"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."

For as long as I can remember I've been struggling to figure out an answer to the question "What do you want to do when you grow up?". As a kid I didn't care how I got there (acting, joining a band, dancing, writing) I just knew that I wanted to be famous and leave my mark on the world. I pictured myself accepting awards or answering interview questions for a magazine. I'd by lying if I said that life didn't sound appealing to me, paparazzi and all, but somewhere along the line I fell into the trap of 40 hour work weeks and health benefits. This just isn't what I pictured my life would be. I was supposed to grow up, get rich, and take care of my parents who struggled to raise me because they were just babies themselves when I was born. Instead I am living paycheck to paycheck and only doing slightly better than my parents did at my age. I tell myself that it's only temporary as though some day magically my situation will improve.

My mother-in-law had this kitschy sign in her bathroom with the quote "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life". That sign has stuck with me since the first time I read it and for a while I didn't have the courage to realize that the life I have is not the life I am willing to settle for. I realize now that all we really have is time and it's what we do with that time that matters. I also realize that sometimes you need to make sacrifices and struggle for the things you really want. It's never too late to chase your dreams and it's time I start. I don't know what the future holds but I do know that I'm done settling.