Bill Riddell

It Is Your Life

Do you ever feel like the people around you and society at large have your whole life planned out for you?

Study hard, get good grades, get into a good college/university, get a good job, perfect partner, nice car, 1.8 kids and a white picket fence.

Along the path you continually ask yourself, ‘why am I doing this’?

Why am I studying these subjects that I hate just to get into a college/uni I don’t really want to go to. Once there study hard in order to get a depressing job working 48+ hours a week in hopes of getting promoted to boss so you can double your hours for an extra bedroom and toilet in your house. Continue to slave away to make someone else rich for 40 years and hope and pray your health is reasonable so you can enjoy a few years of retirement, before the circle of life comes 360-degrees.

Deep breaths. Think happy thoughts.

Think about those dreams in the back of your mind. The ones you almost feel ashamed to think about for fear it might jeopardize the ‘perfect life plan’ everyone else has writtenfor you. That plan hatched by society and drilled into your head by your parents, your teachers, your friends, the media and even Santa Clause (do ‘the right thing’ all year and you will get presents).

Chances are there have been a few people in your life who have encouraged you to deviate from the lifeplan. Perhaps a grand parent who suggests you follow your passion for art rather than corporate drudgery. Maybe that stranger you met over coffee and spoke of adventure off the beaten path.

You probably found some way subconsciously to tune out there message despite its appeal. Perhaps that person did not have a shiny new sports car and 4 bathrooms, so obviously their advice is invalid. Maybe they just seemed a little crazy!

“Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds.” - Albert Einstein

There were quite a number of people who thought Einstein was a little crazy. However he persevered doing what he wanted, ignored his detractors and became one of the greatest minds in history.

You too can follow your passion and rise above the pressure from others. Make your own plan.

Imagine your a Hollywood script writer, craft your perfect life. You could travel the world, get the girl (or guy) of your dream, find a cure for cancer, become a monk or an Olympian. You could even do all of those things if you want. The options of what to write in your script are endless.

A vital Hollywood trick is the re-write / re-shoot. You test out your script and if you don’t like it, that’s ok - go ahead and change it.

Less than 12 months ago I was working in a hardware store. I then found myself working full time as a sports journalist and now I’m building a career as a freelance journalist and pursuing other interests.

I’m not sure what I will be doing in another 12 months, but I’m working on the script and I think it could be a blockbuster. Either way I will be doing what I want, not something I have blindly accepted from society.

Remember it is your life, do with it what you want and let other people take care of themselves.