“Everything that offends you, weakens you.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

Good evening everyone.  This is Tank checking in with you today.  I hope everyone had a great start to the week. My week started off with me staying at home with my two beautiful daughters.  Over the weekend, they both had high fevers (103ish?) but the fevers subsided by Sunday and it was just a pre-cautionary measure today.  Now, I’m a person who doesn’t get sick.  I don’t believe in sickness and so we don’t cross paths.  Today, though I will say that I wasn’t at my optimal best, but I also had a pretty hard workout regime this past weekend and my muscles were very achy.

I want to share something with you all.  As you all know or I hope you can tell from my page, that I am an actor.  I love acting, I love producing, I love being on set, the development of projects, being on set, getting the phone call that I got the part, being on set… 🙂  I have yet to hit the level that I know I’m going to hit, for it’s just a matter of time and I’ve learned that I do not control time (I still try, though).

I had a mentor of mine question me a little over a week ago about responsibility and career paths and the fact that I graduated with high honors from college and they don’t understand why I gave up the “security” of a stable job to pursue my passion.  “When are you going to get real?”  Basically, was the essence of this conversation.  This person told me that I live for my work and work is just supposed to be there to pay bills…

I thought, “How sad.”  If you don’t love what you do, then I feel sorry for anyone that does it that way.  The appearance of security is just that, “appearance.”  Look at the collapse of the global economy that just happened, all the titans of industry that crumbled.  The lock up of any and all credit to consumers, unemployment numbers, etc.  Job security?  I say this to condemn no one, I just have a different view on life.  To me, it is worth it to go on the journey to realize and fulfill what I feel is my destiny.  It is worth it for me to get up and put one foot in front of the other towards a goal that I may not see because the road is foggy or there is so much debris out there and the street markers are covered. Mark Victor Hansen remarked about life that it’s like driving in a car with the headlights on at night.  You can only see so far in front of you.  But, if you know where you’re going, you don’t panic.  Even if you have to take a detour because there’s construction on the road, you have faith that you will get to your destination.

Sometimes that destination is a little farther than you thought when you started out on that journey and you have to stop at a gas station to get some fuel.  Fuel for me is the mastermind that I recently created with some of my friends on Facebook.  I have to tell you guys, I love all of you.  You are greatly appreciated.  Your thoughts, prayers are propelling me forward.

So, knowing when to quit?  I mean, do you ever?  Well, that depends on you I guess.  “But, what about the real world?” Some might ask this question.  When do you think you have put yourself through enough pain?  Well, what if Thomas Edison had said after the 9,999th time trying to create a commercialized light bulb, “This won’t work.”  What if the Wright Brothers had listened when people told them that man was not meant to fly?  What would have happened if Clint Eastwood listened to his critics early on in his career when they told him he wasn’t handsome enough to be a leading man?  What if Tyler Perry had given up on his dreams when he was broke and homeless? What if Walt Disney had given up after his fifth bankruptcy?

What if? Who can truly answer that question?  None of you can and neither can I.  I do know this, though… No matter how long it takes, no matter how many people may say, “You should hang it up,” no matter the roadblock that tries to impede my path on my way to my Definite Purpose in life, I will not be stopped.  I will hit every goal that I ever set if it takes me the rest of my life to do it.  Oh, what a different story man would have to tell if everyone had that same “sticktuitiveness” for things they set out to do in life.

It’s as basic as, “Are you a glass half full/empty” kind of person?  Do you see a statistic like “Only one in ten businesses succeed” and decide not to start a business or do you say, “You mean I only have to start 10 businesses to be successful?”  Think about it.

Thank you, person of mine who inspired me to write this by doubting me.  You helped me to remember all the reasons why I’m doing this in the first place and have re-energized me to keep going.  Be blessed everyone.

Tank