Two days ago, I listened to this TED Talk from Greg Bryk on my way home from work. This was the second time I’d listened to it and the first time I’ve checked it out since I put some of Bryk’s ideas into practice. I first became aware of the talk before I started my self-improvement journey. Like most other useful things I found back then, I thought it was interesting and probably a good idea but I never did anything with it. Having seen how it’s positively impacted my life, listening to it again was wonderful.
In short, Bryk encourages you to think about the life you want to live and then become the person who can live that kind of life. He discovered this for himself through acting and becoming the characters he played, living as them both on and off stage. In the process, he realized that his dreams were different than the dreams some of his family members wanted him to pursue. Ultimately, he chose to follow his own dreams and live life on his own terms instead of someone else’s. This allowed him to be his own person and have many wonderful adventures that he might otherwise have missed.
I can think of several major turning points in my own life. On these occasions, I decided to go with what felt right for me even when it ran contrary to what someone else wanted me to do. Those decisions always took some courage to make and they involved venturing into unknown territory, but they did a lot of good for me. They allowed me to have experiences that greatly shaped my views of the world, introduced me to some wonderful people, and made me into the man I am today. What would have happened if I’d taken a more conventional path? All I can say for sure is that I would have continued to feel as if I were betraying myself by living the way others expected me to live instead of in a way that aligned with my ideas, values, and dreams. While the path I chose has been extremely difficult at times, it’s also been incredibly rewarding and I’m glad I chose it. I hope that you also choose a life path that aligns with your own values and leads to a life of fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy.