“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.” – Les Brown
Everyone has dreams. Whether or not they ever share them is irrelevant. Deep down we all have something we would like to achieve. We all like the idea of making an impact or leaving our mark on the world. Just try having a conversation with a stranger or even a loved one and ask them the question ‘what would you do if money wasn’t an issue?’. It is then they will start to reveal their true passions. They’ll begin to think of their deepest desires and explore the details that come with it. It’s amazing what people will share with you if you ask.
I had an eye test the other week and during my appointment my optician and I got talking. While she was carrying out the test she asked me what my plans were for the rest of the day. I told her I was on my way to a business meeting. She then began to ask me about it. She seemed interested so I didn’t mind sharing. I began to tell her that I had started a new venture just before Christmas and today I was meeting a potential supplier. I showed her pictures of my products and she seemed very impressed and encouraged me to keep on going.
The test was almost over and while she was typing up her notes I asked if she did anything outside of work too. I’m always intrigued by people’s lives and I genuinely wanted to know more about her. She immediately stopped typing turned round to face me, paused and then smiled. She said yes, I sell bags. She then began to go into detail about the bags and showed me pictures. She then continued to tell me about the types of people that would purchase one of the bags and how much they would spend each time. She spoke with such enthusiasm and passion, it was lovely to see.
“But” she said. “I work here from 8am-8pm, my days are busy I just don’t have the time to focus on my business”. So I said to her “if you really enjoy this hobby then you should make time for it”. She agreed but still couldn’t see how she could transition from employment into business.
This lady not only had a lovely product but also had customers. She knew her market, she had made the sales! However, she was still fearful of not having enough money and hence focused more on earning money rather than chasing her dreams. The Les Brown’s quote at the beginning of this post is unfortunately so very true. Many people bottle up their dreams and ideas and carry it with them to their grave. This lady obviously had a passion for selling bags but her job was too demanding to give her the time to work on her business. Unfortunately, she now potentially becomes another valuable depositor to the graveyard.
For me, I think it’s a shame. It’s a real shame that many people adhere to society’s unwritten rules that you need a job to give you income. Or the rule that job security is more important than freedom and happiness. Your job or anything for that matter should NEVER take away your happiness. Everyone deserves to be free and happy.
Now the sad thing is, this isn’t an isolated example. This lady is not the first person I’ve spoken to that has had a dream but hasn’t been able to put it into action. Fear and doubt constrain so many people. The thought of not having regular income paralyses a lot of us (let’s not lie here). So we opt for the more comfortable option to avoid the uncertainty. But in doing so don’t we sometimes lose sight of what’s important in life? I strongly believe that you should never be afraid to live your dreams.
So let’s not make the graveyards any richer. Let’s not carry our dreams to the grave. But let’s live them and in doing so we can inspire other people to live theirs.
Natalie x
