Becky Robinson | When Doing Your Dream is Hard Work
What if you are living your dream and it is really hard work? Is it still a dream?
Earlier this summer, while on a working vacation, I wondered about this while watching the trainers/performers with the whales and dolphins in the shows at Sea World.
It must be a dream come true for them to be working and performing at Sea World. But it is also hard work.
So does it feel like a dream?
My husband always jokes that he and other federal law enforcement agents are “living the dream.” They say it tongue-in-cheek, with this unspoken recognition that they get to do the job many people dream of doing, and that it isn’t really all that dreamy in real life. Their jobs are not the stuff of TV crime shows and news segments. Instead, they work for months, years even, to get a big break on a case. Condensed into a 60 minute TV show, it looks a lot cooler than it actually is. So they’re living the dream — they are — but not.
For me, living my dream of running a business is hard work. On that working vacation, I got up at 5 am because there were emails to answer, clients to serve. And anytime I try to take a day off, when I sneak a look at my cell phone while enjoying time with family, there is always work waiting.
But sometimes there is something wonderful waiting, too.
On the day at Sea World, I received an e-mail of encouragement, one that helped me realized I am making a difference.
Yes, the hard work is definitely worth it to live my dream.
***
What do you think? If you are living your dream and it is really hard work, is it still a dream?
Is the dream in the doing or the having done it?
This post is from Becky Robinson of Weaving Influence, with whom I am happily co-hosting a Dare, Dream, Do webinar on August 2.
If a dream is hard work, it’s still a dream. If something were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing. My dream is to make the national team, that’s going to take hours and hours of extremely hard work and sacrifices, but it’s for my dream which in the end doesn’t make it all that much work if I remember where I’m trying to go.
It would take more work to do something I don’t enjoy day in and day out.
I think (want to believe?) that any dream worth pursuing is hard work. Mine have been – and well worth it. There are time you wonder, you have your doubts…and that’s when you have to doubt your doubts. You need people around to encourage you, and you need to reach out as well. For some the dream is both the doing and the having it done. For others it is one and not the other. In some ways, my dream is accomplished….and in other ways, in good ways, it never will be.
And you have been and will continue to be a very key piece of continuing my dream….as you have for so many others….
Feeling Fortunate | Becky Robinson Weaving Influence - July 21, 2012
[...] my post on Whitney Johnson’s blog asks the question, “If you are living your dream and it is hard work, is it really a dream?” I would be honored if you took a minute to stop by to share your [...]
When I think of living my dream (which I am in my second act of life), I think of operating at the intersection of my passion, purpose, power and performance. It’s hard work for sure yet it’s a willing labor of love, one full of commitment and caring.
Yes, I believe that if your dream is hard work it’s still your dream. I find that there are times of very hard work in my own dream life, but there are also other times when I’m “in the zone,” and it feels amazing, and joyful, and transcendent. Those are the moments that keep you going through the hard spots!
David,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree – there are definitely those transcendent moments to energize us toward our dreams.
Becky
Jane,
Operating at the intersection of passion, purpose, power, and performance is a great description!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am certainly blessed by your care during this second act of your life!
Becky
Deb,
Thank you. I am honored to be a part of your dreaming!
Becky
Madeleine,
I hope you are energized as you practice and work toward your dreams!
Becky
Leave a Reply