Here’s to Being Willing to Fall Down a Few Times for Our True Callings

Something really big happened in the past few months. Something so powerful I feel compelled to tell everyone I possibly can.

All the stress and uncertainty and fear and worry about what’s not getting done that comes along with being self employed was replaced with a deeply fulfilling, almost zen-like sense of accomplishment and belonging.

Everything I’ve been working towards over the past 18+ months finally clicked. I’m now 100% self-sufficient. I’m supporting myself directly from this business I’ve created and it feels absolutely wonderful.

It turns out I wasn’t crazy after all.

Or maybe I was, actually. My entrepreneurial journey actually started long before this blog. Back in 2003 I created a custom search engine (yes, in competition with Google, don’t ask how I was going to pull that off). From 2006 to 2008 I poured my soul into a venture-backed startup that didn’t become the world-changer we were convinced it would.

So maybe I was a little crazy to keep the entrepreneurial dream alive for the better part of seven years without significant results. Maybe it takes a little craziness to succeed in following your dreams.

In any case, I’ve finally gotten things right. I feel like I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do at this moment.

This is what they mean by “doing something you love.” I used to put down that idea. Now I probably sound like a cheesy self-help douchebag too.

I was talking with Tyler today and I actually said to him “I feel like my job now is to convince as many people as possible to follow their dreams.” Follow your dreams? I actually used the phrase in conversation. What sounds cheesier than that?

Sorry to say, I’m serious about that. I can think of no greater shame in life than never following your true passion. Your Personal Legend, if you will.

During the whole time I spent working in the corporate world I always had this nagging feeling. A little voice told me I’d never be happy working for someone else on projects I didn’t really care much about. I thought about my future and how sad I would be if I never pursued what I felt deep in my bones I was meant to do.

Luckily for me the company I worked with treated me like shit enough times that I finally had enough. For you, your situation might be comfortable enough that you never really feel compelled to fully commit to exploring your passions and dreams. That’s a real danger.

And I realize that’s partly why I’m here now. I don’t care how cheesy it sounds. I want you personally to do what you love, follow your dreams and find your true calling.

I wish everyone would give their dreams a real, honest shot. If you fail, the comforts of your old life will be there waiting for you. But I promise, if you really try, if you really commit to making your dreams come true, you’ll probably succeed. And if you don’t succeed, you’ll gain more from your failure than you would from your current situation.

Don’t you owe it to yourself to try?

Our world is severely fucked. As a society we’ve decided that greed and celebrity and consumerism are more important than friends and experiences and helping people out. People like Karol, Tammy, Baker and Colin are leading the backlash and those who are paying attention have a chance at escaping.

The fact that I get to write about this openly and honestly is partly what makes me feel so fulfilled and satisfied.

I’ve not only found a way out, but I also get to help other people find a way out too. I can write about whatever I want and tell what I feel is the truth because I have no one to answer to.

In fact, the more honest and real I get with you and myself here, the more successful I become. It’s an empowering irony.

I can’t guarantee you’ll succeed at whatever you set out to accomplish right away. I started following my entrepreneurial dreams seven years ago, and have had plenty of failures along the way. But I’ll gladly endure more failures as opposed to the emptiness of wondering what might have been if I never tried.

“The trick in life is to fall down seven times but get up eight times.”
– Paulo Coelho

Here’s to being willing to fall down a few times in search of our true callings.