Following Your Dreams By Robert Britt, Albright College, Class of 2004

We only have one shot at this, so don’t waste the one you’ve got. What are your dreams, and are you doing anything about attaining them?

I seriously began looking at my life – maybe it was an early midlife crisis of sorts – around age 37. I realized that what I was doing had nothing to do with what I had dreamed about as a younger man. But what could I do about it? A large step for me was getting my degree from Albright at age 41. The degree brought forth a realization that with a goal in mind, you can do anything you set your mind to. I was told I was wasting my time pursuing that goal. I had a well-paying job at a steel mill. Why did I need to waste time on education?

My answer is that the most important asset any of us have is our mind, and as soon as we stop learning, we stop living. I am a life-long learner and will never stop my self education. For me, the attainment of my degree was a doorway to a new life. It wasn’t so much the degree itself but the belief in myself that it restored. After a time, I decided to really open the doors wide and seize life with both hands.

16 months ago when I told my manager I was giving two weeks’ notice, and I planned on making a living as a writer, it was the scariest moment of my life. I had spent 14 years climbing the corporate ladder and was almost halfway to retirement. When he asked if I was sure I knew what I was doing, I could only answer, “Not really.” I didn’t know what I was getting into and, to be honest, I still don’t. My days are an edventure. I didn’t misspell that. Every day is a marriage between education and adventure.

I finished writing my first novel, Someone Else’s Tomorrow – A Tale of Transformation, and the high I got from seeing it for sale on Amazon was like climbing Mount Everest and planting my flag. My edventure is continuing. Next year I have plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with my friend Werner Berger, who just returned from climbing Everest at the ripe young age of 69. He welcomed me into his life and we became business partners. It’s never too late to pursue your dreams, and you never know where they are going to lead you.

The most important things in life are investing in yourself and living the life you were meant to lead. Think about the things that make you happy or the dreams you had for your life when you were young and your thoughts weren’t limited by the naysayers and dream stealers. What is holding you back from chasing those dreams or living that life? You don’t have to quit your job or jump off a cliff. Maybe the education you need to do the things you dream of is available at college, a ‘trade’ school, or an art institute. Maybe you just need to find a mentor or a master to apprentice with. Maybe you need a life coach to help guide you on your journey. Perhaps the spark you need can be found in an inspirational book.

I look back at the journey I have taken in the past year, and it makes me catch my breath. Is my destiny to be the writer I dreamt of in elementary school or is it to change the world? Or both? I don’t know. All I do know is the past year has been the most fantastic year of my life, and I think it is only going to get better from here on out. I’ve heard many times that when God closes a door he opens a window. I think when we decide to close our own doors; God opens the universe for us. Robert Britt is a writer and entrepreneur. For more information please visit his primary website http://www.robertbritt.com/
http://www.10minutetransformation.com/