This question can be taken in two ways, two ways that will take you in completely opposite directions in life. You know that thing called life, the experience you only get one shot at. The first way, and I DO hate to say this, is a prevailing attitude in the UK that you really should know your place. It is very easy for ambitions and dreams to be scoffed at and unceremoniously torn down. I cannot count the times I have been told in my life to be realistic, to stop being a dreamer. This was a consistent theme throughout my school years. ‘Leigh, stop dreaming and be realistic’. Report cards criticising me for being a dreamer were common. I hold up my hands old geography teacher of mine! When you were preparing me for the real world of permafrost and pampas grass, I was gazing out of the window dreaming of other worlds, you got me! I even had one teacher, who deservedly shall remain nameless, who told me to marry young and marry rich, because I was as thick as mud in a bottle. By the time I hit adulthood, I knew my place.
Supportive parents and a dare by a weird guy in a permanent bobble hat saw me take my place at university. Who did I think I was? I didn’t know, but for the first time in my life I thought about it, and I decided to find out. Suddenly ‘Who do you think you are’ wasn’t a sneering voice in my head, but a serious question. The answer brought me here, to setting up my own small business with a solid degree to drive my confidence. As Mr Prufrock would say in his love song ‘Do I dare?’ and ‘Do I dare?’ I did indeed.
The question has to be stressed differently if we are to change attitudes in this country. Don’t ask ‘Who do you think you are?’ Ask ‘Who do you think you are?’ Then you may surprise yourself with a productive answer. Allow your dreams to become steps towards a goal, because they have a tendency to become solid plans.
Thankfully attitudes are changing in this country. Instead of being told to ‘get a proper job’, your ideas will be met with reason and interest. There is so much support available waiting for you to approach and ask. Find out if your particular skills are marketable and desirable. Support those dreams with goals you can act upon. So what are you waiting for, a personal invitation? In my next blog, I will be discussing the steps I have taken to make my window gazing dreams a step closer to a business reality. Why not contribute your own comments and thoughts on the topic? It may just encourage someone to take that dare!
P.S. The quote I used above is from one of my favourite poems by T.S. Eliot ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' Please indulge, it’s wonderful!
Supportive parents and a dare by a weird guy in a permanent bobble hat saw me take my place at university. Who did I think I was? I didn’t know, but for the first time in my life I thought about it, and I decided to find out. Suddenly ‘Who do you think you are’ wasn’t a sneering voice in my head, but a serious question. The answer brought me here, to setting up my own small business with a solid degree to drive my confidence. As Mr Prufrock would say in his love song ‘Do I dare?’ and ‘Do I dare?’ I did indeed.
The question has to be stressed differently if we are to change attitudes in this country. Don’t ask ‘Who do you think you are?’ Ask ‘Who do you think you are?’ Then you may surprise yourself with a productive answer. Allow your dreams to become steps towards a goal, because they have a tendency to become solid plans.
Thankfully attitudes are changing in this country. Instead of being told to ‘get a proper job’, your ideas will be met with reason and interest. There is so much support available waiting for you to approach and ask. Find out if your particular skills are marketable and desirable. Support those dreams with goals you can act upon. So what are you waiting for, a personal invitation? In my next blog, I will be discussing the steps I have taken to make my window gazing dreams a step closer to a business reality. Why not contribute your own comments and thoughts on the topic? It may just encourage someone to take that dare!
P.S. The quote I used above is from one of my favourite poems by T.S. Eliot ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.' Please indulge, it’s wonderful!