On Your Inner Voice
“Some people hear their own inner voices with great clearness, and they live by what they hear. Such people become crazy, but they become legend.”
- Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love this quote, and it made me smirk a little the other day when I heard the familiar, gruff voice of Gordon Tootoosis, who plays One Stab, a Native American elder member of the Cree Nation, friend of the Ludlow family and narrator of the epic 1994 film.
I have heard the intro to that movie more times than I can count (Google “Legends of the Fall full Trailer”), and I watched the film repeatedly on the VHS my parents eventually bought for me as a teen with a Brad Pitt obsession.
I was 13 years old when I first saw the movie while visiting my Grandma, Rita, in her apartment above the bakery she owned and ran in the quaint and affluent town of Millbrook, New York.
My sister, Katie, and I sat huddled on the wood floor, looking up at the old box TV, mesmerized—a little scared and a little awestruck simultaneously—by the movie that we had popped in for something to do (because it had horses on the cover). We had tired of helping in the Bakery and were old enough now to entertain ourselves upstairs for a while.
The intro sounded mystical then and perfectly set the tone for the dramatic storyline (I eventually got the soundtrack, too 😉). This day, hearing it 28 years later, it made me smirk because I identified with it. At 13, I hadn’t considered hearing my inner voice, much less living by it. I mean, how could I possibly think straight with Brad Pitt grinning at me as he tipped his cowboy hat in greeting on a prancing stallion in the rain anyway?
What Makes Us “Crazy”
Today, hormones in check, I, and many other entrepreneurs like me, hear their inner voices with great clarity, just like the script from this movie. We listen to the voice, see the visions, and take steps toward birthing them into reality.
The part that makes some people “crazy” is what happens from there.
The idea, which is now in our world, needs constant supervision, nurturing, and management—like a child. It’s enough to drive a person truly nutty! Just like parenting, not everyone is cut out for it. This constant nurturing and attention is the part where some entrepreneurs quit and go back to relying on a 9-5 job working for the man, and some keep going to become “legends,” AKA successful. Either they push through—or they don’t.
How Far Will You Go?
We must ask ourselves: How far will I take my passion? How long will I grind for my goals? What am I willing to give up for success? Am I willing to go against the norm to follow my inner voice?
There are no correct answers to these questions, but if you take the time to listen to your inner voice, you will already know the answers—and your truth.
Find a Community
The mistake many make just before giving up is thinking they must do it alone. Brad Pitt made that mistake. He ended up alone…and didn’t he get eaten by a bear?!?!
Don’t make that mistake. Seek out community support and create an effective action plan. Suppose your dream is to become a photographer so that you can customize your life to fit your family’s needs and schedule. In that case, we’ve got a step-by-step framework for you to get you through that initial “crazy” period in business creation with ease and certainty.
Join our weekly motivational/ inspirational newsletter, Seeing the Light, to be the first to hear about enrollment. Learn more at www.lanasterphotographyschool.com.
A question for you: Are you following your inner voice?
I’d love to hear more about it in the comments.
Xx - Megan Hoffer