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No One Else Can Understand Your Dream

I have a friend who’s a really smart guy. But he doesn’t understand my dream. Not completely.

My “dream” is just what you see here: a blog. That’s right–“just” a blog.

I’ve done various forms of writing for many years. I took an interest in short stories while in school. Grade school? High school? I don’t remember. I used to like Edgar Allen Poe. And Jack London. I enjoyed the “short story” format, for some reason. Maybe because it was simple and easily digestible.

I consider myself a pretty simple person, and appreciate simplicity in all its forms.

I used to love going to see movies made by the great directors. For a period of time in high school, I couldn’t get enough of Francis Ford Coppola, who directed The Godfather movies and many others, including my personal favorite at the time–the hypnotic, psychedelic Vietnam war epic, Apocalypse Now. I saw this movie so many times, I couldn’t count, along with another Vietnam war classic, The Deer Hunter

Around the time I finished high school, I began to get into John Steinbeck novels–of course The Grapes of Wrath, but by far my favorite was Cannery Row. Here’s the summary … “Cannery Row is a book without much of a plot. Rather, it is an attempt to capture the feeling and people of a place, the cannery district of Monterey, California, which is populated by a mix of those down on their luck and those who choose for other reasons not to live “up the hill” in the more respectable area of town…”

I also loved the simplicity and macho adventurism of Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises being one I enjoyed.

In college, I became a journalism major, and when a new major was created, “Radio, TV, and Film”, I changed to that, and began to watch the movies of great directors as classwork (Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Wells  of Citizen Kane, etc.).

I started making films, too, helping to create an eight millimeter movie called The Fred Astaire Complex (which won a prize at a competition). We actually shot the movie on the Hollywood Bowl stage (I had a connection).

I also helped make a sixteen millimeter film called The Pep Boys Next Adventure (there was no “first” adventure, by the way). We found a stunt man, and had him do some cool things. I also remember that we dropped a dummy off a tall building at our school. I still have that film somewhere.

Sixteen millimeter is a professional format. The counter-culture classic 6o’s movie Easy Rider, starring Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, was shot in sixteen millimeter.

The “highlight” of the filming was getting into a fistfight with a fellow crew member and student in the middle of the shoot. He was a Russian immigrant who constantly accused me of being a “hedonist” (he always pronounced the word with a soft “e” sound). And yes, he was right in his assessment of me at the time. I’m sure that’s what caused me to fight him then and there.

Years later, after going in other directions, I began to write movie screenplays with a friend. I remember completing three screenplays, which had varying degrees of promise.

But at the time we began to shop the third screenplay, I was pulled in a different direction, and ended up spending the better part of three decades helping a great nonprofit organization, BOND, which is dedicated to “rebuilding the family by rebuilding the man.”

I used my writing and editing skills during that period, helping put together press releases, grants, direct mail, and other fundraising pieces. I still help the organization to this day.

I have always had a keen interest in health and fitness–this is the other passion of my life. I’ve been fascinated with nutrition, bodybuilding, sports training, yoga, and other alternative fitness strategies since I was in my teens.

I became a Certified Personal Trainer, founded GREEK PHYSIQUE™, LLC and created GREEK YOGA™. These have been amazing discoveries, and I’m grateful to have found them.

At some point, I’ve come to realize that at heart I’m not a personal trainer–though I’ve been able to help a lot of people in that role. I’m more a communicator of ideas. And I cannot limit myself to just talking about health and fitness. There’s so much more I want to have a say in. Particularly in these perilous times we live in.

Besides, my father–a World War II veteran–was always tuned into the events of the day, and I picked that up from him. So I suppose it’s no great surprise that I ended up combining my passions for health and fitness, coupled with my interest in current events, and my curiosity about life itself, with writing–the desire to communicate with a degree of precision. And that brings me back to this blog!

So regarding my dream, it necessarily involves treading over dangerous terrain. Stepping beyond typical health and fitness matters puts me at risk of offending potential clients, especially since I have a way of seeing the world that is vastly different, in many ways, from that of many.

I also fully admit I began this blog without a monetization strategy! What? Yeah, it’s true. I want to make this blog my full-time “job,” yet I have no strategy in place yet to actually make money from it, short of selling my materials, which at the moment is my GREEK YOGA™ video and my e-book, GREEK PHYSIQUE: The Simple, Satisfying Way to Sculpt Your Body–Even if You’re Old, Weak, or Broken Down.

These are great products, and can help change people’s lives. I’ll likely be creating and selling more educational material  in the future. I’ve considered starting a Patreon site, or a membership site for full access to my blogs. I like this model, and God willing I can build this into a serious business.

I’m actually quite excited about the possibility of doing this, and creating content that members will love. If you are interested in potentially supporting this venture or have any related feedback, please let me know in the comments below, or email me if it’s more private in nature.

We are in scary times, for sure, but I also believe these are exciting times for creators. We have the chance to do something we love, something that we maintain 100% creative control over, and that can potentially can help a lot of people. That’s pretty cool.

So the dream is not just attainable–you could say I’m already living it!

But no one else can understand my dream–the way I can. The economics of it don’t appear to make sense. The risk involved does not appear to make sense. But none of that matters when you’re doing something that was put inside you to do.

In a previous post, I discussed the “faith factor” while following a diet. Following the dream is no different–I’ve come to realize it is also a matter of faith.

I hope this post helps you–potentially to understand my dream a little better, but more important for you–to understand your own dream. As always, I welcome your comments.  

Patrick Rooney is the Founder of OldSchoolUs.com, a website that believes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Its focus is Health, Success, and Freedom—yeah, in that order. Patrick is the author of GREEK PHYSIQUE: The Simple, Satisfying Way to Sculpt Your Body—Even if You’re Old, Weak, or Broken Down; and is also the creator of Greek Yoga™ and the Greek Yoga for Beginners video. To reach Patrick, email him at[email protected].

6 thoughts on “No One Else Can Understand Your Dream”

  1. The right path is always the correct path…..and you will always know that, because the doors will keep opening for you as you move…..I will keep checking your progress….my blessing to know you and your views…..

  2. Keep the faith and God bless you on your journey. Your articles helped me to understand things better. Thank you Patrick!

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