Fortunate indeed are the men and women who live their dreams every single day, are able to pursue their passions without any compromises and make a living out of their sport.

Most of us have come across such people or at the least heard about their achievements ind the media. People like the Bear Grylls or David Attenborough who live a life of extreme adventure immersed in nature, people like Tony Robbins, Jack Cafield or Robin Sharma who thrive on empowering people by their life changing seminars or motivational books. How about Hollywood celebrities like Jim Carrey or Sylvester Stallone or entrepreneurs like Brian Chesky who has revolutionized the travel industry ever since he launched AirBnB, or Mark Zuckeberg, who has become a household name thanks to his brainchild Facebook.

The mass of men lead a life of quiet desperation – Henry David Thoreau

Unfortunately I have no ready answers. but I do know this:

• All these achievers have not attained the level of success overnight. They have toiled through the darkest of nights and have stayed true to their commitment to succeed against all odds. It has taken years, maybe decades to excel in the trade and this fact is often overlooked by most who envy their ‘Instant’ Success.
• They have believed in themselves before they expected anyone else to believe in them.
•  They overcame their obstacles rather than blaming their circumstances.
• They practiced, practiced and practiced until they became masters of their craft.

“To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ― Anatole France, Works of Anatole France

Here is my question to you – Would you paint even if no one would ever buy a single canvas? Would you sing and care less if you were laughed upon? Would you take the stage and address a packed room despite the butterflies in your stomach? Would you put on your running shoes at four o’clock on a cold wintry morning when the rest of the world  sleeps?  I believe that the true mark that differentiates a passing fancy from a burning desire  is whether you would go ahead anyways, not with the hope of reward or recognition but only because it makes you feel alive!

So follow your passion. Live your dream. Go become a Giant!

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. -Swami Vivekananda

• Twitter