I watched the movie “Yesterday” this week. One I can definitely recommend.
It follows the story of Jack Malik (acted by Himesh Patel), a struggling musician who wakes up after an accident and realises that he is the only person that knows who the Beatles are.
He’s in an alternative timeline where they never existed.
All of sudden, he has a wealth of musical content to wow the world with.
Even with this knowledge, and gut feeling that he has a catalogue of hits that the world will no doubt love, he still struggles. Should he share these with the world?
After all, he feels he doesn’t live up to the great talents of John, Paul, George and Ringo.
This turning point in his life could have meant such music never saw the light of day.
Encouragement from those around him and getting some attention made the difference for him to keep going. Ed Sheeran plays a part in this. Even if he butchers one of the lyrics of a classic!
This really got me thinking.
We all have other talents, ideas and passions that we put some time into outside of the working week.
Maybe you like writing poetry or short stories or there is a book idea in your head.
Perhaps you make furniture, paint watercolours, or can draw lifelike portraits of the kids.
Maybe you have an idea for a new product or business. Or a social enterprise that would make an impact on the local community.
Perhaps you are studying something (or want to), to change direction.
But are you in a place exactly like Jack Malik was?
That choice point of whether or not you keep this to yourself or actually do something about it and put it out there into the world.
The motivational speaker Les Brown talks about the cemetery being the richest place on the planet.
Why is that?
It is full of all the ideas, the books, the paintings, the businesses that were never brought to life.
They were taken to the grave after each person’s passing.
That’s quite a sobering thought to consider.
What have you not started yet? Something that is deep down, a fire that burns, and that maybe people keep reminding you about or signs cross your path as little reminders.
I’m a firm believer that it is never too late to get started.
Don’t wait for some far-off time frame such as retirement or when the kids have grown up and left home.
Today is as good as any.
Don’t bury those deep inner feelings, and creative ideas so that one day they end up being buried with you.
Get going. Then you remove those dangerous words of “If only I had...”
Take the leap.