As I age, I begin to think about how I can see life, and the world, differently. I’ve reflected on how certain hobbies, for example, are “for kids”…for many years, I heard that gaming and cartoons were things that you grow out of, but some other things, like sports and screaming at the television when a football pass is fumbled, were often deemed more acceptable and “for adults”. Mind you, I am not being critical of the sports lover or the person who watches cartoons and/or plays games. I have learned, over the years, to disregard the extreme notion that people who watch cartoons are childish and/or irresponsible, or that loving sports makes me a true and properly functioning adult. There is so much VARIANCE in humanity, to where I have seen childish sports fans and responsible gamers. Of course, I have also seen the opposite…people are enthusiastic about a lot of things, and I am going to get to my points in the next paragraph.
Life is what we make it. If you are enthusiastic about gaming and you aren’t being super toxic, then game on! If you love sports and are not super toxic, celebrate when your team gets a touchdown! If you are enthusiastic about things, that’s actually a good thing! The ability to be passionate about one thing opens the mind to the idea that you can be passionate about other things, and you may even get carried away when you get passionate! However, when you really think about, most people who have achieved things in life, get a little or VERY carried away! People probably thought that the creator of the wheel, a LONG TIME AGO, was someone crazy who just got carried away. A person who ended up in a position to be gainfully employed might have realized how much they were doing, gathered the courage and the receipts (of quality work), and got carried away enough to push for something greater. If you don’t get carried away from time to time, you might find yourself stuck in the same spot.
Get Carried Away To Escape Your Box!
Think of podcasters or artists or others who go viral — most of the time, people do not get visibility overnight. However, it starts with one day deciding that you are going to spend time getting carried away enough to decide that you can actually DO THE THINGS. I think because I have often heard of getting carried away in negative context, I did not think to see things differently. I heard of people going too far in arguments or spending way too much money on a new venture, or people advocating for self and asking for a raise, only to get shot down. However, if you do not advocate for self and get enthusiastic as it relates to self, you may find yourself going through the motions, staying within a box, figuratively speaking. The inside of the box is familiar, but it may leave you yearning for something more…and if your imagination has you wondering about what is outside of your box, listen to your imagination. It is trying to tell you that a part of you wants something MORE.
To summarize, “getting carried away” really depends a lot on context, like many things. You may not be doing anything really radical, and someone may think that you are getting carried away. I thought of my many accomplishments and decided to get carried away enough to seek a project management certification…and before inquiring about it, I had lingering doubts. I spent time telling myself the different ways I wouldn’t get it or that I didn’t qualify…but then I thought about it and thought enough of myself to ask anyway. Have the organization pay for it, allow me to take the exam, I created a new process/need, and made my proposal. I got carried away that day…and got carried into several months of defining my process, communicating with stakeholders, gathering data, and making things happen! If you are putting in the work, get carried away enough to seek new opportunities and advocate for self! If you don’t get what you are looking for, continue to know what you want and seek it!