Follow Your Dreams

There is always a reason not to do something. Too tired, too busy, no money. The truth is if you really want to do something you will do it and everything else is just an excuse and no matter how hard you think your life is you can probably find somebody who had it worse than you and still managed to pursue their dreams.

I hate the term, ‘practical.’ Be practical. I hate that. Do you think Steve Jobs was practical? Albert Einstein? Marie Curie? If you want to do something different you have to think differently from others. You have to dream and you have to have the courage to follow your dream.

I have always wanted to compose a ton of music in all different styles. I have wanted to do this since high school. Until I was 34 (i’m 42 now) I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to do, planning, and composing very little. Why? Because dreaming about something is easier than doing. What happens if I write something and people hate it? Or worse, don’t care? At 34 I realized I hadn’t done anything and at my current rate would never do anything. I realized I needed to just do it so I just started writing and I wrote a ton of music. I still have the same fears and I still fight laziness. Since 2011 I have released 9 albums and I just finished recording my 10th. Yet, in my head, I could have and should have done twice as many.

Here is the problem that trips most people up…it takes hard work. For me it is enjoyable but it does take a lot of time so I have to cut things out of my life. The big thing is TV. I don’t watch much and I’ve seen maybe 2 movies in the past 6 months.

Here is my advice for anyone who cares…just do it…like the Nike ad says. Whatever it is. Writing music, painting, writing poetry, building model train sets…whatever. You learn by doing. Ignore the critics and ignore anyone who seems to put you and your dream down. People who use the term “practical” or “realistic” a lot should be viewed with suspect. Often these people have given up on their own dreams. Dreams are in you for a reason. They are a vision of a different way of life. Life really is too short and everyone (rich, poor) has 24 hours to work with in a day. It’s up to you how you spend your time but you will never get that time back.