I decided to pursue my dreams, I have put out my ideas to so many people and still haven’t gotten that guarantee I am looking for. It gets frustrating because you have so much faith in your work, but know you need others to help bring them to life. Self doubt begins to seep in. What if this isn’t what I should be doing? What if one has been wasting their time on something that won’t yield any positive results?
My friend lamented to me, how people can be so shady? Good intentions he says, don’t get rewarded the way they should. Quite frankly I dont know where he gets the motivation from. Its an awful long time to keep pushing at something and not get it to budge. But then I am reminded, that every mega star out there started somewhere. Most with humble if not tough beginnings, before working their way to the top. Its easy for us to see them on TV and hear them on radio and somehow forget that they didn’t just become overnight stars (though in some weird cases this can be true). My father tells me numerous time, before you run, you have to learn to walk first.
In conclusion, my friend tells me he doesn’t know what else to do but to keep plowing ahead. He says he has no passion for anything else, but achieving his dreams. I admire him, because he faces numerous hurdles, yet refuses to give up. We could all take a page from his book on resilience. I know I have. Something great lies ahead and I want to make sure I get a slice of it.
