Or should I say , things you must try and do?
In this, blog, I recount three things which, I urge people to think about. If you feel like you need something to really go for, then go for it and so let's kick off.
1. Follow your dreams!
Dreams are the fuel for success - we need to dream more for life to be meaningful. I liken this to buying your first car in that it was the event, when I did it, it was a very basic Skoda having passed my driving test in my twenties - this event improved my life. I could get around more easily and didn’t have to carry the shopping home or take a taxi.
You can probably say that behind every successful person there was first a dream. Looking at Richard Branson, he dreamed of making lots of money, he did not take well to conventional classroom learning but created a cultural FREE magazine for young people - made money through advertising when he dropped out of boarding school; he saw a market for Vinyl being imported from abroad where he set about importing it into the UK selling these articles out of an old Crypt and then started a mail order catalogue in 1969. Branson launched the record label, called "Virgin"; suggested by one of Branson's early employees because they were all new at business. That was in 1970, and in 1972, using money earned from his record store, which he had set up as 'Virgin Records', he earned his first million dollars a year later (in 1973), when Virgin recording artist Mike Oldfield sold over 5 million copies of his record, "Tubular Bells. He then bought a country estate north of Oxford in which he installed a residential recording studio, The Manor Studio.Whether it was to drive a big red fire engine or fly a helicopter there would have been a 'childhood dream'; no doubt, which influenced what that person achieved.
So anything is possible and the advice is to make a dream a goal . Don’t be driven by other peoples guidance you can achieve what you might think is impossible.
My own experience comes from achieving very little at school, I dreamed of being something in the Royal Navy, I loved sports and won a gruelling 400m sprint, track event on grass, borrowing my buddies spikes (coz , I didn’t possess any of my own). I timed at 64 seconds. I got selected to run in the Naval Air Command after that because I took the opportunity - then, unfortunately, and unlike Branson, I didn’t carry it on. At the Championships held in Yeovilton, Somerset, there was a guy who won about every race there and I thought I would never be as good as him. I was deflated and felt awful coming 4th in the final.
I missed that opportunity coming 4th in my event - I could run on cinder track in less than 56 seconds and got beat. (The world record is 43 seconds for men and 47 seconds for women. I wonder now, if with some training or by joining a local athletics club, I could have done better?
So I guess, I can only pass on here a failure to follow my dream - don’t wonder if your not good enough try and do what you feel you are good at and in the words of Nike ‘just do it’.
3. Think what you did love to do as child
If money was no issue, what kind of life and work would you really chose to do? Ask yourself, "what parts of my life do I really love now?"
What about spare time – when you get it what do you do with it – remember life is too short. There is so much technology out there now.
I liked, football and I wasn't bad at it, played five a side but never got spotted. Advice here is put yourself out there and get in the right place at the right time.
Look, there is this lad born in Walthamstowe to Londoners, Kim and Patrick and has one older brother, Charlie. With Irish ancestry through his father, who is from Galway. The family moved to Chingford he attended Larkswood Primary Academy until 2004. After attending, he loved playing football, all of his young life and joined a local club, Ridgeway Rovers, when he was six in 1999. What do you think he does for a living today?
What aspects of your 'real friends' or 'deal friends' do you envy?
I had friends, who could Ski, Water-Ski and Jet Ski, others could sail or ride a motorbike and I used to listen to people brag about what they did at the weekend and who talked about it every Monday, for ages; (instead of actually doing their job).
Advice here is get something to grab!
In the words of Ric Ocasek - Ask Alexa to play "Something to Grab"
If you want to hang on to my shoulder
I'm standing here
If you want to do it all over
Let me get near
If you were another pretender
Oh I'd pass you by
If you were a lost weekender
Oh maybe I'd try
When you gonna give me something to grab for
When you gonna put it in my sight
When you gonna give me something to grab for
When you gonna show me what it's like
3. Finally - "Ask for help"
You need to show that your taking yourself seriously, be honest when you don’t know. This is the greatest skill set you can have – remember that nobody is perfect.
You want to buy that new car, but think - "can I afford it?" – ask yourself "how could I possibly do this, and feel comfortable?". Be honest, how would it make a difference to your life?
I suppose, I am saying make that 'something' you want, an asset. An asset that helps your life to be more fulfilled. But always save for things you want or pay for them within your budgetary means.
If you can admit when you are wrong or you don’t really need it, but if you think it just might be something that can add 'value' to your life – explore whether your budget can stand up to the change and grab the opportunity.
Being more open minded, in your daily decisions, forming opinions, giving answers – say perhaps to yourself – "hang on, am I missing something – who can I ask for help– phone a friend?"
Poem
I might not make that Million
But I'm gonna give it a damn good try!
I won't hesitate, I'll grab it, and just do it fella
And think of life, so short, before I die
I might have not been the greatest football striker
But I've watched and imitated a few since
loading in FIFA22, that's my current football experience
Success gives me comfort, though, I have had 'deal friends', from time to time
Who tend to be a little economical, when they tell their stories, and how they've striven to climb
So raise a toast to 'real friends', perhaps emulate their Success
Find out -what it is YOU want, what YOUR dream is about, nothing less
Make a deal with yourself, if you feel like some success and it might come to you one day
Better ask the boss, that'll be you, (your name) for there's nobody else, who'll say
"Work within your childhood and dreams; So, now go out and play! "