No Fear of Flying: For Visionaries and Outliers

Since I was 21, I’ve nurtured a vision for my life and my work that involved my love for people. I’ve always known that I loved connecting to others, exchanging perspectives, and sharing inspiration. Back at 21, I did this through my work as a poet and an arts educator, and I felt most alive and happy when I witnessed my students light up and recognize that they too, have words that held incredible truth and power.

I am lucky to have found my passion and my purpose at such a young age. And through all the ups and downs, the adversity and the obstacles, I recognize how lucky I’ve been to have the opportunity to fight for what I love since then.

Since 21, my vision has grown. I’ve dreamed of doing work in television, not because of all the sparkle of “showbiz”, but because I dream of the opportunity to represent something positive and purposeful in a platform that is otherwise used to promote the superficial. I’ve dreamed of creating inspiring media that uplifts people. To have a platform to transmit a message.

I’m relentless, too. Fearless and courageously delusional. I’ve risked everything in pursuit of my vision, because intuitively, I know that it is the right path, no matter how arduous or impossible it seems. But if you’ve had any experiences on a journey like I’ve had, you know that you’ve had to defend your vision with all your power.

Because as pure as your intentions are, there are those who will try and convince you that your efforts are worthless. You’ll come across those who will make you feel stupid and crazy, and will make you second-guess the worth of your dreams. Don’t listen to them. The only voice that matters in your path is the voice of your intuition, because your instincts tell you everything that you need to know. Your intuition comes from the purest place- trust it.

You’ll also come across seemingly impossible challenges, one after the other. Try not to let it faze you. It’s only a test to ask you how bad you really want it. If you believe in what you do, it’s only an opportunity to reveal to yourself your strength and power to create what you’ve desired. The most successful people aren’t those who are the smartest or most talented- they are those who persisted, who kept getting up, again and again, no matter how hard the fall.

I’m seeing more and more that the most successful visionaries are those who have had to fight so hard and long for what they wanted. They are those who, in their testing journeys, have inevitably developed a sensitivity for the world, so that they can create the most meaningful, most compassionate works that relate to the core of humanity.

Because that is who we are in our best selves, no? It’s not about the money we make or the honors we gain, it’s about creating the significant impact that makes other see the potential in themselves. It’s about finding your contribution in bettering the world. It’s about human connection, in the spark of spirit, in the truth that jolts within you. I believe those to be the true marks of success.

So, yes, I will continue to leap, I will continue to forge this path, more confident and comforted in knowing that I am accompanied by others like you who are doing the same. Thank you, visionary, for allowing to be in good company. Keep pushing forward, defend your dreams with all that you can, and keep your eyes on the prize.

I’ll see you there.