@Society, Stop Shaming Unique Career Aspirations
I recently visited the Universal Sphere at the Comcast Center HQ in Philadelphia, PA, where I work a part-time internship. "The Power of I," from Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Parks and Resorts, and Comcast Labs, is the program that plays at the free, cinematic experience in the lobby of the Comcast Technology Center. It explores the power of ideas. I couldn't help but feel inspired after my time at the Sphere. Between that, and a lot of recent sit-downs I've been having with entrepreneurs, I'm curious about the motivation of creatives and entrepreneurial people. As a college student and soon-to-be-graduate, I'm specifically interested in examining the glamour of the idea of "starting something" met with the lack of acceptance or support for unconventional ideas from society. Let's talk about it.
"The Power of I" at the Universal Sphere asserted that the best ideas, companies, products, organizations, etc., start with nothing. The "nothing" develops into a sort of "What if I…" question. That "What If" question is the formation of an idea that inspires us, a dream. Everyone has aspirations. Although they differ, every person at some point or another has felt an extreme feeling of excitement, anxiousness, fear, or love for a passion, person, idea, goal, or other. It's essential to address that all dreams are not career-oriented. My cousin and I could not have more different dreams. Every time we fantasize about the future, she first mentions having a family and living in the suburbs. I cite my career and an urban atmosphere, entrepreneurship, and more.
Here's something that I've realized, moreover observed, in recent years. In life, people with dreams do one of three things:
Put them to rest.
Sit on them.
Chase them.
Let's analyze these more in-depth and examine the motivations that lead people to take each path:
1. Put them to rest.
Probably the most common reason dreams die. Whether it's a career, romantic relationship, or professional goal, most people fail to make their dreams a reality because of fear, laziness, or consideration of societal "expectations."
One of my favorite bloggers, Jordan Jones, of Jordan and Pete and a contributor for HuffPost, addresses this in the article: "9 Reasons You Won't Pursue Your Dreams." Jones claims people fail to realize their dreams because there is an easier, safer path. She explains, "We rationalize, justify, and persuade ourselves into making the decisions that "make the most sense" – which is often our way of hiding the fact that we are just too darn scared to take a risk on something. Because we might just fail at it." In our society, "failing" is considered this awful, dreaded, shameful concept, especially in terms of entrepreneurship.
My family friend (we'll call her Sue for anonymity's sake), graduated college with an Accounting degree in 2013 and decided to open a bakery immediately after graduation. Her parents gave her some money as an investment in her business. Long story short, Sue ultimately, closed the bakery in 2016. A few years ago, I overheard my cousins (we'll call them Joe and Moe), discussing her venture at Christmas dinner:
Joe: "Sue opened her own bakery after school."
Moe: "That's great. Did it do well?"
Joe: "I don't think so; it closed two years later."
Moe: "Oh, what a waste. Her parents must have been so upset they invested in that flop."
...Seriously?! Their conversation made me almost angry.
First of all, Joe and Moe assumed Sue's bakery went under. Perhaps Sue changed her dream, sold her business, saw negative growth in year two of her operation and decided to cut her losses, or changed locations in a neighboring town that was more suitable to her target clientele.
Secondly, regardless of its performance, Sue tried something. She followed her dream and probably inspired others to do something with theirs. In the process, she also benefited the local economy, possibly hiring at least two or three employees to help her run her business.
Although I know what happened to Sue and her business, let's employ a hypothetical situation here. So worst case, assume that the bakery closed because Sue's business went under. Her employees, who she laid off, at least have experience on their resumes and improvement in their skills. Sue chased a dream and learned about entrepreneurship. Sue tried and then put her dreams to rest. At least, she was right out of school, not forty years into a corporate job at a senior-level position.
2. Sit on them.
Let's continue using Sue as our example. Since she was young, Sue had the dream of her bakery. The pink walls, sweet smells, cute baby shower confectioneries s and cakes she would bake, overjoyed customers, "We are Open" sign on the door, etc.
Let's change the story and pretend that instead of opening her bakery, she accepted a job at a "Big Four" Accounting firm right out of school. Our view of Sue, as a society, as her family members, and friends is that she is "successful." And she is, but Sue, who has this 9-5 job, still thinks of her pink bakery and her "We are Open" sign frequently.
She sits on her dream for 20 years, advances to a "Supervisor" role at her firm, gets a pretty pay raise, and is content, but she always wonders what would have happened if she signed that lease for the empty building at the end of the Main Street in her suburb, which was the perfect size for a bakery. Now, there are those of us who are happy with letting a dream, like Sue's bakery, pass. We are content with the benefits, opportunities for growth, and choose a more conventional path because that is what we want. But there are the Sue's, who choose the "conventional" path or job because of convenience, fear of leaving, pressure from others, lack of motivation, etc. The "Sues" are never truly fulfilled. And in most cases, if they do get off their behind to chase their dream, they figure it is "too late" or face much more stress than if they would have followed their gut in the first place.
3. Chase them down.
The worst thing that can happen is that on your chase, you trip...in which case, you get up, brush yourself off, and start running again. If you hate the race you're running or take the wrong path, get on a new one. Dr. Phil does tell us that "Life is a marathon, not a sprint..."
So lace up your sneakers and get running, because if you're like Sue and opening/operating a bakery, you're going to need to do a lot of cardio to make up for all the sweets you'll be tasting.
Back to Reality...
The ugly truth is that society and other factors are generally incredibly discouraging of unique, different, and new ideas and dreams. Purposes that divulge from the "common" path, whether it be societal or professional, are therefore challenged. I was reminded by "The Power of I" at the Sphere, that the most exceptional individuals all started at square 1, with that "What If" feeling. Success does not happen overnight. Every new idea is unconventional. Every successful "different" thinker is insane, or outrageous until they prove themselves or their idea. Without entrepreneurship, we would not have cars, prosthetics, technology, and so much more. We wouldn't have life-changing things or services. If you want further proof of this, check out Lisa Ocker’s list of the “50 Greatest Entrepreneurs of All Time,” broken down by industry.
(I'll also use this opportunity to plug and encourage you to visit the Sphere if you are local to Philadelphia and want to get seriously inspired.)
What If You…
If you've made it this far reading, I challenge you to relish in the "What If…" moments. Ignore the Joes and Moes of the world who will laugh at and poke holes in your daydream. Analyze the feasibility of your goals, decide on a plan of action, and make sh*t happen for yourself, by yourself. Action is the adjective that distinguishes the dreamers from do-ers, Scenario #1s from #3s, never-tried-it(s) from the successfully-did-it(s). The hardest part is getting up and taking the first step.
Get up, get to work, get your dreams. Start somewhere. Start now.
