When I was a child, I always
enjoyed biking up to the edge of the railroad tracks close by where we lived to
watch the trains pass by. I would
imagine myself running alongside the tracks and then jumping on one of the
trains like they do in the movies. No
matter which movie you have watched with a train scene in it, I’m sure you will
agree that it looks adventurous & daring.
Even as time moved on and I grew
older, those childhood dreams and visions were never erased; they are engraved
in my mind. It’s truly amazing but
reassuring at the same time. Those
visions have been a source of rejuvenating encouragement for me whenever my
life compass is facing a direction that I am not happy with.
I distinctly remember dreaming
about this one particular train. It was
the train of dreams and opportunity, a vibrant breathtaking machine filled with
life, hope and smiling faces. I strongly desired to come aboard that
beautiful train but I was always too uncertain and afraid, never feeling as if I
was ready to make that kind of a leap. At times, comfort can definitely be a good
thing to be able to experience. However, I had to learn the hard way that comfort can also hold you
back.
I thought that my life was
actually comfortable. I was too
comfortable working at a job that I never liked in the first place. Here I was, working part time at a radio
station and also working at a sports bar as a DJ. While I am truly grateful for meeting so many
good people during that time in my life, I honestly did not feel as if I was
heading in the right direction. I felt trapped, as if I were stuck in a barrel
with no hope of ever being able to break free.
When I decided to go back to radio
full-time as an account executive, I believed that everything had finally
changed for the better. The job held me
over for about a year, but I still kept standing there by the tracks of
opportunity watching my dream train pass me by again and again…and again. I constantly would ask myself, when am I going to jump on it? When I’m 65?
I used my tenure as an account
executive to try and master the art of selling. I learned a lot of great information and tips about marketing and
networking. While I was learning a lot
that would help me overall in life and in my future endeavors, I did have some
great times and feel that the time I spent working there was worthwhile. A position like that works for a lot of
people, but it was clearly not working out for me. My heart was just not in it. My passion and desire was to work from home
doing voiceovers. However, the question
was, How in the heck am I going to make
that work?
I had an agent that was working
to get me work. Unfortunately, the work
that did come in was not regular enough for me to be able to make a decent
living. However, I knew that there
were talents out there that were able to do this from home so I knew that it
was possible for me to do the same. At
that time, the industry had already transitioned to the digital age of
technology, so more and more clients were depending on the Internet to help
them discover voice talents. There was not a doubt in my mind that I could
more than likely find success in the industry if I put my mind to it. Nevertheless, that would require me to step
out of my comfort zone. Could I make
that sort of sacrifice? Could I quit my
job and finally make a leap for that train?
The thought of venturing off into
the unknown frightened me tremendously, but I could not stop thinking about
it. I finally came to the conclusion
that I am not comfortable being comfortable. I am the happiest man alive when I am taking chances and throwing myself
into challenging situations.
It was apparently clear to me
that I was not getting any happier doing what I was doing and I was definitely
not getting any younger. Therefore, at
this crossroad in my life, the dream train was looking more and more inviting
to me. Was this the time to finally jump
on? I had only about $5,000 to my name
at the time so I knew that if I was going to go through with this, I would need
to make money fairly quickly.
I took a deep breath, put all
uncertainties and doubt behind me and finally hopped onto the dream train. I have not taken a look back since I made
that monumental leap. Please believe me
when I say that it was not like I jumped into this and came out as clean as a
whistle immediately. It was truly scary
for me at times. There were plenty of days
when I had to ask myself, “Was this the right decision?” Pain and discomfort led to a lot of stress
and headaches. Even through all of
that, I never lost my passion and determination. At that point in my life, selling my plasma
sounded more inviting than going back to the office environment. The urgency of me having to make this work
or not be able to pay my mortgage was an empowering motivational tool for
me.
Starting out, I had to spend
hours and hours making a lot of cold calls, send a lot of emails and
continuously study what other talents of the industry were doing to be
successful. It was hard work and long hours, but it all
started paying off simply because I believed in myself. When I started getting regular work, it was
mostly for training projects and eLearning scripts. Through these opportunities, I quickly came to
the realization that my niche was playing the role of an expert or
instructor.
How do I feel now about my
decision to jump aboard my dream train on the tracks of opportunity? I have never been happier. This journey has allowed me to meet and learn
from so many great people that have not only inspired me but also encouraged me
to keep going.
Each and every person has their
own dream train that continues to travel on the tracks laid out in your mind. You have seen it coming down the tracks
numerous times. What are you going to
do? Will you just stand there and watch
it pass? Or, are you going to take that
colossal leap of faith and jump on board? Only you can answer that question; only you can choose whether to stand
by the tracks or ride on top of them. You never know how many times you will hear that whistle blow
again. The choice is yours to make
so…make it!
