- When it means going to school to get a good degree, finding a well paying job that you stick with for the rest of your life, marrying the perfect partner, having 2.5 children, a dog, 2 cats, a pet turtle and a white fenced yard with BBQ’s every Sunday..
- .. but it’s not what you really want. Or at least, not now/that way/just that.
Many people have no idea of who they want to be when they grow up, or have too many ideas and interests that beckon them like sirens and thus have a hard time choosing between the plethora of opportunities available to them.
But that doesn’t mean they are unstable/immature/flighty/refusing to ‘grow up’ according to what the ‘world’ thinks being all-growed-up is.
Some of you will never fit into the above definition of growing up.
That.is.a.good.thing.
Instead, you’ll do it way differently. And you’ll be happy, successful, inspired, alive and awesometastical when you figure out how to do that .
You’ll make money. Travel the world. Make a difference in people’s lives. Love what you do. Get married and have children and maybe even live in a house instead of clouds.
But you’ll do it YOUR way.
Unconventionally. Zig zaggily. Trying, starting, and abandoning jobs, passions, countries and careers. Making others last. Whatever you do, you’ll follow the call of your heart, being true to yourself, authentic all the way.
Cos baby, you were born that way.
I’m talking about Sparklers aka Scanners, of course.
If you’re one, I want you to STOP:
- Trying to be a Laser aka a Diver.
- Squeezing yourself into a square, when you’re a Star.
- Comparing yourself with your friend who knew beyond a doubt that she wanted to be an athlete or a doctor, while you got to your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or even 50’s, without knowing who you wanted to be when you grew up. (And maybe, still don’t).
- Wishing you could find the ONE overriding passion in your life that would help you decide what to do with the rest of your days.
And START:
- Seeing that you are not alone.
- Flying your freak flag high.
- Embracing your multitude of passions and interests.
- Believing that you are perfect and whole, right here right now.
- Realising how interesting, fascinating and adventurous you are!
- Finding ways to take all your passions, one at a time or a few together, and create the life you want.
Being a Sparkler is a blessing and it’s time you learned that. You are a multi-faceted, multi-talented, multi-potentialed, multi-passionate person with a zillion interests and passions and the world truly is your oyster.
Your only ‘problem’ is not believing that you are good enough, on the right track or stable enough to be hugely successful, happy and rich by doing the things you want.
For most polymaths (scanners, sparklers, renaissance people), picking and choosing one thing to do is like drinking slow poison. This is your permission slip to start figuring out what you’re passionate about, and how to turn your passions into a life and ‘career’ you’ll love.
Life & Career Mapping for Multi-Passionate YOU, if you will.
How? What? Ever heard of a gentleman called Da Vinci?
Leonardo da Vinci. While he gained fame for his paintings, he had talents and successes in many other fields. Italian Renaissance man, polymath, painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, engineer, inventor, mathematician, geologist, botanist, writer (amongst a few more!), Da Vinci was gifted and BORN to do a zillion things.
Just like you.
If he didn’t restrict himself to just being a painter and lived such a rich, varied life, what makes you think you can’t? People might have told you that the only way was theirs, but as you can see, you truly can own your passions and live life YOUR way.
So the next time someone asks you what you really want to do?
Just smile and tell them you’re an ADVENTURER. A renaissance soul. A Sparkler. Doing a thousand things. Whatever catches your interest. Being a maverick. Or simply, I don’t- know-yet-but-whatever-it-is, I’m-going-to-enjoy-the-heck-out-of-it-and-then-move-on.
Be proud of who you are.
Embrace your passion path, not the old, boring career path.
I started living my dreams. I always wanted to be a writer and build an entertainment production company. I’ve since completed a couple feature-length screenplays, several shorts, had one of my scripts performed live at the community theatre, sold short stories online, opened up my own online business, started selling my own ebooks directly (including for the Kindle and Nook), and am now talking with voice actors about upcoming audio drama productions. Is it a lot? Do I feel overwhelmed? You bet. Did I feel READY when I started? Hell no. I just decided, ready or not, it was time. It was now or never. Do or die. Living my dreams or bust.
Fear, self-doubt, and limitations held me back … for far too long.
I still have the fears, self-doubts, and limitations — but I’m going for it AND SUCCEEDING anyway! 🙂
http://www.superpowersunlimited.com <– that's my website (and shameless plug, lol). It's a work in progress. Just getting started. But… "The secret in getting ahead is in getting started." -Mark Twain, who added, "The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
That's what I learned. Just get started. However you can. In a big, small, or ANY way. Just get started. Self-doubts, fears, uncertainties, limits, and all.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky
"A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." -George S. Patton
You’re speaking to one of my fave quotes, DM!
“The answer is not found before something is made. It isn’t found before something is finished. The answer to a situation is to begin”. Michael Drebert.
Love the Gretzky one too. Once you make that decision, something changes in both, physiology and psychology. The more pitches you hit, the more small wins and successes start showing up, the more you get enthused, the more you try and momentum gets built up.
That’s the secret to success. Consistent action. Your story is hugely inspiring, you’re en feugo my friend and it’s fantastic to watch! Kudos!
Yes yes yes! This is exactly what I talk about on my blog. People are constantly creating new categories for us to fit into because we don’t fit the “adult” mold anymore. We want to be happy, we want to feel fulfilled, we want to do it our way.
Funny how that’s considered so radical, ay Diana. The concept of wanting to do it our way 🙂 We are a lucky generation in a way, though. Our ancestors didn’t have the luxury of doing what they wanted, it was all about survival. We have so many opportunities available to us, and what do we do? Freak out and get overwhelmed! Love that this movement is growing, of peeps following their North Stars and living the lives they want, not the lives they think the should. Thanks for dropping by!
Is the image of the woman measuring her height with careers labeled on the side yours? If so, may I use it on my class page? I’m an 8th grade English teacher and the theme of my course is adolescence to adulthood. I’m asking my students to consider what it means to them and to the authors of the texts we’re reading what it means to become an adult. If the image is not yours, do you know whose it is and where I could ask for permission to use it???
Hey Rachel, not sure who that image belongs to originally – I simply credited the site where I found it by linking the picture to it so just click on the link to visit that site.
She may have gotten it off some other site as well, it’s so hard to find the original posters online – or she may have created it. Good luck!
ps: if you find the orig person, would you let me know as well please, thank you!
Thank you so much for this blog I all ways thought that there was something wrong with me, cause I had so many passion and interests in my life. Knowing that there nothing wrong with me makes me feel a lot better of my self. Am a type of a person who gets bored quickly in the things I do. I was all ways compare to my siblings why are you not like them I knew that I was different from anyone, and I didn’t know if there was anyone like me out their. Am so glad that am not a lone in this world that you can do many things in life and not feel like there is something wrong with you. Know I can truly live my life that way I want to , and feel good about it.
So glad I stumbled upon your blog, I love it! I quit my day job about 8 months ago with a list of things I had been wanting to do, and I knew I couldn’t do any of them if I was busy being somebody else. It took just a little bit of time, but I’ve started my own business and now I am proud to say I am Happy and Myself! Embracing my inner “sparkler” and quieting all of the fears and worries was the best decision I ever made 🙂