Looking over dangerous cliff by jazzmanna from flickr

A slow death comes for those who don’t revolt when they’re unhappy in their work or in love. Who don’t risk the certain for the uncertain in order to follow a dream. Who don’t allow themselves, at least once in their life, to disregard sensible advice. –Pablo Neruda

Taking sensible advice is what most of us were raised to do.

• Finish your dinner
• Get a good job
• Don’t talk to strangers
• Be satisfied
• Don’t travel abroad, it’s not safe

Although good advice is well-intentioned, following it does not always lead to personal happiness.

• Finishing your dinner can lead to overeating, heartburn and obesity.
• Getting a good job that bores and stresses does not build character, just more upset.
• As for strangers, isn’t everyone except your mother a stranger until you meet them?
• Being satisfied would bring an abrupt halt to invention.
• It’s not safe to get on the freeway either, but we must do it to get where we’re going

When your heart and mind are longing to go in a new direction, you will experience some discomfort, fear and even hesitation. After all, when entering new territory we can expect to find the terrain and language unfamiliar. But when you feel that strong pull toward a new idea, creation or endeavor that makes you tingle with excitement, disregard sensible advice. It’s NOT doing what you love that you will later regret.