Strong. Fighting. Surviving.

Me dancing. It’s not a pretty sight and one that doesn‘t happen very often, at least not in public. In college, though, it became a regular occurrence. Fueled by a few Hairy Buffaloes, my girlfriends and I shamelessly humpty-humped. We were goofballs, making fun of ourselves and everyone around us…until Lisa started to dance. There was no denying it - the girl knew how to shake it and loved doing it. We all knew she’d end up on stage and just hoped that the stage didn’t feature a brass pole (I kid, of course).

Fast forward ten years.

There I am, power-walking on my treadmill watching CMT. I suddenly drop my water bottle and fumble for the pause button on the remote. I was sure of it…that was Lisa, the Chrome girl. A quick Google search confirmed it. She had found her niche dancing in country music videos and starred in several before becoming a video producer.

I recently talked to a girlfriend (one of the aforementioned Humpty-Humpers) and learned she is moving to the west coast to help her husband pursue his dream of acting. This is nothing short of impressive, especially when you consider the fact that they just had a baby. Just like Lisa, my friend’s husband is following his dream. I‘m in awe. Not only did these people find their passion, but they also had the guts to pursue them.

I think the point of my story is obvious. Call me Velveeta, but I can’t emphasize enough the importance of realizing your dreams today, not tomorrow. I spent a lifetime thinking and planning for tomorrow, a tomorrow that I may not see. I think you get the idea, so I won’t belabor the point. Jump out of that plane, go to Italy, or become a Chrome dancer…now!

I think Eminem summed it up nicely –

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo.