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Once you've figured out what your dream, purpose or passion is, the next step is figuring out how to make that dream come true. It might seem impossible but specific step-by-step examples by those who have made even the wildest dreams come true show us not only that it can be done but how exactly dreams can come true.
In another life I was a talent scout (A&R rep) in the music business. In a lot of ways it was a dream job inside a dream factory. Starting at a very young age, I wanted to work in the music business. I worked in record stores, managed bands, toyed around with starting my own label, took voice lessons, started bands, saw live music nearly every night, found a mentor to guide me in learning how to create music videos and had all sorts of cool internships and crappy fringe jobs in between for years. Along the way I set my sights on becoming a top A&R rep. And I made it, sort of.
I made it to the bottom rung of the A&R ladder before I jumped off. Nevertheless, I made it to the point of having a job that fewer than a hundred people in the country had, and very few of them women. I got paid to listen to music, something which I paid to do before it became my job. That is the very essence of a dream job - getting paid to do what you would do even if you didn't make a dime.
My dream job was to help other people make their dreams come true. Getting a record deal is the dream of many aspiring professional musicians. That's a dream that can come true. And not only can it come true, it can come true in a spectacular fashion resulting in stardom, groupies, millions of dollars and an appearance on MTV Cribs.
However, getting a record deal is a dream I try to dissuade most artists from pursing. Why? because it focuses on a specific outcome that is largely unattainable and out of their control. That was my lesson learned in pursuit of my dream job. It's not about the specific outcome it's about using your talents and living your purpose.
I have a friend and mentor from my music business days who is one of the few people I know still in the industry. He did many of the same things I did but unlike me he didn't limit himself to one specific job. He kept trying different things that allowed him to discover artists and new music and introduce it to the world - much the same as what I loved about A&R. However instead of working for a major label, he is now a DJ (after starting as a volunteer) for one of the most renowned public radio stations known for launching new music. He has cool musicians come to his show to be interviewed and he shares his music finds with fans around the world (thank you internet streaming). And that's just his part-time weekend job. His main gig is running his own company as a music supervisor where he picks the music you hear in films and TV shows like Dexter, House and Six Feet Under. Oh, and by the way, he is also now a Grammy nominee.
My point is he didn't set out to be a Grammy nominee and focus on that singular pursuit. Rather he focused on his passion and talent and created his dream life. That, my dear readers, is how you make your dreams come true. Even your wildest dreams.
While stories of Jim Carrey dreaming of becoming a movie star and writing himself a $10 million check which he manifested doubled, becoming a movie star is a dream that is largely out of your control. Becoming a working actor, however, is. Jenna Fischer who plays Pam on the US version of The Office tells us how.
I thought being an actor meant being famous. But, most actors aren't recognizable. It's funny. I watch TV in a whole new way now. Like, I watch a show and I see the person who has 3 lines on Law and Order and I think, "Their family is gathered around the TV flipping out right now. I bet that was a huge deal for that person!" There are so many actors that make a living by doing support work on shows. I was
