Over the last few days I have been thinking about where my life is heading? There’s soo much I want to do and I’m the kind of person who is proactive and when I get an idea I have to follow it through and take action. I’m a big entrepreneur at heart and love business. I love coming up with new businesses and I’m a big fan of branding, that’s why I created my company Inspired Dreams (ID – What’s Your ID?) which incorporates a number of different brands – TV, publishing, internet, property, fashion.
My main passion is my TV show – Time With Natalie – which I’m currently working on producing the pilot series and what a job it is to do!! I didn’t realise how much goes into making a TV show. It’s one thing presenting a show and reading from an autocue and a completely different one actually producing your own show. Now I know how Oprah feels!!
It’s an amazing challenge and one I must admit I am relishing, but there have been some days when I just want to forget the whole thing. If it wasn’t for the fact that I am very passionate about helping women succeed in life and follow their dreams, I probably would’ve given up. I know that the media, especially TV, is a huge platform to reaching millions of people and my aim is that my show inspires and encourages women to live their best life.
I sometimes sit and watch TV and wonder ‘where did it all go wrong?’. There is so much negativity being broadcast and the style of chat shows we have in the UK is very disturbing. Either shows which portray vulnerable people fighting and squabbling with members of their family or shows which feature celebrities interviewing celebrities promoting themselves! Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong in a bit of promotion, but does it really make you or I feel any better about ourselves or encourage us to help others and make a difference – no, I don’t think so.
I’m not going to berate the media, but I do think it’s time we had something more positive on our TV screens. Something that actually makes you smile at the end of the programme and not cry. Something that makes you want to help others and not be selfish and think only of yourself. Something that educates us to keep moving forward in life and keep learning.
I understand that life is about facing your challenges and obstacles and using them to your advantage. My motto this year has been ‘never ever give up’. I try to remember that when times get hard and I feel I’ve had enough. When I’m thinking, maybe if I get a normal 9-5 job life would be easier. Yes, maybe it would but I know I would not feel as fulfilled as I do now and I would not be as inspired and creative as I get to be when I’m following my life purpose.
I encourage you all to follow your dreams, get out your comfort zones and when life tries to take you off course, hold tight, stay focused and run into your destiny.
What started off as what we though would be the temporary result of a move (we didn’t know how to hook our TV up to the satellite and couldn’t figure out where we wanted the TV in the living room) has actually led me to seriously limit my exposure to television. Our TV – still not connected – has now been sitting in our little library for over 2 years…
It’s not like I’m anti-TV in some kind of snobby, pseudo-intellectual way. Because so many stations now have video access to their shows on demand, I can still watch TV when I want to. But I find myself no longer planning my day around this show or that. I also no longer slip into the convenient pattern of watching television longer than planned, because – once the show/episode is over – the video stops.
It’s meant a major shift in the type of shows I watch as well as my usage of other media for news, information and entertainment. I’m quite excited by what some people have been able to achieve in the “alternative” fields of podcasting or web tv, either as independent start-up ventures or a supplement to their more mainstream broadcasting jobs. I find their stories to be really inspirational where perseverence and ingenuity are concerned!
That’s a good point Trina and I think more and more people are doing the same. TV is so influential that you do have to be really careful what you watch and listen to.
Very interesting. TV and now internet and cell phones have reshaped the way we understand the world. What we need to do is use some universal principles to develop a framework to use these tools efficiently and positively.
My husband and I are on a NO TV experiment at the moment and it’s great. The TV has the potential to fill our minds with such great, educational and inspiring ‘wonderfulness’ of the world we live in. Instead, it portrays doom and gloom and encourages people to live in fear of each other.
I agree with all of this. I think TV should be up there with alcohol as one of our great addictions 😉 Of course some of it is fab, but there’s now a lot more dross in between the gems and I think life’s just too short to spend time sifting through all the rubbish so I tend to give it a miss most nights. I wonder how many people can remember what they watched last week?
I love this article. Most times my challenges are very painful, but, giving up is too easy and not very appealling to me. So, it is wonderful to have the resource to read your perspective on every day issues. Technology is awesome. You are awesome. Thanks for another great and timely article. I just received my dose of inspiration to push forward. From Lin, across the ocean.
Thanks Linda. No matter what we face in life we have to push through and keep moving forward. There really is no other alternative. The blessing is always on the other side of our challenges.
This is an amazing share. Thanks a lot for this writing.