I never dreamed of changing careers – why would I want to? I felt as if I had jumped up a few rungs on the ole corporate ladder of film & television production. I suppose I had to discover that sometimes…you don’t know what you are missing until you wake up from ‘the dream.’ Let me share with you the story of my change of career trajectory and pose the question – Is a bold “leap of faith” in your career’s future too?
For over 10 years I worked in media production. It was fun, adventurous, challenging, and provided me with a pretty good amount of job satisfaction. Anyone who has worked in this field knows the type of rewards that come from working in such a creative, collaborative environment with other highly skilled professionals.
I have had the opportunity to travel to distant nations in support of worldwide ministry work, gain exclusive access to highly influential entertainers and political figures, and capture visual memories to last a lifetime for my wedding and lifestyle clients. Perhaps most importantly, I was able to partner up with friends who had special photo/video needs – they trusted me countless times with their events and short film projects. Looking back on it all, I am quite proud of the work we did. I’m honored to have had the unique opportunities I have been blessed to receive. It’s certainly not something I have done completely on my own; I wouldn’t have ever wanted to!
The thing about passions in life…well, you don’t always have just one. Furthermore, many a dream has been deferred by the thought that the challenge was “too great”, “too unrealistic”, or otherwise – “too far out of reach”. This was certainly the mental road block for me when it came to my deeply rooted desire to become a pilot. It was something that I had wanted to do since I was a young boy going to airshows with my dad and building model planes with friends. Eventually my love of aircraft and motion pictures merged when camera equipped drones for aerial photography enthusiasts emerged on the scene.
I dreamed of one day turning my hobby into a reality – flying real airplanes. All my research led me to believe that becoming a pilot would either be something I did for fun as a rich old man, or that going the affordable route meant that I must fly through the US military once I finished up my 4 year degree. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered there may be another option for me; going through an accelerated flight school program where I could acquire all licenses and qualifications for turning aviation into a rewarding career. The more I researched the career field on websites like the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the more I discovered that this was quite a real possibility. After prayerful consideration and consulting my inner circle, I knew the timing was right to leave the ‘comfortable discomfort’ of standing still in my current job in favor of embarking on new opportunities. I created this video to share with everyone once I knew my decision was locked in and the next steps in my journey were to take place. It is the first of several videos that will continue to grow my Trek 2 Greatness channel on YouTube. It has been a great way for me to continue to use my video production abilities and encourage others along the way.
As promising as my new career path is sure to be, there are no guarantees in life. Through all the ups and downs of my professional life thus far, I have come to understand that my success has been a combination of skill, preparation, and good fortune – I am fortunate to receive the blessings that have come my way in the form of positive relationships, great opportunities opening up, and deciding to harness the good in situations. Just like everyone else, I’m only responsible for making the absolute very best of the cards I have been dealt in life.
Special thanks to my family and church family. I wish everyone a lifetime of pursuit towards the passions that enrich our lives, and the lives of those around us.
Be sure to catch my future posts every other #MOTIVATIONMONDAY on Play Your Way Network. It will contain more photos, video updates, and personal insights as I strive towards making my dreams a reality.
Thank you for reading along and following my journey, as YOU Trek 2 Greatness!
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