Don’t just Dream it. Be it!
We create many distractions in our world that stop us from being who we’ve always wanted to be. We create these distractions because of fear. Fear of failure. If we never pursue our dreams, does that mean that we’ve never actually failed? I think in some warped way that is true… or that is what we convince ourselves is true. (Read my blog on F.E.A.R.)
The only way for me to give an example is through my own actions, because I know and have come to terms with that warped way of thinking.
Pursuing your dreams is scary. It’s petrifying. It’s a sure-fire way of getting people to tell you that you’re wrong, that you’ve made a huge mistake. If you never pursue your dreams you’ll be part of the ‘norm’, part of the percentage of people in this world that remain anonymous. When I say ‘anonymous’ I don’t insist that your dream needs to be like mine where you are on a stage, but on a metaphorical stage… where people are looking at you… whatever that dream may be. We all have different dreams, and all of them should be pursued… at all costs.
I was very fortunate in my youth to have mentors around me that got me out of my shell… and yet, even with these mentors I would still recede back into the norm. All because of fear. When I was young I wanted to be in musical theater. I loved every bit of it. I loved the androgyny of acting. There, in the theater there were no racial or equality differences. Everybody was equal and the only thing that separated us as individuals was our expression. And the more you expressed yourself, the more your own light shined. It was an addictive role to play. I miss that. I wish that the world was like theater. Theater went to the wayside from distractions; two marriages, the Marines and my ‘career’ as a Graphic Designer. I had settled for the ‘norm’.
I’ve been pursuing music full-time since my sister passed away (It’s hard to believe that it has almost been seven years). These past seven years have been very difficult and at the same time very fulfilling. The highs have been very high and the lows have been very low, but let me clarify… the lows were few and far between and short-lived. When you are doing what you love and feel that this is your life’s purpose, there are few out there to support you. Very few.
Seven years ago you wouldn’t have known who David Reed Watson was. Even though that is my real name (it’s on my birth certificate), seven years ago I was just Dave Watson. I was Dave Watson the Graphic Designer who sang in bands here and there. During the last seven years there have been many distractions. There has been a lot of tension with family and society about what I should do as a responsible citizen, but I just put the blinders on and keep reminding myself why I’m doing this.
I’m doing this because this is what my soul requires. Even though being a musician is not the most lucrative of occupations, it is the most fulfilling to me. When I was in the design world I didn’t really think about money, other than what bicycle I wanted to buy next, or what snowboard, car, guitar, etc. But my soul was aching for something that was missing, it knew I was just biding my time until that spark turned into a flame. My sister was the catalyst, yes, but my soul was always hinting here and there to me to just say, “Fuck it. Just do it already!”
Keeping those distractions at bay is hard. Hands down, take it from me… moving forward sometimes is very difficult and more than once I’ve wanted to throw in the towel. There are days that I sit here not knowing what the fuck is going to happen next, and yet, again… I put on the blinders. I’ve trained myself to look for those ‘hints’ that are talking directly to me, gentle reminders that I’m on the right path. Tonight was one of those nights. Taylor and I sat and watched the newest version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. At the end was that gentle reminder….
Don’t just dream it. Be it!
Again, the theater bringing me back home. Telling me I’m ok. Reminding me of what I already know. I often tell people I’m a Human ‘Be’ing, not a Human ‘Do’ing. Through the many seminars, coaching’s and spiritual beings in my life that ‘do’ing something will get you nowhere unless you are actually ‘be’ing a part of what you are doing. I know that I’m good at Graphic Design, but I was always just ‘do’ing it. Like a machine on autopilot. I know the difference… and as a musician I am ‘be’ing a musician.
So what distractions do you put around you to stop that voice in your head? Do you find yourself playing mindless games or creating drama around you to avoid what you’re actually here for? Do those voices in your head tell you that you suck? That you’re just not good enough to do what it is that you want to really do? Do the people around you tell you to go to college to become really good at it but then you tell yourself that it’s an impossible dream because you can’t afford it? Do you ever listen to the voices that are pushing you to do what you love? Why not? What are you afraid of?
What if I told you that you can do whatever you want to do?
How? Surround yourself with like-minded people. Let the ones that tell you that you can’t… let them go. They are only telling you that you can’t because they have failed themselves. People who fail and give up don’t want to see you succeed because that makes them feel bad about themselves. Gently let them go… but if you don’t feel you can let them go, encourage them to succeed. But by no means buy into their negativity otherwise you too will quit. Then you’ll end up like them, saying that you can’t do it. It’s impossible. So again, surround yourself with like-minded people. Find them if they aren’t already around you. Do the scary thing that I once did and change your label. You need to ‘be’ that person that you want to be… no amount of ‘do’ing will ever change your thought pattern.
When I decided that I was going to ‘be’ a musician I introduced myself as just that…
“Hi… I’m David Reed Watson.” “Hi David… what do you do David?” “I’m a Vocalist and a Reiki Master. How about yourself?”
Start doing this every time you introduce yourself to someone and eventually it will get easier and easier.
If you would like help, let me help guide you. We all need people to guide us. I have people who help me along my path as well and I’m always doing what I can to surround myself with like-minded people… the journey never ends. Let the power of Reiki heal those old thought patterns. Let me help you change the mantra from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’.
*This blog post and other blog’s by The Reiki Rocker can be read every month in Sin City Presents Magazine.
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