I love seeing people's faces light up when they talk about their passion. Most people daydream about making it their life's work and maybe even make plans to do something about it. Then there's the trepidation that inevitably follows. Is this really able to work? So many people stall here.
It was just a silly idea anyway.
It would never work out.
I'm too scared to make that leap.
But what if you succeeded? That idea sometimes scares people more than failing. Failure is common and there's always an excuse for it. There are always people to commiserate with you when you fail terribly. If you're stuck in a dead end job, there's always someone to complain about the people who just "have it all" with. But when you succeed they're suddenly not so interested in celebrating with you. Quite the opposite usually.
She's just naturally talented, she didn't have to work hard like I do.
Well she just got a lucky break.
I'm just as good as she is, it's nothing special.
I'd be just as successful if I had everything handed to me as well.
Suddenly idle talk turns a bit more vicious and it's personal now. Besides, what if I succeed and then fail miserably right when it matters most? It's probably better to not go out on that limb....
The people I know who have thrown themselves headlong into making their dreams work almost always make it. They're willing to put in the long hours to get it off the ground and turn it into a reality. Not surprisingly, they're also the people who are more fulfilled and satisfied in their work, even when it's difficult and frustrating. When you have a personal stake in the outcome, you have a purpose and people with purpose are notorious for working towards their goals.
Meet my little sister, Mandy.
She doesn't show up in my wedding pictures until well into the reception. That's because she was hiding behind the door when I walked down the aisle. No, she's not afraid of the camera or that anti-social. She was the one who opened the door for me to make my entrance. She's not in my dressing room pictures because she was coordinating last minute details and making sure everyone was where they should be and doing what was necessary to smooth out any unexpected bumps. (The candles on the stage almost didn't get lit, one flower girl got hit with a door, the ring bearer smashed his finger, all those fun details.)
Everyone told me to expect one big thing to go wrong with my wedding, because it always does. Personally, I expected that the thing would be me passing out on stage. But nothing did. (However, there was a contingency plan with hidden stools that she had the bridesmaids and groomsmen in on as well in case that did happen.)
It was the first wedding she had ever coordinated, but she naturally gets how to make a production come together, most likely from being stage manager at school plays but also partially because that's just how she is.
I hope she's giving herself a round of applause for a job well done.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mandy has decided to take the leap! She is working on opening her own wedding consulting business while helping my wedding photographer Erin McGuire plan her wedding, in addition to being a bridesmaid and holding down a job. What can I say? She doesn't really believe in doing things halfway. Here's to you Mandy, may you be as successful in this endeavor as everything else you do!
What about you? If you could do anything for your job, what would it be?
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