Alice Valentine

The Lion King taught us all that life is a circle – you enter the earth, fulfill purpose and then you die…more or less… (I mean, at that moment when that opening montage was happening we didn’t know Mufasa would have to die in order for Simba to fulfill his purpose but we got the point.) But so many of us spend our lives in a circle of fear, worry and procrastination, then we panic when we realise how much time we’re wasting doing absolutely nothing. And then it becomes a comparison issue of how far “ahead in life” your friends or people in your age group are from you.
The truth is most of us believe we should be further along in life than we are, and as much as I understand it, I really believe the real issue is not that you’re behind in the race, but that you’re just on the wrong track completely.
So many of us are stuck in 9-5 jobs that we hate, leaving what we’re truly passionate about to sit in the back of our minds gathering dust and cobwebs while we frustrate ourselves and everyone around us by constantly complaining about how miserable and unfulfilled we feel.
And for many of us, it becomes a very tough situation to be stuck in because … well, the 9-5 typically pays the bills. But what if I told you that many of us have also been doing this portion of life backward? Your gifts, talents, and passion will make room for you (Proverbs 18:16), but instead, you’ve been trying to fit your gifts into a tiny box called “after work activities” or “side job”.
A very close friend of mine recently got the opportunity to branch out in her musical career. When asked why she didn’t do this sooner her response was “I never once considered this could be a thing for me.” For her, the opportunity pretty much fell into her lap without her even trying. Now, I won’t say that this will be everyone’s story, but the fact is she’s been sitting on a source of wealth this entire time without even knowing it. She was in possession of diamonds but could only see it as dirt. And that’s many people’s story.
What are you passionate about? What’s that thing you would do given the opportunity, work nonstop and still enjoy? What can you see yourself doing for the rest of your life? That word, image or phrase that just flashed across your mind, don’t dismiss it. Write it down, hold onto it, research and Just flippin’ do it!
It’s time to stop being miserable! I don’t care how saturated people have told you the industry is, they don’t have your individual element. Stop finding excuses.
For my young people who are without any major responsibilities (rent, mortgage, kids, etc) now is the time to do crazy things like resign from that job with that manager you can’t stand and follow your passion. You’ll feel like you have no idea what you’re doing. Many times you may even feel as if you’re wasting your life or you made a mistake (Many parents can relate to similar feelings, I’m sure). That’s all a part of the process and that’s okay. It will all eventually fall into place, but only if you put in the work.
As much as the opportunity for my friend “fell in her lap” she could have easily turned her back on it, or not taken it as seriously as she is now and screwed up a complete blessing. Ultimately, the decision of how far you go is up to you. You hold the power. We live in an era now where the internet has made the world so much smaller and hence your reach becomes so much wider with just a click of a button. Use it to your advantage and just flippin’ do it!
Ps. That “friend” is me.