I’ve lived an incredible life and don’t have many regrets.
HOWEVER, the biggest regret that I do have is – not taking social media seriously and not building more of a personal brand via Facebook and Instagram.
I’ve been traveling, living in different countries and working remotely for nearly the last decade…and I’ve barely posted anything about it.
I kick myself for it. I could have amassed a massive following at this point. Could have documented more of my experiences. Could have captured more of my thoughts along the way.
Instead i’ve been plagued with inconsistency. Start, drop the ball, pick it up a year later, drop it again. No true ability to follow through for an extended period of time.
I wrote my first blog post 10 years ago while studying and traveling in Buenos Aires. I was infamous in my study abroad program for my insanity and vulgarity. I had dreams of becoming the next Tucker Max.
And then…I dropped the ball.
Wrote a few blogs in Korea too…and then dropped the ball.
Some in India too – Posted a series of pictures on insta and wrote some blogs. But then when I started my business…social media fell by the wayside once more.
In Malaysia towards the end of the BrainGain days I started making videos that performed well…and then I didn’t continue with it because it couldn’t be sustained.
Then last year after I shut down my business it was time to start again. I posted videos for a few months that we’re performing well and then…I got a job and dropped the ball once more.
The problem was that I was justified in dropping the ball every time. I could rationalize it to myself. If I’m not making any money and I have a failing business, it’s hard to focus on my writing and managing a social media account. If I don’t have a job or framework that’s working for myself now, how could I promote one to other people around me?!
I was able to reassure myself and calm my nerves by saying, “it’s ok, now isn’t the right time.”
If I had been posting and writing consistently for the last 10 years I’m confident I’d have a respectable following and be well on my way to living the life I still envision for myself…even if I wasn’t perfect in my consistency.
But instead, I’m still at ground zero. Still somehow parked at the same stop I’ve been parked at for the last decade.
So what am I to do? Say that I missed the boat? It’s too late? I didn’t do it for all of those years so now I can’t?
I say it’s never too late to start.
No matter how many missed opportunities, no matter how many times you’ve dropped the ball, it’s never too late to start something.
Don’t let your previous misses prevent you from jumping at similar opportunities every day.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, how many times you failed, how many times you dropped the ball – you can still start today.
Yes, the journey ahead will be a long one, but focus on the first step. Then another. Then another.
My favorite example of this is Steven Pressfield, a man who is a writing machine that has churned out well over 25 books – and he resisted writing consistently well into his forties, and then his first published book wasn’t until he was over 50!
Or Paulo Coelho, another famous author that didn’t write/publish his first book until well into his forties and has since averaged a book every two years.
Despite the numerous stories we are showed on social media of those who reached incredible success early on, there are equally as many people who got started much later on in life and still reached the success they always envisioned. If you search for it, you’ll find plenty of evidence that success can happen at any stage in life.
So if you’ve always felt a nagging sense of something you want to do but haven’t done it… it’s never too late.
Joseph Campbell refers to this in the “heroes journey” as “resisting the call”. There is something we feel compelled to do, but resist and create a million reasons why we shouldn’t. Many of us can resist the call for a lifetime.
For me, this was my writing, speaking, and creative pursuits. I’ve always felt this internal “calling” that this is what I need to be doing, this is where I need to develop my master craft…but instead “responsibilities” got in the way that convinced me this wasn’t the path to take.
Not any more. I will no longer resist the call. I will plunge with my heart and soul into the caverns of darkness and accept this calling to put my words, to put my voice, and to put my face out there to the world.
What does this mean for you?
What is the call that YOU are resisting?
Your heroes journey is to examine the call you have been resisting and give into it, surrender, and get started.
You can still write that book, learn to play a musical instrument, learn a new form of art, start acting – whatever your dormant dreams might be. If you still feel compelled via the call, it’s not too late.
On your deathbed you don’t want to be one of those people who regrets never having swung the bat. You don’t want to be one of those people that was so afraid to strike out that you never even stepped up to the plate.
You can still start today. Start now. You can still get moving in the direction you’ve always wanted to.
If you love yourself, if you love your life, it’s a necessity. It’s the healthiest thing you can do for yourself. You NEED it.
Don’t resist the call that your soul longs for. Feed your soul and do the things you’ve always wanted to do, but have never done.
That’s what I’m doing at least. The pain of not doing has become too strong. I have to start now, I have to jump on this ship and ride it to fruition before the sun sets on me.
Watch the evolution – I want to be an example of this for all of us. Although I’m starting late, better late than never.
See you on the other side 😉
Brilliant!