How many times has someone asked you this question in regards to chasing some dream? How many times did you ask yourself that question in regards to following your dream? Is it worth it?
My answer: if you plan to be alive, yes.
Of course following your dream is worth it. Did you think of the alternative? How about spending life NOT following your dream? If you think it is not worth following your dream, imagine for 1 minute how expensive life becomes the moment you choose to experience life in a holding pattern or in survival mode.
Holding Pattern
My wife and I have traveled the world for 8 years. We often find ourselves in holding patterns while waiting to land. Note to aspiring globetrotters; here in NYC at JFK, and at 2 major airports in Istanbul, be prepared to face incredibly long delays while circling each spot in a holding pattern. I feel like my visa may expire as I circle around Istanbul, waiting to land, as we sit in the queue.
Some people go through life in a holding pattern. Maybe you choose not to be in full blown survival mode but you do not choose to follow your dreams either. Life feels stale. Life does not seem to charge forward, or backward. You feel stuck, waiting for some inspired idea to enter your mind.
In a split second, you can begin moving toward your dream life. But you fear leaving your comfort zone. I see this fear manifest as people waiting on the sidelines of life, asking if following your dreams is a worthwhile endeavor. Yes, of course, deciding to leave your holding pattern and to chase your dreams is worth it.
Survival Mode
Most people live in survival mode. Work a job to ensure you cover the survival basics; put food on the table, a roof over your head and cover the bills. None of these folks considers following their dreams because doing so is for unrealistic, lucky people.
Is it worth it to stop living to survive so you can follow your dreams? Yes. Would you rather comfortably, safely crawl into your grave? Or would you rather change humanity because you followed your dreams? You choose.
Our Journeys Differ
Everybody takes a different journey. Some people genuinely love working a 9-5 job. Others deeply enjoy being stay at home dads or stay at home moms. But be straight with yourself; do you dream about working a job or raising a family more than anything else, or do you dream different dreams? Only you can answer that question.
For most human beings, the split second we ponder our deepest dreams, ego in the form of fear convinces us why the dream is completely delusional to even consider. Not worth it, ego says. But as a guy who lives a cool life that landed me on Forbes, Fox News, Entrepreneur and Richard Branson's Virgin blog, following your dream life is 100% worth it because life on planet earth is a quick ride. You will absolutely stun yourself at how much you change – in a good way – and how many people you inspire, and how fun, freeing and fulfilling this dream-life-ride, is.
If you dream big, believe in yourself, practice and master some skill useful to humanity and if you see the journey through, you will live your wildest dreams.
How in the heck is that NOT worth it? Right?
