Why you should give up on your dreams.

You sit your desk at a comfortable tech job, looking around at all the other employees churning away — and you take a glance at the beautiful world outside, wondering wouldn’t it be beautiful to take photographs and share it with the world?

You get yourself the right equipment, all the necessary listen items one should have, set-up a comfortable creative space — and off into the sunset we go.

You realise the work seems to be paying off, it’s making you feel all the joy of being a creator; the euphoria of resonating with the world, it’s aphrodisiac.

You keep chasing that high, because you’re found your calling.

“This is it”, you think yourself.

Getting out of bed feels a lot nicer.

People seem brighter.

Your feet feel alot lighter than they once did.

You move through the world, is the self-realisation that this is what you’ve been missing out on all your life.

Slowly the euphoria isn’t enough to carry you anymore, it feels more like a chore.

You start to improvise, look to others for inspiration.

“Has the trend changed?”, you’ll wonder in amazement.

Maybe it’s the lighting, or maybe it’s just not your day, or your month, or your year.

Until finally you get rid of all the equipment, realise it was a worthy adventure.

You go back to that job you left behind, sitting at your desk, you look to your left and you look to your right — wondering maybe this is where you belonged all along.

Because you weren’t chasing “Greatness”, you were chasing “Recognition”.

Your dream wasn’t to be the “Greatest creator”, it was “The Great ever known”.

Here’s a few who too gave up on their dreams too,

Action Bronson, “Break a leg”;
He was finishing up his shift at a restaurant, his dream of working as a chef — as he slipped to the floor and it left him with a bionic leg. Depressed and hungry, he would go on to discover “Rap”.

Kevin Coster, “The celebrity seated next to me”;
He was working a marketing job, until one day he would find himself seated next to the legendary Richard Burton on a flight from Mexico, who convinced him to give up and pursue acting. He would then work for the next six-years, as truck driver and on a deep sea fisherman boat; before being remembered by a director who had seen a few demo scenes of his. Later, earning him an “Oscar” for a script he almost threw away.

Eminem, “The tape he threw away”;
He attended open-mic rap battles, as he worked odd jobs during the day and would free-style by night. Frustrated and confused, convinced this was it he threw a demo tape which would be picked by a curious intern. Finding its way to Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre’s office at Interscope Records.
He would later go on to be sell albums which went Platinum, win Grammys, and even an Oscar.

Vivian Dorothy Maier, “The auction house”;
She worked as a nanny with a mysterious past, often curiously taking photographs and giggling to herself. Making short video recording, which she kept to herself. Nearly 40 years would pass, filling boxes and boxes with film and undeveloped photographs.
Until the day would come that she would come to pass.
A curious attendant at a Chicago Auction house, found those boxes and felt it was worth the $380 amount.
Only to discover a world of wonder, left behind — true work of genius, had he stumbled upon.
To put a name to the work, the man named John Maloof would go on a journey to discover the artist behind this magical work — documenting his search in “Finding Vivian Maier”.

So if you’re wondering if you should give up on your dreams,

Whatever pursuit that may be,

Know that being “discovered” shouldn’t be a priority.

Because it’s in the moments that you truly give up “control”, do you discover what it is that you truly “need”.