 beware shadow careers shadow careers I Was talking to a Guy recently that had spent all his work in life or up to date anyway. He's now in his late 30s In and around the music business he worked in a music shop For a time then start at his own music shop and then start to give him music lessons But I remember speaking to him at one of my events he came to and I said What do you do and he told me I said what do you really want to do? He said well, I've always dreamed of Making a living from being a singer-songwriter That's what I'd love to do. I'd love to be a singer-songwriter or to perform live. I Said what are you leaving it a bit late on you? And I tried to help him see that all of these all of these jobs that he'd had for all his life till that time In and around music were what I call shadow careers They are things that are in the neighborhood of what you really would want to do But they're not exactly what you want to do and so you gain comfort from being around music But you are never really happy because you want to perform music It's that and millions of us do this you have a desire to Do something With animals in a certain you want to be a veterinarian, but you just settle for volunteering at the animal rescue center or you have a desire to build buildings be an architect, but instead you settle for the shadow life of watching documentaries on architecture or Being fascinated when you get to speak to someone in architecture or your photograph buildings everywhere And so on and so on and so you have the shadow version of the real thing And if you are dissatisfied with your life, then ask yourself. What is your life a metaphor for? It may well be that your life is a metaphor for The life you really want to be living so do not live a metaphor life Live the real thing don't live the shadow version of what you want to do do it because the clock is ticking times running out and It's never too late. They say but it can get more complicated the later you leave it to do some things So if you're in a shadow career a shadows of what you really want to do come out of the shadows and step up and Get on stage as it were and be the singer Instead of be the guy or the woman all the time watching the singer thinking I wish that was me it can be Start today shadow careers interesting a Love you guys