September 6, 2010

On the road to Success – I hope I make it out of the driveway !!

As I ponder my dreams on the advice of Mr. O’Hanlon, I’m reminded of that Seinfeld episode where George Costanza losses his job.  They sit in Jerry’s apartment contemplating a career change for George, and they talk about what he likes to do, thinking he should follow his dreams and desires … sound familiar ??

George comments how he likes sports, maybe he could be a sports commentator or the General Manager of a baseball team !!  He also likes movies, so maybe he could do something along those lines; a film critic perhaps ??  As he lists all his hobbies, likes and interests, Jerry shoots down all of his ideas, stating that those jobs typically go to people with experience or expertise in those fields.  I think the point is, and no disrespect to Mr. O’Hanlon, but that just because you like something or have a passion for it, doesn’t mean you can or should do it for a living.

Perhaps my biggest passion in life, like George, is sports.  But can I actually make a living out of it ??  As awesome as it would be to golf for a living, sadly I think I need to at least break 100 before they would even consider me for the LPGA tour.  And although I KNOW hockey is the greatest sport in the world (GO WINGS GO !!), professional hockey should be played by men and NOT women (sorry ladies, but that’s the truth).  But perhaps I’m thinking too large … as my cousin Joe remarked, maybe opening a sporting goods store or something along those lines ?!?!  I need to start to think outside the box.  That’s not a very easy task for an accountant; my life has typically been black and white.  There are no shades or grey in my world; it either is or it isn’t, it’s right or it’s wrong, your debits equal your credits :)

Okay … time for the list.  Passions that I have in life, my dreams and desires.  YIKES !!

  • Number 1 is sports of course … in particular hockey and golf, though I enjoy most other sports as well; some to play and some to watch. 
  • I love animals … was a vegetarian for about 6 years until my doc ordered me to eat meat again for my own health :(  But I’ve had pets in my house my entire life – dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and often a combination of them at one time or another. 
  • Working out at the gym – although in a former blog entry I wished I could stay thin without ever working out again, I do love how I feel after a great workout, and I love the results it brings me :)
  • Running !!  I always hated to run in years past, but took it up again about a year and a half ago and now I love it.  I put on my iPod and tune out the world.  It’s an amazing stress reliever and a great workout.
  • Riding my bike … for all the same reasons I love to run, only on my bike I can go off road and for a lot longer.
  • I love food, and I love to cook.  I love to experiment with both eating new kinds of foods from many different cultures and also trying new recipes.  I like to drink too, but pretty sure you can’t make a living out of that ;-) 
  • Since I started writing this blog, I’ve discovered I love to write !!
  • I love to talk, and I do it a lot ;-)  I remember as a child my parents actually yelling at me at the dinner table to SHUT UP !!  I guess that’s why I’m enjoying writing this blog … it’s like me talking as much as I want, and it doesn’t even matter if you’re listening.

Hmmm, I think that’s it.  Doesn’t sound like much of a list does it ??  But those are the things in my life right now that bring me happiness.  Like anything else in life, people change, our interests included, and I’ve gained a few and dropped a few over the years.  There are other things of course; hanging out with my friends and family, partying, reading, going to movies, and really just going out and having fun no matter what you’re doing. But the first list includes my true passions, and the two lists typically go hand in hand.

So now that the tough part of my task is done, I need to break down each of these bullets, think honestly about my path, and basically … get real !!      
 

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