What’s holding you back?

I’m sure there’s millions of us everyday that think of something they’d love to develop or create, but just never seem to do it.

I’ve come up with a cracker of business idea, if I do say so myself. What is it? Nope sorry, top secret if I told you I’d have to kill you!

So I’ve got this great idea but am I going to do anything about it?! I’d love to say yes, but I cannot guarantee that in 3 months time I would have got any further than where I am right now; sitting here with a great idea that’s still just that, a great idea.

So what is it that stops us from pursuing our ‘dreams’ or taking the plunge and doing something we’ve always wanted to do?

I can think of a few things.

One: life just gets in the way. We’ve all got busy lives, working, families, working, did I mention working?! And when you finish work at the end of the day/week the last thing you want to do is go home and do more work.

Two: Fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failing. My great idea would cost a little bit to set-up but if it came off the rewards could be huge. So why don’t I do it? There are no guarantees in life in anything really and that slight possibility that it could go horribly wrong is often just enough to stop people from taking the next step.

Three: Being uneducated. Really when looking at the big picture of my idea I actually know very little if anything about the industry and where I’d actually begin. This lack of information can be a real put off if you don’t even know where to start.

What am I going to do I hear you ask? Well.

One: if everyone with a great idea used the excuse of life’s too busy & never developed their idea then no one would develop anything! So I’m going to suck it up and get over it!

Two: Fear of failing can be a great motivator. If I’m going to take the plunge then I’m going to do it whole-heartedly to make sure that I don’t fail.

Three: Google is your friend! If you can’t find something on Google then you’re not looking hard enough!

So have you got an idea you’ve been sitting on? Go on give it a go, you never know, you might just surprise yourself!

Well, I’m off to Google things until my hearts content. Check back to see if I can make my dream become a reality!

I have a dream…

Don’t we all!

My dream is to write. That is the reason I started this website. I love telling a story, sharing random things with people through words or simply just having a vent and getting something off my chest via this website!

The other part of my dream is to be published. I really hope people enjoy reading short puff pieces on what’s in the news and what’s in my head, the 2 often leading to completely different stories!

I recently pitched my idea to a local publication. The initial reaction was they didn’t have a budget for freelances. Budget?! I’m certainly not looking to make a quick buck out of this, but rather get some exposure and tick a dream off the list.

It lead me to think about a common problem among young people trying to get ahead which I often used to think about when I first joined the workforce. Many people ask for minimum 2 years experience. My question always was, well how am I supposed to get 2 years experience if no one will give me a chance?! I always felt very passionate about this and will always be very grateful to those who first gave me a start, firstly in the beauty industry (past life job!) and secondly into the marketing and communications industry straight out of Uni.

So it seems that I may be facing this challenge again or am I? (Admittedly I’ve only just started on trying to achieve my dream! ) I’m no Mia Freedman with years of magazine experience under my belt and thousands of people reading my blog each day, but someone had to give her an initial chance didn’t they and I’m sure she didn’t get where she is by giving up!! So that brings me back to why I started this website.

By continuing to ponder, waffle and vent I’m in a way creating my own experience and will hopefully gain feedback from you, the person who reads this. So if you liked a story or didn’t like a story leave a comment and give your opinion because that’s what the site is all about!

These days you need to create your own opportunities, your own experience. And by doing that, you never know what’s just around the corner.

Levi’s Spell

If you watched 60 minutes last night then you are one of the privleged people who were introduced to Levi McCormack and no doubt fell under his adorable spell. Levi is 4 year old boy who is battling not only a heart condition but a potentially fatal lung condition as well. Within seconds Levi had drawn you in. A magical little boy with a fighting spirit that would rival any determined adult battling to live.

I guarantee there wouldn’t have been a dry eye when little Levi announced that he would like a whole heart. “Mummy has a whole heart and Daddy has a whole heart and James (his brother) has a whole heart but I only have half a heart”. Such haunting and grown up words for such a little boy.

Watching this story not only made me teary and feel for this gorgeous little man and his family but it made me think (as these stories often do) about the bigger picture. We as adults spend our days bitching or whinging about something at least once a day and here is this little boy who is so brave that he’s determined not to cry and just wants to come first in a running race with his friends.

Every now and then these stories come in to our lives to remind us to stop wasting time on things and people that just don’t matter. Get on with the things you don’t necessarily want to but have to do and make time for things you do want to do.

Get up half an hour earlier and enjoy more of the day, have that extra piece of chocolate, and the next time you start to whinge about something, think of Levi and the fact that you read this story for a reason.

You can help ensure The Royal Children’s Hospital continues to provide the very best care to very sick children. To make a secure online donation to The Royal Children’s Hospital, visit www.rch.org.au and click ‘Donate Now’ at the bottom-right of screen, or call (03) 9345 5037 to make a donation over the phone.

Donations can be made to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead by calling 1800 770 122 or visiting www.chw.edu.au.