The tails side of things

Just so you know, there is a not so glamorous side to chasing your passions.

As you know, my goal is to become a Copywriter and in a perfect world, I’d do the following to achieve my dream:

Work on my ad portfolio, win all my tennis matches (a guys gotta take a break), churn out a few witty, super creative ads for my portfolio, nail the first interview that comes my way and win more golden pencils than I know what to do with.

But that’s not life.

The reality, for me anyway, is that I’m going to have to get a part time job while at the same time, really be disciplined about using my off time efficiently. I’d actually love to work as little as possible and when I do work, I’d prefer to make loads of $$ and not have to think that much because with all this passion-chasing, I’ve got enough swirling around in my head to really focus intently on anything else.

And no, becoming a male gigolo is not my secret part time dream job desire.

Fortunately, in the one week that I’ve been unemployed I’ve had multiple part time job opportunities present themselves. Nothing is set in stone yet so I will continue the search (it’d be fun to do something completely random like clean windows on sky scrapers or learn the art of Japanese ramen noodle making). The Head Tennis Coach job is my favorite option so far but sadly, I think I’d make more selling Girl Scout cookies door-to-door.

So yeah, having to get another job, not having money, thinking that things might actually not work out, and contending with unexplainable moments of laziness, these are the scary things I’m facing on a day-to-day basis (wow, this is how I sound when I go to confession, only difference is there I usually throw in a "...and a bunch of other things I am probably forgetting at the moment Father").

These are real feelings. At the very least, they’re what anyone thinking of doing this sort of thing will encounter. But that’s just it; it’s all about how you choose to deal with them. You can let everything remind you of how unrealistic your dreams actually sound (how could you quit your job in this market Joe??) or you can use each fear to motivate you, to push you harder.

A lot of what I’m feeling can be likened to my recent folding bike experiences. When you’re riding for your life there’s a lot at stake, (dying comes to mind, for example). But when you get to where you’re going and you feel like you cheated death, you're left with quite a rush and I find myself wanting to feel that feeling again and again.

This is about much more than just getting a job in advertising. It’s about me trying to live life the way I feel it should be lived. Going after what I’m passionate about is so important to me because, I don't think there is a better feeling than how you feel after leaving everything on the table and lying there fully exposed (and believe me, you feel pretty damn exposed riding along 7th avenue at night in traffic).

I've experienced that "here I am, take it or leave it" feeling a few times so far and I know that I’ll never forget those moments (despite the fact that you can't help feeling like a tiny grape that just rolled into a field of angry grape-stomping elephants).

Those moments brought me to life and helped me realize who I am and what I'm capable of.

They've become fond memories that I can revisit whenever I want and they can be used as a source upon which I can draw confidence and be inspired (you get that , "I did it then, who says I can't do it now," kind of feeling).

It’s easy to be prone to violent swings in temperment when you're the one who voluntarily chose to shake the life you were accostomed to upside down and all around. To stay the course you need to be disciplined, organized, (constantly) inspired (that's where friends/family come in!) and you've got to believe. You have to find balance amidst the chaos.

You also need to know that no matter what happens, you can't go wrong when you work hard, believe in your self and stay true to who you are.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

P.S. Worst case scenario, Joe the tiny grape gets stomped. Stomping grapes makes wine. I love wine, so there. Good night.