Crime of the Century - Matthew A. Hawkins

I believe the greatest crime someone can commit against themselves is not living up to their full potential. What happens to a person when they reach the end of their lives and they look back and say they wish they did more? I want to meet that person. I know it sounds so depressing, but I think I'd learn a lot from them. 'Why do they feel that way?'  'What would they have done differently?' 'Was it their fault or just the way the cards fell?' No one ever talks about that person. I think it's because no one has ever met that person. I don't think that person exists. If they do they are probably too cenial to admit to it anyways. Silly old cenial people.

I look at what I've accomplished in my life. I look at moments where I've stepped out and risked, moments I've stood back and played it safe and I wonder already about what would have happened if I did it differently. I'm 28. I'm wondering that already. I think I'm proving myself wrong about that person not existing already. I wonder what would have been, what could have been and then I get fueled for the future.

The greatest crime I could commit against myself is not creating. I love coming up with new ideas. I love racking my brain for that next possible idea. Creating for me happens a lot through my computer. It happens on this blog, in my videos. It happens in my Twitter updates, Facebook status. It happens through business, through the way I teach my kids. Creating is important to me. For me it's what I think everyone should be doing in their own way and to not be is a crime against yourself. Find what you can create and go for it. It could be shoes, bags, pictures, small business plans, government policies, you name it and go create it.

What are you passionate about? What gets you going? Do you know what question is coming up next? I do. Why aren't you doing it? What's holding you back?

Here's some excuses, (I use them often as well):

1 ) I'm lazy. 2 ) I'm not good at learning new things. 3 ) I don't have the money/time/energy (that lazy thing again). 4 ) I have a family to support. 5 ) I don't have the education.

After I have my own pity party and whining about how unfair life is, I have decided to go through this list:

1 ) I'm only as lazy as I want to be. There's time to relax and time to work hard. 2 ) I can learn anything if I put my mind to it. (cheesy but true, everything I have learned on computers, software, etc is self taught... thank you internet). 3 ) Money can come easily if you follow #1, it can. Time: We all have 24 hours a day, just how much of that time am I wasting? Energy: Get off your *$# and do something. Shut up and do it. 4 ) I remember how much my family supports me and believes in me. You might not have your own family, but you have friends and people you can meet online. I've found with finding people in the same area of interest, developing a network/community of people supporting each other is easy to do and a huge support. 5 ) Education is overrated. Highly overrated. Practical, day to day lessons is where it's at. You learn faster and more applicable lessons in less time and less cost. (Don't get me wrong, I love school. I do. But I just think it limits more then it extends).

So what are you waiting for? Don't commit that henious crime against yourself. Go create.

Matthew A. Hawkins