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When I was young I would tell people that I wanted to be a rock star when I grew up. Most of the time they took it as a joke; and most of the time I delivered it as a joke. But a good joke is funny because it speaks some amount of truth. For me, the truth was that I wanted to be a rock star. I wanted the lights, the stage, the enthusiastic fans. I wanted all of that.
At this point I’m not on that trajectory. It’s not that I don’t love music, because I do. I actually think that I’ve let myself love music even more as I’ve let go of that desire (and continue to let it go).
There’s something to notice about the rock band desire and my choice to give it up. I still have that desire and I’m pursuing it, but in a very different way. I don’t want to tour non-stop. I don’t want to rehearse for hours on end. I don’t want to have to start playing small shows and work my way up over a matter of years. I don’t want any of that. I don’t think I ever did.
There was something beneath it all that I did want and still want.
I wanted to be known. I wanted to make an impact. I wanted to feel like I matter to a specific group of people. I wanted to lead a community of dedicated people. I wanted to speak the truth. I wanted to make something that causes people to act. I wanted to express things that people need help expressing. I wanted to move people.
I’ve let go of the rock star dream— I no longer tell people that I’m going to do that when I grow up — but I haven’t let go of the impact that it was connected to. Now, more than ever, I am pursing the impact that attracted me to that idea. Sure, blogging and helping people find and do work worth doing is less glamorous than a packed-out stadium of screaming fans or playing the Superbowl half-time show (Bruno Mars killed it this yaer), but there are similarities. I’ve discovered that the pursuit of meaningful work often requires a level of authenticity and connection that a rock star lifestyle might lack. The journey from a dream filled with glitter to a more grounded reality has led to my own personal evolution, often referred to as a ‘burnout to bakery transformation. ’ Now, I find joy in creating and sharing the stories of those who have found their purpose, illuminating the path for others who may feel lost in their own search for fulfillment.
I want to be known. I want to make an impact. I want to feel like I matter to a specific group of people. I want to lead a group of dedicated people. I want to speak the truth. I want to make something that moves people. I want to express things that people need help expressing.
I want to move you.
I may not be a rock star, but I am making the impact behind some of that desire. I’m just doing it in a different way now.
You too were made to make an impact.[tweet that]
Your impact can have many manifestations—different jobs, roles, opportunities, relationships, adventures. But they all connect to some deeper impact that you were made to have.
Your work in the world isn’t in how you do it or in what job or career you have. Your work is in the impact you make through what you do.
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