Why is it that our society clearly celebrates the chance takers, yet we rarely encourage one another to take chances–especially those people closest to us?
Almost all your favorite artists quit the traditional to pursue their dreams. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates dropped out of college to pursue their passions. Regardless if you wanna be in art, or film, or accounting, or a pro athlete, the story is the same.
Go tell your husband that you’re quitting your well paying job to pursue a career in video and film. Or go tell your parents you’re dropping out of college to pursue photography full time and see what they say.
I’m not saying quit your day job on the spot. But I do find it strange that our culture by-and-large celebrates those people who have taken non-traditional paths to success, but yet it rarely encourages people to take those same paths when success is only a distant dream.
What is wrong with us?
Take that chance. And encourage others in your life to do the same.
Amen! Take it from a 35 year old father and husband…..Take those risks! quit that job, jump on that plane, move across the world. I have other lives to look after, so I have to take the safe route….But if you don’t have kids or a wife (maybe even with a wife) living out of a card board box so you can make your dreams come true is way better then living a safe life, a life you hate.
thank you so much for this, Chase! i recently quit my job (2 weeks ago!) so that i could pursue my photography full-time. most people think i’m crazy, especially in “this economy”, as they keep saying. but i knew it was the only way for me to finally pursue my dream and actually make it work. thank god i have a supportive husband 🙂 i have never felt more free or excited in my life. now i can finally say i love my job! and you were one of my inspirations…in fact, i just mentioned you in another blog post tonight: http://jessrobertson.com/2010/09/irvine-ca-wppi-roadtrip/
thanks again!
jess
Thank you Chase.
Cough… Can I uh, fly to Seattle and sweep and mop and clean your studio and carry your heavy gear up the mountain when needed and run to get drinks for everyone and make coffee and smile?
My photography sucks but I have a strong back and willingness to be serviceable! 😉
Some years ago I moved from the small town where I grew up to the “big” city of Eindhoven to live there and work as a photographere there.
It’s always a risk to take a big step like that. But if I hadn’t done that I would never forgive myself. It turned out right for me. But if it didn’t I can look in my eyes and say at least I tried. So take some riks in your life. That’s the only way to succes.
I love the example you used chase, It reminds me of how Walt Disney got fired from “lack of creativity” from the Kansan city star newspaper and years later ended up buying ABC who owned the paper. We can’t grow without failures and we can’t have failures unless we take chances. Only by taking that leap can we learn and grow in confidence.