Getting Started
Inspiration from a shoe ad
There are so many things that we “meant” to do in this life, but we know, in our hearts, that we probably won’t get around to actually doing them. Perhaps you are thinking of that novel you meant to write, that place you meant to visit, that thing you meant to teach your kids… or even the kids you meant to have. We all have something, and some of us have many things, that we would do “if we could.”
Now, some of these are fun or interesting or “would be good,” and these can be on a bucket list of things to do “when I retire” or “if I ever win the lottery,” or in some other “maybe someday” category. But take a moment to think about anything that’s more than that. Is there something that is central to you, that’s really important to you, that would leave a hole in your life if, at the age of 99, you were sitting in a comfy chair looking back on your life? By this, I don’t mean something that’s “expected” or “just the logical next step,” but something that takes root in your heart and makes you feel like you would be a better version of yourself if you did it.
If there is something like this for you, turn into the idea. Think about it. What would it be like if you did it? What would it take to make it happen? Play with the idea.
Now, before you get too carried away, think about the potential obstacles (time, money, etc.) and also if there would be things you would have to give up to follow that dream. Kick the tires. Those potential sacrifices might be a very valid reason to say, “No, I don’t think I should try to launch a musical career at 40.” If you have a good job and your spouse and kids depend on your income right now, you might need to let go of that one dream in order to live another. That’s okay. You should continue to play your music and enjoy that sphere of your life. It may be something you fit around your life now, or it may be something you can devote more time to once those kids are grown. It might not be a “no;” it might simply be a “not yet.”
But if you can see a way to make that thing you’ve been meaning to do into a reality, give yourself permission to step up and make it happen. As the shoe ad once said:
Just Do It.