Last night I had the opportunity to attend an art gallery opening in Pasadena, California for one of favorite masters Kenton Nelson @kenton_nelson. When I met Kenton, I shared with him my passion for helping college seniors with career advice, and I told him my biggest obstacle to speaking was the fact that my business takes a large chuck of my weekdays and weekends. Kenton told me that he started painting when he was 40 years because he knew he had to do something that he had only dreamed about doing. Didn’t make any money doing it at first, so it was a struggle to find the time to hone this craft. Point of reference: the 3 original oil paintings at this show last night were priced from $42,000 to $60,000 and had already been sold. And Kenton’s work is now found in art galleries throughout the world.
Kenton’s advice to me: just like when he followed his heart at the age of 40, I need to take one day a week and turn off the phones and turn off my computer and just work on my book for college seniors and on my speeches. That’s what it’s going to take to get me over the hump. It doesn’t matter that I’m missing a day of my office work. If this is what I love, this is what I must to do.
Listen to your mentors. They’ve been exactly where you are today. If you have a dream or a goal, find the time to craft it.