If you missed the video I posted on Friday with the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, I would strongly suggest you check it out. In the 14 minute speech, Steve drops many pearls of wisdom he has collected over his long, marvelous life. One of these, however, really hit home with me. It was the part about facing death, and the incredible motivation it provides.
When I was 18, I was stricken with a very severe case of Crohn’s disease. It had caused me to lose over 60 pounds in a few months, and took away my life, as I had to be near a bathroom and heating pad at all times. I was in constant pain, and unable to really function normally as I used to.
I was not given a death sentence, like Steve was. However, at 18, in the prime of my life, I was told by top Doctors they were unsure if I was ever going to be the same again. They told me even if I recovered, I may have to wear a Colostomy bag for the rest of my life. That’s not exactly great news to an 18 year old kid in constant search of a female companion. It was a very rough time for me.
However, this very rough time really changed my life.
It made me aware of my mortality at a young age. My entire viewpoint on life changed. Before that, I was worried about what I thought I should do. I was attending Business school at the University of Maryland because I, not my parents, thought it was what I should do. My Dad had recommended following my dreams in film, but I figured I could always do that later on. At least I would have a business degree, just in case it did not work out. That’s what I should do, no?
That was my mistake. Instead of focusing on what I wanted, I was trying to take a safe route, and planning out fallback options. I was worried about what I should do instead of what I wanted. Getting a job was also a lot easier to see as a path in life, then making it in Hollywood. As Steve said, I could not connect the dots to my film making dream. There were many areas in that future I could not even comprehend, let alone plan out. The unknown in life is usually the most frightening to our mind, as it races through all the endless possible horrors.
Until I became aware of my mortality, I was constantly putting off my dreams. In my head, I was planning my life accordingly. I would get married in my mid 20, have a kid by my 30s, be rich by 35, and retire in my 40s, wealthier beyond my dreams. This all sounded great, except, I was constantly hoping, dreaming, & wishing for this life instead of actually going after it.
My excuse became that I would achieve these things in the future.
Well, I ask you, how can I possibly achieve something in the future, if I am not working on it now? Opportunities in film making do not pop up often for someone working in business for a corporation. You have to be around film making to get real opportunities in it. By telling myself I was taking the safe route, I was actually giving myself an excuse to not go after my dreams.
There is no safe route on the road to success.
The road to success is not an easy or heavily traveled path. It is rough, which is the reason it is so rewarding. However, most people always talk about being on the path to success, without ever taking the initial steps to get there. It took a scary lesson in life’s fragility for me to realize I did not have as much time as I think.
After my experiences, my life has changed. I have become more independent, and less reliant on excuses. I know there is nothing that is a given in life. I have come to terms that anything you want to achieve, you must start out by simply going out there and just doing it. Fail. Succeed. It does not matter as long as you are doing it.
In some ways, I was lucky to have faced my mortality at a young age. It helped me form a new perspective on life. It helped me to understand…
This is my one shot at life.
Today is my only guaranteed chance.
What am I going to do with it?
I think this is something we should all answer for ourselves. Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of life and what are you doing about it right now?
