oh yeah...

Yes, yes, y'all.  That's what happened right there.

Last night.

Oh the exhaling that's happening around here.  Whooosssaaahhh....

The thing is, you just want a chance to keep getting chances.  This one contract we were waiting on was to be the foundation of what--we hope--will be four or five more this year.

It's the old 'prime the pump' thing.

You need work to keep working.  It's easier to get a job when you have a job.  You can't create unless you're creating.

Whatever.  Pick your phrase.

The truth of it--it seems to me--is that you need to be doing what you hope to be doing.

(that's why we were so keenly anticipating last nights signage, it was the link we needed to get back to work for the next 18 months or so)

Meaning, if you want to be Pastor of your own Church you should probably plant a Church sooner rather than later.  I can't even begin to count the number of guys I've met in my career who've said to me, "Yeah man, I want to plant a Church...eventually."  

Eventually?

(the second you hear that 'e' word you know they're a poseur...)

There are some things in life that you just need to do.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of venturing off on my own at some point..."

"Yeah, we'll have kids, at some point..."

"Well, at some point I'm going to get down to writing that script..."

"I'll direct my movie, eventually..."

At some point?

How about today?  How 'bout you get started?  How 'bout you get busy livin'?  Yes (believe me) I understand that sometimes there are things (like contracts waiting to be signed) beyond your control that you need to wait on before really getting up and at 'em but may I remind you to be very careful with your waiting.  It seems to me it's a fine line between 'productive waiting' and procrastinating.

Hey, that rhymes.  Serves you right for blogging while listening to Funkmaster Flex.

D'you know what I'm saying?

Some say you should give yourself ten years of focused dream-pursuing and, after that decade, if things haven't begun opening up for you, you should adjust.

Thing is, with Church Planting, business building or movie making the focus and commitment needed almost necessitates a burning of your bridges.  It's almost a sure thing that after those ten years you'll be entirely ineligible for a high-paying job a RIM.

So...

1) Focus like a mofo.  Make that magic.  Pay that piper.  Leverage ALL your skills.  Make it happen like it matters.

2) Live cheap.  Don't buy fancy clothes or fancy foods.  Keep your luxuries in-check.  Let your furniture get old.  The more financially flexible you are the more likely it'll be that you can retain the freedom necessary to make the moves you must make to make it.  And if the ten years pass and you have to adjust, you'll have some savings to give yourself time to retrain--and take RIM by storm...

3) Be sure that the thing you must do is THE thing you must do.  You don't want to waste a life in the pursuit of a dream but you don't want to waste a dream just because life-happened.

You know?

You KNOW?

Hit it.

T