This is my first blog post EVER, just thought I should mention. Hope you enjoy anyway…
As a boy, I dreamt of being an airline pilot, working for a prestigious company and later starting my own airline company with my fleet. Sounds pretty lofty, huh? Well, I have since studied Mechanical Engineering, been a professional stage actor, was employed as a teacher in a prestigious school and now I’m a tour operator organizing and selling trips.
Now, how does this happen? I’m sure many of us are asking the same question. My answer is simple: I’m not a pilot, yet! I’m sure many reading this were told to aim high but to expect reality. Wow! How discouraging. I will have you know that each step informed the next.
After completing my high school education in the late 90’s and was ready to join flying school, my parents counselled me to first enroll in university and get a degree before studying for my pilot’s license. This was slightly disappointing as it meant postponing the realization of my dream. I went on to study Mechanical Engineering at a local university and it was here during my campus years that I got involved in theatre productions as a hobby, and was later cast in a few professional plays that elevated my profile further. Slowly my passion for theatre began growing and later got involved in more productions. It was quite fulfilling getting paid for a hobby. Shortly after completing my undergraduate degree, I was called for a teaching job at a prestigious school within the drama department. It amazed me how much little effort it took me to get to this point, given my theatre history. I thought back and realized that I had thought about training in theatre techniques before. The job came with a good salary and several attached benefits. However, my flying dream kept me restless, and I felt it was worth fighting for. My parents at the time were no longer in employment and needed some support. I nonetheless left the comfort of my teaching job to invest in another passion- tours and adventure. I established a tour company with part of my savings to facilitate raising my fee for flying school. It has been growing two-fold every year and the best part is it’s still growing.
There have been failures along the way. However, these have also been a great source of learning for me. It starts with vision then goes on to planning for achievement. I have achieved much more than I realized I was capable of in this way. Most opportunities do not come screaming and are only perceived by those who prepare for them. I’m not yet there but I’m way ahead of where I used to be.
Point of reflection:
- Visualise: Project where you want to be
- Analyze: Check your motives and research which way is the best to reach your goal
- Actualize: Once you’ve analyzed do not wait too long to start
