Awkward Beginnings and Proving Them Wrong

My dream is to see a world where the norm is for people to pursue their life’s work. This is my dream because I’m a very observant and sensitive person and I see so many people who are stressed out and unhappy. This really makes me sad. Working in customer service where I talk to so many people and come across so many people, a common observation I have when having small talk with people is that many of them had similar things to say. In response to “What are you up to today?” A common response is to first sigh and then say, “Oh I have work.” Or a response to how are you doing is something along the lines of sarcastically saying, “Living the dream.” I know it’s just small talk, but being a sensitive person and person that hopes so much for people, this isn’t okay for me. Something needs to be done.

Fear of beginning

So the dream I wish to see…I’m taking on the job to make it a reality in the world. I just recorded my first training video ever and I was extremely afraid to do it. I didn’t understand why I was so afraid because I have been on a roll in doing what I love to do and not feeling afraid. I realize now that was the case because I started getting in the habit of doing what I was doing. Now, I was doing something for the first time again. I had to get back to the knowledge I learned on how to do something you’re afraid of for the first time.

Fear is a good sign

I went back to the framework I wrote. In terms of fear, learned from Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art, fear is an indicator that that’s the next work you need to do. In my Make The Switch Framework, I write that you will always know the next thing to do. This video was it for me. So remembering Pressfield’s advice and my framework, I decided to just do it. Looking back, I realized I was afraid because I thought I had to wait for someone to give me the permission to do something I really wanted to do. I quickly learned that that permission wasn’t coming and that I have to give myself the permission to just begin. Another reason I was so afraid was thinking, “Who am I to do this work? I’m a nobody…what am I thinking.” Wrong, I am a somebody with a specific set of gifts and talents that I’m meant to give to the world.

You can figure it out

There’s this belief that holds back so many people that when you start off you should be an instant success, that you shouldn’t have unpromising beginnings or awkward starting moments. This is untrue because upon 2 years of studying people who do their life’s work, almost every single one of them had to begin unknown, awkwardly, and figure it out. So the most common way of realizing your dreams is actually just beginning smack dab where you are and figuring it out. In my framework, I write about how people have a powerful mind that can figure anything out. The majority of people just don’t know this though because they haven’t used their mind in this way before. You’ll surprise yourself. You’ll be able to figure everything out step by step. The process is begin, learn, and grow and then fail, learn, and begin again. In this way, failure as we knew it is no longer an end, but a beginning to the next upward step towards realizing your dreams.

Prove them wrong

With the end of Super Bowl, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson totally inspired me. In reading about his story, he could’ve gone pro in baseball. Everyone advised him to do baseball, but he had this fire in him that wanted to do football. Being 5’11, it makes it very hard to succeed in football, let alone convince a team that you would be an asset, but against all odds he did it. He said he went for football because he wanted to prove everyone wrong.

Don’t let anything stop you from pursuing that burning desire in your heart. There is no type of work that is better than the other. The best work that helps you and the whole wide world is only the work that in your heart you really want to create in the world. Don’t listen to anything or anyone but your heart. You have a powerful mind, you can figure it out. You have strength of character that you never knew you have, you can stand against fear and all other things that get in your way.

I want to see a world where people fulfill their dreams and do their life’s work because it’s so possible. It’s my job to spread the awareness of the limitless possibilities.

Jamie Pennelly is the founder of Live and Love Again Revolution that spreads the message to “Live your best life and love what you do.” Her newest work is the Make The Switch Framework on how to make the switch from “just getting a job” to “doing your life’s work.” To learn more about the work she does and social media platforms visit: https://liveandloveagainrevolution.wordpress.com/about-me/.