A couple of days ago, I received the following message through the contact form on my blog:
Hi,
I don’t know if you remember me. We met on an airplane on the second week of August… We were sitting next to each other and started talking about you writing your blog and doing yoga and me about designing books.
I mentioned to you I wanted to take voice over lessons and you gave me the address and names of teachers for the Vancouver Acting School. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you. I went to the place and I am taking classes there and it’s great and it wouldn’t have happened without your advise…
Thanks for what you did, it’s been a positive experience so far… Enjoy your day!
I remembered who he was immediately. I’d been on my way to Colorado to train my replacement for My Yoga Online. He was on his way to Dallas. I was just getting ready to start as managing editor of Cella Magazine, and everything was in flux. I’d sat next to Omar on the plane.
We exchanged stories about working as ‘creatives.’
We discussed the downsides of working for free, and how you have to be on your guard because not everyones intentions are sound – creative people have a tendency to be desperate, and some people have no problem of taking advantage of this (about two years ago I wrote and designed an entire e-book on dog care for a chance to work for a company who – once all the work was done – were only prepared to offer me $12 per book).
Omar designs books, which it turns out is a WAY more complicated job than I could have possibly fathomed. He talked about the rules of designing a page of text – line spacing, the transition from one page to the next, how many words can be on a single line. Tedious work, but the end result is a pleasurable experience for the reader. The result is a flow. Because of this deliberate and specific work, you have the opportunity to get carried away by the words of the author. It’s effort I never realized I was reaping the benefits of… but I’d sure notice if it wasn’t there.
We exchanged ideas and advise.
He talked about his interest in voiceover which led me to recommend a school that I respected.
“The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is that when opportunity knocks, they are out in the backyard looking for a four-leaf clover.”
– Walter Chrysler
Here’s my takeaway from all this: every day counts. Every interaction counts.
Progress takes effort… but it also takes listening and being open to possibilities when they do present themselves. I used to disregard opportunities because I thought “the” opportunity would be wrapped in bright pink paper and finished with a bow. I’ve learned that it doesn’t work that way. Yes, you definitely have to put the work in… but at some point you also have to let it all go.
You have to be ready to receive. The pay off only really comes when you’re ready to receive it.
I’ve missed out on countless opportunities because I simply wasn’t ready to either engage or accept the advice. Presence, listening, and the ability to receive. These things are so important. I’m only now beginning to realize how important they truly are.
*I’ll be having coffee with Omar in a couple of weeks. It sure will be nice to catch up. Check out his website: http://omargallegos.ca