Hey, stay in your lane!

A case for pursuing your dreams NOW

“Hey man, keep it between the mayo and mustard!” A friend at the office would often say this whenever someone was leaving for the day. If you don’t get this right away, it took a couple minutes to sink in with me, too! Of course, we’re talking about staying between the white and yellow lines on the highway. Staying in your lane is solid advice for keeping you safe from oncoming traffic.

Let’s talk about your lane. You know, the one you travel in day to day, week to week, month to month, and year after year. If you’ve worked in a job for any length of time, you start to learn where you’re supposed to be. Have you ever wandered through your office taking inventory of how you measure up to others (janitor, clerk, manager, security guard, VP, fill in the blank…)? This practice can make you feel superior or inferior - neither good!

Over time, you can become so comfortably numb driving in your lane that you forget to be curious about what you were put on this earth to do. Maybe you once brought it up with a friend, and they projected their own fears by telling you that your dream is too risky. “Stuff them away,” they said. “Keep on going so you can one day retire and do what you want.”

Truthfully, if you aren’t curious about your dreams now, you probably won’t pursue them when you retire. You’ll shift into the retirement lane and try to get comfortable there.

And here’s another thing to remember: Life isn’t safe. I used to think it was until suddenly, it wasn’t.¹ When your last day comes, will you be glad you stayed in your lane? Will you be happy that you followed everyone else and left your dream on a shelf? To be clear, I am not judging you. My risk meter has always run on the low side.

So, what must you do to live differently? Here are four steps:

1. Realize you are in the driver's seat of your car—no one else

2. Place the key in the ignition

3. Put the car into gear

4. Start driving down the road so you can steer your car

Hey Tarek, what are you even talking about? Alright, let’s make it practical. Take 15 minutes today to brainstorm as many things as possible that interest you. Pick one. Take a small step each day this week to explore it. It could be as simple as listening to an inspiring podcast or grabbing coffee with a friend who is in a lane you’d like to try.²

Send me a DM or comment below on what you came up with. Get in your car and drive out of your lane! Thanks for reading.

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If you benefited from today’s message, would you consider forwarding this email to a friend? Thank you!

1. Life isn't safe

2. I have some great podcast ideas. DM me.