Do What You Want To Do
No if buts or maybes. No tomorrows. No rain checks. Just walk out the door and do what you want to do.
My wife thinks I’m crazy. But I’m done with postponing who I am. I’m worth too much to keep doing that. Especially now, as I see the horizon ahead of me.
Do what you want to do. It’s a thread that runs through my own poetry and if any of my close friends could tell the tale, they’d say these were words I’ve walked not just talked.
It’s not done selfishly. It’s done to affirm you own self-worth. If you don’t value you, why would you think others would?
Yes, at the end of the day, you’ve got to pay the bills, keep the lights on, help others and carry on as a wayward son. But below all that is your own soul and liberty. And if you don’t take care of that - who will?
People live in such a lalaland of tomorrow. One day I’m gonna … ism.
I will (you fill in this blank) when I (you fill in this blank). That’s how so many of us Walter Mitty it around this earth. Always putting conditions on our dreams, our freedom.
I’ll start painting every day when I get enough money.
I’ll be free to write a poetry when my 401ks mature.
I will ride my bike around the world when I have enough savings.
I’ll volunteer and help others once I get my life in order.
And that when never happens. Almost never. Why?
Our lives teach us who we are. What we do, turns into what we are.
You can live so long in the dream of doing X, Y, Z that once you can - you can’t. Because you are so used to dreaming of X,Y,Z that’s all you can do now.
Get rid of the “when”. Just start. Do the first part. The rest will come. Get on the way and the way will appear. You know the old Goethe quote about commitment - once you commit, all kinds of miracles will occur. Drop the “when”, quit dreaming and start doing. Learn from Walter Mitty. Don’t be a Willy Loman - seeking approval before you are, be, do, become …
If you are a poet - start writing and showing your work.
If you want to help animals - just start helping animals.
If you want to walk across America - walk the first mile, now!
If you want to be better at what you do at work - just start doing that. Don’t wait for anyone’s approval, acknowledgment, don’t expect a course to get the job done for you. Just start doing whatever you are doing, better.
Drop the “when”, or substitute it with “right now”.