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Tough love…
That’s what every parent, teacher and coach must practice.
Many people think that people in those roles must be supportive of those who look up to them which I agree with, to a certain extent. And having been a teacher and a coach for more than 22 years now people are sometimes stunned at my bluntness which borders on rudeness at time.
Unfortunately supporting people when they are wrong does them no good.
I love my son dearly, but being a parent means that I must show him the difference between right and wrong, as well as protect him from sickness and disease by brushing his teeth and making sure his hands are clean. It also means that I must get angry when he does something bad. Sometimes I even slap his hand.
In dealing with clients I understand that they are paying me for my expertise, my knowledge and to hold them accountable.
Naturally, I’m always more than happy to support people with the dreams. After all, it’s what I love.
The problem is…and this might surprise you but…most people don’t really want what they say they are after.
Sure, many people say they want to be a dancer or an actor but the big question is what are they doing about it.
They aren’t out there doing it right now. They’re not living and breathing what they say they want to be.
Instead they’re sitting around at home watching TV or chilling with their friends…in other words, they are just enjoying their lives without taking any action toward their goals.
If you confront them, they’ll say something like they’re going to start when they go to school or they want to enjoy their last few weeks before they move to New York, but that’s not the way it goes.
That’s akin to saying I’ll start my diet tomorrow…and we all know how that ends up.
You either want it, or you don’t.
So what if you haven’t joined school yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy some books and get some DVDs you can start working in it today.
You don’t have to wait till tomorrow to get started.
Me, I only support people with the dreams when they are giving 100 or 110% effort to what they really want to do.
It’s easy to tell if tell they really want it from the way they speak, by the glimmer in their eye.
I suppose that’s why I love the show “So You Think You Can Dance” because the contestants on that show give it everything they’ve got each and every week…they love dance and it shows.
I can get behind anyone who’s giving it their all but many people just give a half-assed effort and expect that teachers, classes or schools that will stroke the fires within them.
I do admit that a great teacher will do just that, internal inspiration is the key.
External inspiration does help and is often times the catalyst to build inspiration within us, but what inspiration are you going to find if you’re just waiting for it to arrive.
You’ve got to get to work on finding it and chances are good that you’ll find yourself “getting lucky.”
I can’t remember who said it but I love the line, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Well said…
Inspiration is something we must have within, otherwise we will always be waiting for something out there to get us going…but what if it never comes.
Teachers change, schools go out of business, and your life could get turned upside down but what we have within us goes with us wherever we go.
If you are waiting for something to come you could be waiting a long long time, why wait?
Then there are those people who do get started, and have a dream – great…but it’s so small.
Small dreams don’t inspire us in the long run which is why we need to have, as they call them in the industry, BHAGs or Big Hairy Audacious Goals.
Life is tough, that should come as no surprise.
So when we chase our dreams we will run into speed-bumps. Family, friends, work, health, money, taxes…the list in endless.
The problem is that small dreams often don’t have enough power to get us through such hazards and fall by the wayside.
Big dreams on the other hands are hard. They will challenge us to no end. They will force us to fight for them. But we are excited by the challenges they present us with. We know deep down that the price may be steep but the rewards great so we power onward.
I have three passions: English, success principles (which include marketing and time management) and finance.
And if you’ve ever met me you’d know I’m passionate about all three.
That’s why I created this site. That’s why I created my seminar – www.financialfutureseminar.com and that’s why I’ll keep at it…until I make it.
Chase your dreams…110%.
You’ve only got one life, live it the way you want to live it.
Adrian Shepherd
