During my second year in drama school, my classmates and I tackled the works of William Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, Tennessee Williams, and Henrik Ibsen. Each storyteller shared a unique view of the world. They could transport me from a drab castle in Denmark to a farmhouse in the Mississippi Delta.
The writers, facing even greater odds than they would their characters, were as inspiring as the stories themselves. But the work of one playwright in particular had such an indelible influence on my twenty-something self that I continue to reflect on his work today. His plays were bizarre, confusing and even infuriating at times. On more than one occasion, I left rehearsal in a daze, wondering what trauma would compel a man to write such absurd stories.
I fell in love with the work of Eugene Ionesco. I learned to appreciate his sense of humor, his audacity and his incredibly original vision of the world. But above all, I admired how the man who would go on to win numerous awards in theaters around the world and write a total of 34 plays did not write his first until he was almost 40 years old. br />Related: 3 Ways to Start Living Your Dreams Today Much of our stress today, especially in the United States, is rooted in a warped relationship over time. He became the ultimate bully – pushing us, taunting us, and fighting us into submission until we handed over the crumpled dreams that failed to meet a conventional timeline of fulfillment. But as someone who has spent almost a third of their life in action and becoming an entrepreneur, my success is based on the belief that you are never too old to start a job you love.
En I actually came across three ways not to do the Forbes The 30 under 30 list can give you a head start.
1. Admit you have less time.
In the summer of 2013, I traveled to a small town in South Africa called Chintsa Village to volunteer as a teacher. After the program ended, I decided to hire a car and head to Port Elizabeth. After a few minutes of driving, I turned on the radio looking for tunes, but all I got was static. Just when I was about to turn it off, I turned the dial one last time and landed on a show. I was greeted by the booming voice of a South African preacher in the middle of a sermon:“Take my house. Take my car. You can even take all my money,” he said. "But Please , don't take my time! Don't take my time because I can't replace it! Seconds later, the station lost reception and mysteriously shut down. That moment changed my life.
Upon my return to the United States, I began to view my time as an investment. If a project didn't help me grow, form meaningful relationships, or give me personal fulfillment, it had to go. As a young man approaching adulthood, I finally realized that my time was up. I was suddenly driven to wage war against distraction and circumvention work that I considered futile. I also limited my associations with people who criticized more than they contributed. My life was passing. I just didn't have time to build a business and be around people who refused to go out of their way and seemed determined to take me with them. I learned to let go of what did not serve me. Time was now a valuable currency.
2. Understand the value of patience.
Many years ago, a young man from Seoul, Korea packed his bags and traveled to Paris to study cinema. He came from one of the few families that could offer both the means and the emotional support to make such a bold dream possible. A few years later, her mother died after losing her battle with cancer. He and his family were never quite the same, but most importantly he shared a unique bond with her and struggled with loss. In this loss, however, he gained clarity and the courage to admit the dream of becoming a director was in fact never his.
Related: 3 ways to discover your true passion
Thanks to a generous loan from his aunt, he spent six months traveling through Korea tasting foods and experimenting with different ingredients. He learned about different cultural trends, how food varied by province, and how regional dishes had become popular across the country. Shortly after his culinary expedition, he opened the first of a wildly successful chain of restaurants with delicious, reasonably priced food. Unsurprisingly, its restaurants have proven particularly popular with students. This man was my cousin and he was almost 50 years old when his dream finally came true.
In the end, it was his late jump from the starting block that gave him a clear view of the peloton in front of him. As everyone around him sprinted to the finish line, he was running a marathon. Not having the means to open his own restaurant did not prevent him from clarifying his vision. He understood the value of the long game and the importance of staying ready.
3. Exercise smarter.
Spend a few minutes on any social media platform and you might come across a hashtag followed by the words 'hustle' or 'grind'. From entrepreneurs to athletes, there is undoubtedly a “no day off” culture being promoted today. And while there's no substitute for hard work, it can be expensive if it's not accompanied by a dose of self-awareness.
In my obsessive quest to become an actor in work, my determination reaped many rewards, but left me exhausted in the major areas of life:family, relationships, and self-care. I chose solitude over camaraderie and competition over community. Then, one cold winter morning, I met a man who overturned everything I knew about the stampede. For the next few years, he taught me the importance of living a life and not just a career.
Every morning, rain, shine or snow, he rode the subway north from his home in Connecticut and was traveling to midtown Manhattan. For the next 10 hours, he auditioned, taught, or took classes. Right before his late foray into acting, he gave up the peace of mind that comes with supporting a family in a well-paying, stable job.
Every time he saw me get upset after a failed audition or complaining about not seeing the fruits of my labor, he reminded me that there was more to life than being on Law &Order . He taught me that you can want something without needing it; an awareness that not only freed me but also made work more enjoyable. Unsurprisingly, as soon as I stopped trying to make my way to the top, I started booking more work.
Life doesn't mean you have to live a small life, and no matter how old you are, you should approach every project as if you were just starting out.
Over the years, I have seen countless plays in New York. Broadway giants like Frank Langella and Tracie Bennett left me in awe, inspiring me to push the envelope in my own work. Still, their performances paled in comparison to how this man lived his life off the stage. He beamed when he talked about his kids, took the job seriously but never himself, and always responded that he was "awesome" when asked about his well-being. But the biggest lesson he taught was that being content while striving for your dreams was not a form of complacency. It just meant that joy couldn't be postponed for career achievement.
Our 15-year age difference showed me that responsible living doesn't mean you have to live a small life, and what a no matter how old you are, you should approach every project as if you were just starting out.
In 2014, he booked a series regular on one of TV's hottest shows. He was almost 50 years old.
Related: 5 steps to turn your passion into your profession
