Different Isn't Bad

I had a sit-down lunch with my mentor this week and I said that I feel like the way I’m living my life feels very strange.

I explained that I had stayed in college longer than I ever imagined (before I fell in love with track & field, I had pictured myself not even going to college and working at a young age just like my dad had done…but now I have 3 degrees…), I’ve always worked weird side jobs to stack cash for myself, I am continuing to train for the pole vault in the evenings after work, and then once all of that concludes, I’m creating content on social media to document and share my journey through my 20’s.

Feels a lot different than what I had envisioned my life to look like as a kid. And a hell of a lot different than what my peers are doing with their lives right now.

My mentor asked, “Do you love it?”

Without any hesitation whatsoever I said, “Yes. Absolutely.” I wake up every morning excited to sharpen my skills in the business world, to push my body towards my lofty goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials, and to push content out to people who can take something away from my journey.

He replied, “You can feel different and strange all you want but it’s JAKE’S LIFE. It’s no one else’s life. You have to pursue exactly what YOU want and build YOUR life exactly how you want it. You have to block out the noise and the distractions other people put up in your way. What’s important to others may not be important to you and that’s okay. Learn to be comfortable with that.”

*Massive Rush of Comfort*

Here’s a guy who deviated from the normal path society had laid out for him (but has achieved wild success beyond imagination) reminding me that you can use your life to pursue whatever you want at the end of the day. When your head hits the pillow at night, you only answer to yourself…no one else.

He reminds me of his dark times where he lost all his fortune after a failed venture and found himself waiting tables 6 nights a week and living with his parents just to stay afloat. Was he living his life different than everyone else his age? Hell yeah…

But he knew himself enough to know how unhappy he would be taking a normal job and working for someone else just to make a living. He wanted to continue to build companies and make something for himself. And he was willing to do whatever necessary to continue doing just that. Because it is HIS LIFE.

Society may tell you that you need to go to X school, get X job, meet X people, start a family by X age, etc. But if there’s something just clawing at you to pursue and you cannot shake the feeling, you have to follow that desire with everything you have. Because at the end of the day, it’s YOUR life. Nobody else’s. And you have to do what is going to make YOU happy.

And once you begin the journey of pursuing this thing, you may find that it is hard as hell, and it often does feel really lonely.

But take a minute to ask yourself, “Would I be happier living a conventional life? Or would I be living a life of quiet desperation knowing I never pursued that thing that was a little different but wildly important to ME?”

If you choose to pursue exactly what YOU want, expect long days, expect the overwhelming feeling of wanting to quit, expect the public criticism from your peers & your family who don’t understand, expect the lonely nights where it feels like nobody gets you, expect it all.

But from my experience, success usually lies right behind that wall of feeling like you need to quit. Every moment I felt like I had been working for too long with little or no success, I’m surprised with returns shortly after that. It just takes reminding yourself of the end goal and why you do what you do.

So, if you’re beginning that journey of deviating from what society is telling you to do, I applaud you.

And if you’re on that journey now feeling like you just need to quit, I pray you stick it out just a little bit longer so we can praise your success that’s waiting just around the corner for you.

Where should you start this journey? Just ask yourself bluntly, “Do I love what I’m doing?” If yes, keep at it. If no, be bold enough to make a change. Because it’s YOUR LIFE and you have to build it exactly how YOU want it.

So, let’s keep going…no matter what your peers are doing. Continue answering to YOU for YOUR LIFE 😁