What do you expect?
I’m living the dream.
I may not be living your dream, or even your idea of what my dream should be, but I am enjoying success.
It’s an eerie feeling in a way - almost as if this is the end of it all, I should be awarded a medal or somehow credits should be scrolling in front of my face.
On the other hand, not a lot of people ever get to this point. It’s worth savoring for a while. And the fact that I’ve achieved it at so young an age, (again a relative point) is even more exciting and disconcerting at the same time.
The dichotomy is a bi-product of a clear focus I’ve had since I was in 2nd grade. I’ve always known that I wanted to be a professional artist. I still remember the internal dialogue and had it all figured out by lunch time.
Yes. very rare. Freakish even, no?
Of course I’ve run into nay-sayers, negativity, backlash - all the things that can either galvanize your resolve or derail you completely. I don’t know anyone I could define as “great” in any category of life who hasn’t had such adversity.
So, at the continued risk of sounding cocky, what do I do now?
I spend a lot of time reflecting on the choices, decisions, paths I’ve taken, and the directions I’ve influenced or led others to take. The conclusion I’ve come to is that it’s important to keep raising your own bar.
I don’t know anyone who will continually challenge or expect more of me. I’ve got to be ready to shoot for the next step. Even if I’m living the dream, maybe it’s time for a new one.
People I find interesting are always doing this. It’s not the same as job-jumping or being one of those annoying free-spirited people with no responsibilities or (even worse) someone who never has to worry about money. It’s a paradox of satisfaction and hunger.
So it may take a change in attitude, outlook, location or even circle of friends, but what do you expect? And even more important, what happens WHEN you achieve it?
Tags: artists, business, career, professional