I once overheard a friend talking about his aunt who works a 9-to-5 job, doing the same thing over and over again, every day. In her late forties, she’s been doing her mundane job for ten years, a sort of professional Groundhog Day. Now, there is absolutely no problem with working pretty much any job for any number of hours if you love it. But therein lies the problem with this person: she hates her job. “But there’s no way out,” my friend said. “She’s trapped by the necessity to work to earn an income in order to survive.”
My heart sank for her as I listened to that story. If you ask me, she might as well be in prison. Routine becomes the confining walls of a prison if you don’t take comfort in it. And yet that idea of a robotic life, in which there is nothing left to excite or motivate you, potentially awaits us all if we surrender to either the easiest options or the expectations others have for us that we don’t share for ourselves.
Why put yourself through that? Don’t give up that easily.
Don’t allow yourself to settle for just anything in your life.
Strive to obtain your every want and desire, as long as you’re not harming others.
I say this as someone who felt imprisoned within himself. I was there, but I got out of it relatively quickly. I had ambition. I had dreams. And I had to pursue them; otherwise my soul would have shriveled. The hardest part was allowing myself to want something other than what was socially acceptable, telling myself to go after it, then actually doing it.
Actually doing what you want can be the most difficult thing. Yes, the risk was huge and it could have all blown up in my face, but I couldn’t live with the what-if—the answer to: “What if I don’t try?”
What have you got to lose?
My favorite YouTube video I ever made was about this topic, and I’d like to share the raw text with you, bare for all to see.
As the title says, “Life Doesn’t Wait.”
I’m tired, I’m so tired
not from a lack of sleep
but from a sheer amount of disbelief
from seeing the watercolor world we live in
slowly turning a light shade of tin
smiles fade to frowns
ups turn to downs
some of us have lost that spark
lost our drive
lost our heart
and frankly, I’m tired of it
I’m exhausted by the sight
of lives lacking a certain light
when each & every one of us deserve that right?
Now do me a favor & lend me your ears
Keep your eyes peeled, place them here
Poetry and fancy wordplay on hold,
Here’s a meaningful story I’ve never told:
A couple of weeks ago, on a day like any other, I was heading out to meet up with some friends for lunch. For some reason, I couldn’t be bothered to tackle the mess that is Los Angeles parking, so I called a taxi. After a couple of minutes of waiting, I saw the car approaching and left my apartment and met this yellow vehicle at the curb.
I’m the type of person who likes to make conversation with pretty much anyone and everyone, whether it’s an old lady at a bus stop or a barista at a coffee shop. People are people and they all have something to say; everyone has a unique story to tell. After a few introductory sentences, this thirty-something gentleman realized we were both creative types, originally from the Midwest, living in Los Angeles, pursuing our many artsy endeavors.
We continued conversing and things got deeper quickly. He asked me, “Was your family okay with you moving to a bigger city and chasing such an alternative type of career?”
“Definitely!” I said. “They’re just happy that I’m happy, doing something I love every day.”
He continued by saying, “Good, that’s really good that you’re doing something you’re passionate about. A lot of people nowadays can’t say that.” And then he added: “You know, my dad and brother worked night and day for practically their entire lives, receiving little pay, doing something they didn’t enjoy at all. They both always talked about how it’ll be worth it one day! ‘We can spend our hard earned money later on! We will live a good life eventually.’ But you know what? Neither of them ever got that. My dad died unexpectedly four years ago and my brother, just last year. They’ll never get to live that life they always wanted to, so it’s nice to see other people following their hearts and living their lives now, rather than later.”
And that’s when he dropped me off.
After only a 1O-minute car ride
I left with a new perspective in my mind
life waits for no one.
if yours isn’t going the way you want it to
if you aren’t pursuing what you want to pursue
if you wake up with immediate dread
constantly saddened by the hours ahead
moving through the days
feeling lost, heart in a haze
holding back what you want to say
waiting to be yourself another day
your dreams & desires put on hold
to be fulfilled, maybe when you’re old
you aren’t doing it right
you aren’t living your life
eventually is not okay
why tomorrow when there is today?
I finally feel like I’m finding my way
and not just living day by day
I’m doing what I love
I’m going where I want to go
I’m being who I want to be
I’m happy
And you know what? I think everyone deserves to feel the same way.
♦ ♦ ♦
I’m just a small-town kid trying to find my place in the world. I’ve only been around for twenty-two years and there’s so much left for me to explore and learn. I’ve been through an incredible amount already, but there are more ups and downs to come. I don’t know when or where, but that uncertainty is a beautiful thing. All I know is that I need to keep moving forward in the direction I’m happy with.
I refuse to live a life of regret. I refuse to hope things will get better in the future when I have complete control over making them the best possible right here and now. We have one life—and none of us knows how long our life will be or what will become of it. The possibilities are truly infinite.
The future is as bright as you let it shine. Don’t be tricked into seeing it dimly. Don’t be fooled into believing that this, where you are right now, is all you get. Your potential is endless. Just act. Act now. Right now. Leap. Live. Love.
So what are you waiting for? Go. Get started.
Acknowledgments
To my editors, Jhanteigh and Steve: Thank you for dealing with my constant e-mails, many phone calls, desperate meetings, and giving me the general help I needed to complete this huge project. I couldn’t have done it without your patience and counsel.
To my manager, Andrew: Thank you for guiding me through this, as well as all of my entrepreneurial endeavors. Without your positive push, I wouldn’t have had the courage to even begin this book.
To my creative consultant and best friend, Troye: Thank you for all the ingenious input you give to me on all of my creations. I appreciate you and trust your eye more than anyone else’s.
To my friends back home, Alli, Jacob, Douglas, Kirstin, Kayla, Brooke, Stephanie, and Emilie: Thank you for living the most memorable moments of my childhood with me. I wouldn’t trade those long hours in the pool with you all for the world.
To my family, Dad, Mom, Dustin, Nicola, and Brandon: Thank you for your endless love and support. I can’t begin to describe how proud I am to come from a family as amazing as ours. I love you all with every inch of my being.
Last but surely not least, to you, the reader: Whether this is the first or millionth time you’ve heard of me, thank you. The amount of support I receive on a daily basis is heartwarming, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. You’re a special bunch and are going to do great things i
n the world. I feel truly blessed to have you on this journey with me.
CONNOR FRANTA is an Internet sensation and global trendsetter with millions of followers on YouTube and many other social media platforms. He is the founder of Common Culture Coffee and works closely with The Thirst Project, a charity that provides clean drinking water in Africa, for which he raised more than $230,000 in thirty days. He also curates music from up-and-coming bands for his Common Culture compilation albums. This is his first book. To learn more, visit: youtube.com/ConnorFranta and twitter.com/ConnorFranta.
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Interior design by Dana Sloan
Jacket Design by Chelsea McGuckin
Jacket Photographs by Connor Franta
Author Photograph by Joseph Hernandez
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-4767-9161-6
ISBN 978-1-4767-9162-3 (ebook)
Connor Franta, A Work in Progress
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