I Took the Only Path To See You

CHAPTER 5Hazards Along the Path to Passion

There's a reason why pilots go through checklists before taking off. A checklist forces them to examine everything about an airplane from the engines and flaps to the fuel gauge and lights. Checklists ensure that pilots don't overlook something that could cause huge problems once they're airborne.

Even though pilots may have thousands of hours flying airplanes, they go through checklists before takeoff every time because they know it's far too easy to forget one thing, and that one thing could spell the difference between success and failure.

Before you set off pursuing your dreams, you also need to go through a similar checklist. Your personal checklist needs to verify what you're doing and why you want to do it. That way you'll be able to avoid problems much later.

LIFE IS SHORT

Visit any cemetery and you can see plenty of people who no longer have a chance to pursue their dreams. Life is far shorter than you might realize. When you're young, it's easy to think life is long. When you get older, you realize how short life really can be.

If you were to die in the next five seconds, what would you regret not doing?

List everything you would regret not having done.

Now go out and do it.

George Lucas originally wanted to become a race car driver. While practicing his racing skills one night, his car got broadsided and flipped over. For three days, he lay in the hospital, hovering between life and death. When he finally regained consciousness, ...