Do the things that make you feel alive!

Is that the in thing? A dear friend of mine asked, as i told her about my blog and others that are writing through this medium.

There is a sad reality to this question, as so many people waste their time doing things simply because others are doing it or the perception that there is a lot of money to be made. It doesn't matter if they have a passion for it , or even if the very thought kills them inside. There are people that have to psych themselves up, everyday before they walk into their office. They switch to auto mode , their minds focused on one thing, "making it through the work day". Some times when i talk to people about following their passion they are complacent and don't see the relevance. Then i ask them about their job, and get answers like " my job is not bad. Or "it's okay"these response though short speaks volumes. I hardly hear my job is great! I love what i do.

Even if you have good work ethics, stick it out and become somewhat successful at what you or even very successful, there will always be that nagging feeling of things you wish you could have done. Sincerely ask your self this simple questions;

1.Do i want to do this for the rest of my life.

2.Will i do this if i wasn't getting paid?

Your response is a good indicator of how you really feel about your job and the direction your life is going.
Some times people stick to a particular job or means of income because its the only practical thing to do. For instance, assume you just migrated to a foreign country, you need to get a job , pay bills and sort yourself out . If you are from a developing country "the pressure is on"as family members are looking up to you to make life easier for them financially. Getting your dream job as you try to settle in a new environment is a process that normally takes time , time you can't afford. Meanwhile when you get are offered a job, any job, you grab it! As long as it pays the bills. And there are some people that stick to their job regardless of how they feel because it's all they know how to do. The most part of their life spent and all they now look forward to is retirement.

Unfortunately following our dreams and doing the things we love is a road less travelled for so many reasons. People are afraid to fail; its uncharted territory. They want job security so they stick to what they know works in the economy. Some don't even know what their dreams are. Some are so stressed they can't even think straight. For some, its due to impending illness like depression, serious injuries as a result of an accident , emotional trauma or living in very unfortunate circumstances especially in developing countries. Some of these reasons you will agree are legitimate enough to put your dreams on hold but sometimes the reasons we give are nothing but excuses.

In God there are solutions to every problems and practical ways to go about things . Hope can come alive again , new dreams can birthed and there is Restoration for wasted years. As long as you have breath in you believe, He is able to make everything work together for your good . Whatever you do, i strongly advice , please do not quit your day job until you have found another source of income . Especially if your paycheck is all you've got.

Oprah has said numerous times in her show that one of the secrets to success is doing the things you have passion for. And she has interviewed many highly successful people that say the same thing. Do what you have true passion for not what you can tolerate. I particularly like the way one of her guest put it. Russell Simmons named as,one of the top 25 most influential people of the past 20 years by USA today, when asked by Oprah the secrets of his success and advice for others, he said " do you" . A very artistic way of saying be true to yourself.

In my opinion, if you are going to work very hard at anything, putting in long hours, spending time away from your family and loved ones, doesn't it make more sense to put this efforts into something you are truly passionate about? This is worth giving some thought to. Some one once told me where i used to work that" it's a shame to go through life not attempting to do the things you love". This words have stuck with me ever since .

we only have this one life, some people may argue differently but let's all try to make the most of it. Valentino a very famous fashion designer once said , "wear the clothes that make you feel alive" i say do the things that make you feel alive!