Are You Living Your Dream But Don’t Realize It?

When I was in high school I started lifting weights for football. My body took to it like a duck to water. Once I learned how to lift properly I put on more than 20 lbs in three months. Four years later I’d gone from a scrawny 150 lbs to 240 lbs!

During college I was president of the Miami University Weightlifting Club for three years. That’s when I started to compete in powerlifting. After college I tried my hand at bodybuilding for several years.

To say I loved the gym would have been an understatement. My goal was to own a gym someday so while in school I took physiology, kinesiology, and general business classes to get ready to fulfill my dream. 

Something Happened Along the Way

After graduation I started my insurance career and met my wife Jane the first day of work. Less than two years later we were married and two years after that we purchased our first home.

I’m not sure when I let go of my dream of owning a gym. There wasn’t a day when I said, “This won’t happen,” or “I no longer want this to be my destiny.” I often jokingly say, “I got a job, met a girl, bought a house, and before I knew it, the dream was gone.”

Living the Dream

I never let go of my enjoyment of working out. In fact, not long after moving into our home I got the green light from Jane to buy weight equipment for the basement. Over the years I added to it to the point where there’s almost nothing I could do at the gym that I can’t do at home. I have a squat rack, bench, dumbbells, lat machine, treadmill, and more. It’s a sweet setup!

As I reflected on this a few years ago I was struck with the realization – I fulfilled my dream! I am a gym owner but it’s not how I envisioned it when I was younger. There are no members but everyone puts the weights back where they belong.

I count myself blessed because I’ve been able to descend into my basement for decades and do something I’ve enjoyed since I was a teenager. It’s a big component of who I am.

My awakening was like so many romantic comedies. You know the story, the one  where two friends are looking for love and it turns out they were staring at each other the whole time. They were missing what was so obvious to the audience.

Your Dreams

Have you ever experienced something similar? I think many people fulfill their dreams but don’t recognize it because it’s not how they envisioned it.

I encourage you to take time to reflect on your life. You may be pleasantly surprised to realize you’re living your dream too.

TED Talk

Interested in attending the TEDx New Albany event on Tuesday, April 18th? It will take place from 4:30-8:30 pm at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts in New Albany, Ohio. For more details and to get your tickets, visit the TEDx New Albany site.

Brian Ahearn

Brian Ahearn is the Chief Influence Officer at Influence PEOPLE. An author, TEDx speaker, international trainer, coach, and consultant, Brian helps clients apply influence in everyday situations to boost results.

As one of only a dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers in the world, Brian was personally trained by Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., the most cited living social psychologist on the science of ethical influence.

Brian’s first book, Influence PEOPLE, was named one of the 100 Best Influence Books of All Time by Book Authority. His follow-up, Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents, was an Amazon new release bestseller. His latest book, The Influencer: Secrets to Success and Happiness, is a business parable designed to teach you how to apply influence concepts at home and the office.

Brian’s LinkedIn courses on persuasive selling and coaching have been viewed by more than 500,000 people around the world!