To be or not to be, that is the question

The Dream.
Firstly, there’s the dream
We want more. More money, more possessions, more success and happiness.
So we dream.
We have ideas, we think them over, we forget them, come back to them.
Some ideas stick with us, but then life gets in the way. We ignore the calling of our hearts.
So continue to dream.
We grow jealous of those who have what we want. Envy their success, their audacity, their gumption to go out and find it.
So we dream some more.
We see in the media, the beautiful, the important people. We want to be one of them.
So we keep dreaming.
We see the power these people have, the benefits they create, the people they help. We want the same, to make a difference.
So we dream.
We want to be different, to be someone else. Complete, perfect and accepted by others.
So we dream.
We dream so much in fact that nothing ever gets done. The dream has become the end itself.
Robbed of desire, scared to face the storm.
We keep dreaming.
The dream scares us now, because we know the dream is a lie. We feel ashamed, that dreams are all we seem to have. We need more than this!
Then one day we try, we make an effort, but it fails. We are rebuked by others. Told that our dreams are silly.
We feel confused, unworthy of success. So the dream dies, and a part of ourselves dies with it…..
…but dreams are hard to destroy…
….. little by little the dream returns, and it doesn’t let go of us this time. It torments us, teases us with its possibilities.
Then one day we choose, we have to act, otherwise it will be too late. We could not forgive ourselves.
It’s time to realise that dream, it’s time to take a leap into the unknown.
Congratulations and commiserations you have answered the Call to adventure.
That’s when all hell breaks lose.

This sums up our dilemma.

We all have desires and ideas of who we want to be, the life we want to live. To be a success, to be happy.

But there’s a problem.

You may be thinking that your failures are the result of other people. You might get angry at them for that. As I have done for many years.

You might think that the world is against you. That you are not good enough, not smart enough to be a success. That you must settle for less.

You might think that your talents are fixed and cannot be improved. You might fear failure, mistakes. Being imperfect.

Once you see through these illusions you can envision the future you desire.

But, and here’s the thing, it’s up to you, how you respond.

You can be afraid to express yourself, to try, to fail, to not be good at something. To worry about what others might think of you.

Or you can be afraid of not amounting to any thing in your life. Or having nothing worthy of note or remark. A life of mediocrity.

Fear is present in both the options. So it comes down to what type fear you choose to have.

The fear of the unknown, or the fear of being nothing.

The uncertainty we suffer kills the passion we have. We feel we need more time, more knowledge, so we can be ready. But it’s never be enough. The unknown will never disappear, neither will the fear.

‘Our doubts seem so large when compared to our dreams, that we never follow through.’ – Richard Collison (Tweet This)

So the dreams we have exist alongside the fears. You find yourself trapped between the two.

You feel caught between two worlds, a clash of two ideas. One as you are, and the one you might be.

Envious of those people who act despite their fear, and hating yourself for the fact that you can’t.

But the truth lies right here. To stay as you are, or change?

To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?” – Hamlet, Shakespeare

It’s about a choice, a commitment to growth and self overcoming.

Taking responsibility for your own life, shaping it to become something you are proud of and happy with.

So many of us shy away from making that choice. The fears we have are seem more convincing.

I’m not good at this. I’m not ready. I don’t know enough, it won’t work, it’s too difficult.

Or we listen to the opinions of others.

That it won’t work, that the idea is nonsense. How dare we have the presumption to rise above our station in life.

To be or not to be?

Here is the moment of truth. Do you, like the hero step into the unknown and commit to the adventurous life. Or do you let the moment slide?

Do you choose the difficult path and go on this quest?

Or do you go back to dreaming?

This is the Call to Adventure, the call to action. The calling of your heart.

I find it fascinating, this moment, it’s a Pivotal Moment.

Will you heed it or not?

To be or not to be?

Shakespeare is asking us the question. How much do you want to change? The happier more successful person you want to become? Are you willing to suffer to get it? To fail, and fail again. What are we willing to give up, to let go?

All to get a chance, a shot at that goal, that life that we dream of.

You can decide to be a player or a spectator in life.

To be or not to be?

What is your answer?

2 thoughts on “To be or not to be, that is the question”

  1. Good post Richard and it gets to the heart of the fear that most of us suffer from. As you’ve said to me before, getting out of the comfort zone helps us stave off fear. I want ‘to be’ !
    Rob

    Reply
    • Thanks Rob. I’m have found that several anxiety sufferers feel the same way. The anxiety has compelled us to turn away from fulfilling our potential, and instead op for a safe mediocrity. I can’t live like that which is why i started this blog, and I want to help others.
      Our comfort zone is not where we should be all the time. We know this, we feel it. But our fears and anxieties get in the way.
      We have to make a decision, to a take a leap into the unknown, otherwise the life we look back on will be one we’re ashamed of.

      Reply

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