Have you ever had drive to do something and you didn’t know why? You felt you had a need to send out a message or develop a product? Many of us have that same feeling time and time again and don’t understand why we are being pulled in that direction. We haven’t trained to work in that area, we haven’t been told to follow that path, yet we have this inside burning desire to work towards that focus.

What do most of us do? We may mention it to a friend or family member that often results in a mediocre response of some type. Worse we mention it to a stranger or colleague and get a sarcastic remark or told it will never work. Maybe it’s in our own head telling us that we don’t have what it takes to make that vision come true? Many folks stop there because outside sources push them back into the mold, back into the box telling you that you can’t achieve the success for your vision. I see it all the time and worse it has happened to me, but the vision doesn’t go away? Maybe it does for a while because you have been told no by that outside environment for so long you actually believe them, but it doesn’t go away totally. In fact it can be suppressed just out of sight for years!

Then you hit an age, a time, or a point in your life when you just can’t keep it in anymore. That idea or vision may have been down there for years hidden away from others and even yourself but it has been boiling, bubbling, and filling up inside you to a point that it can’t be held in anymore. The desire is so strong that you can’t hold it in and it forces you to make a decision! You have to let it out!

LISTEN TO YOU!

When that message gets so strong that you just can’t keep it inside it is time to act, no matter what outside sources tell you. This is the time to put pen to paper, do the investigation, and act on the process. Stop listening to whether you think it is a good idea or not. Stop asking for approval from others as to whether they like the idea or vision. Stop asking people if you have what it takes to achieve success, just do it! Follow the Nike slogan and get out there.

When I look back on my career I see the same scenario time and time again. I wanted to do something or start a new job and was told by others that it wouldn’t work. I followed what everyone else was doing and got frustrated because I didn’t see any success. After some failure and enough frustration I would start to follow that inner voice and began to see some traction. Oh I still failed a lot, but I had growth and drive. I was inspired to keep going even when I couldn’t see the end of the tunnel, I knew success would be on the other side. Over the years I have learned to follow my own unique path and looking back have seen that all of my experiences, careers, and passions have led to one point.

If I hadn’t been bad in school I may not have had the drive to work on myself to be better in my own way. If I hadn’t dropped out of school (not suggesting you do) I wouldn’t have even known about the transportation industry that I have been a part of for over 30 years to this day. If I hadn’t gone through a divorce I may not have been inspired to get back to drawing and become a professional cartoonist. If I hadn’t wanted to get into the corporate world I would never have gone back to school to learn writing, business, or entrepreneurship. If I hadn’t wanted to share the message that you can do it no matter what your educational background then I may not have become a speaker, podcaster, or television producer. All of that started because of that burning desire inside to be better and help others.

If I had told someone that I wanted to do all of those things, but that I dropped out of high school at age seventeen they would have told me I was crazy. In fact many of those people have told me I was crazy along the way. So if you don’t believe in yourself let me be the first to tell you that you are not crazy and you’re not alone. Act on that passion, that vision, and find the inspiration to help you continue down the road. What’s the worst that could happen if you fail? You end up where you are now! We talk about much of this in the episodes this month on the podcast so have a listen. www.cashinginoncreativitypodcast.com

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is an artist, author, podcast and television host, and speaker. He has been helping people start creative careers for the last decade and works to inspire youth to start their journeys with information and determination. You can learn more about Bruce and his work at www.bruceoutridge.com