I remember in my teenage years my priority was to be a musician that lived on the west coast after leaving high school. I had no clear path, only a vision to fulfill. As high school ended and college began I became aware of my lack of awareness to the outside work. That is, the world outside my own head. I started to grasp the idea that maybe a more clear path needed to be developed.

The clarity of my path became driven by a need to justify my chosen career path. Telling friends, family, and strangers usually yields a common response, “Oh, that’s cool...” I also felt an urge to establish some sort of financial independence, especially after proposing to my now wife. But as most of us come to understand, college can create a sort of bubble. Life will continue and priorities will either be established or a vagueness will dominate.

The pressures of the “Real World” creates a necessity to focus. The priorities and rewards of a marriage, kids, mortgage, building a common vision, etc takes priority. The responsibility to provide becomes the main focus and although you are pursuing the vision, you come to understand the larger picture.

Of course I question if this original vision has led me to a place of failure. The priority is to provide for my family, and as a musician this can be difficult. Have I failed? Maybe. Depends on the viewpoint and whether I have failed to recognize the priorities in my life.

Check out  www.bobrossguitar.com to follow my journey.