Can You Dream Like Berry Gordy?

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I was talking with a young man the other day. He mentioned that he was in school for accounting. "Great!" I said.

Then he mentioned that his real love was Marine Biology. He went on and on about how fascinated he is by the animals that live in the sea. He has loved whales ever since he can remember. He loves studying them, reading about them and watching them. He can do it all day long, he told me.

"Then why the heck are you studying accounting??" I asked.

He said it was because it was the "practical" choice. He didn’t think he could make as good of a living in Marine Biology as he could in accounting. A job counselor had once told him to get himself a "practical" job that paid the bills and keep his passion relegated to a hobby.

I almost fell down.

I told him that I thought that that was unequivocally the WORST advice I had ever heard! That there were LOTS of jobs that would pay similarly to accounting AND keep him near his beloved whales. All he needed to do was start brainstorming and great ideas would start coming to mind. He did and they did.

And even more than that, my belief is that if he were to follow his love for Marine Biology — not only would it fill his days with joy, passion and love, it would lead him to CREATING a job, a business, a brand that was a perfect fit for him!

“Don’t give up on your dreams now!” I pleaded “Especially so early in your life. What are you, in your early twenties?” I asked.

“I’m nineteen” he said.

I almost fell down again! “Please don't give up! If you can’t dream at nineteen, when can you dream??”

But honestly, I think it’s ALWAYS time to follow your dreams. 19, 39, 49, or 79. It's always time!

I was raised around dreamers. Visionaries who knew that they alone held the ability to create themselves into something that never before existed. They inspire me to hold onto that ability in myself.

My father, Berry Gordy is a one of those visionaries.

And on November 28, 2021, my father will turn 92 years old!! 92!!

On December 5, 2021, he will receive The Kennedy Center honor for being the visionary that he is.

Maybe the biggest lesson I learned from my father (and there are MANY) is that YOU are the architect of your life…YOU! And that YOU can create yourself into anything you want -- even if no one has ever seen it before! YOU can build a business, a brand, a YOU — that never existed before!

Long before Motown, my father was a music lover. He loved music so much that he started a record store. When that didn’t work out, his love of music led him to start writing songs. His love and passion for sognwriting led him to leave his "practical" job working in a auto-plant in order to write songs full time.

After writing several hit songs for Jackie Wilson (To Be Loved and Lonely Teardrops just to name a few) (Wikipedia.com), he noted that he wasn’t being paid fairly for his publishing. This realization ultimately led him to start Motown Records!

Berry Gordy was 39 years old (with several failed careers behind him) when he famously fought to borrow $800 from the family savings to start Motown Records.

As we know, Motown Records became one of the most successful Black-owned businesses and one of the most influential record companies in American (and World) history -- launching countless stars including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and my mother, Diana Ross.(Britannica.com)

All this, because one man decided to let his passion lead him to not to give up on his dreams.

I hope that I was able to inspire that young man to follow his dreams and I hope that, as you read these words, you too can locate the dream that has been in your heart — no matter how old it is and no matter how old YOU are and no matter how many times you’ve put the dream away and passed it over in favor of the more "practical" choice.

I hope this article will remind you that you, and only you, are the architect of YOU and that with love and passion, you can create anything you dream of — at any age!

Thank you, Berry Gordy, for being the visionary that you are and for your powerful lesson in the importance of following your dreams.

Oh...and Happy Birthday!

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May THE FORCE WITHIN be with you!

Rhonda Ross is a singer-songwriter, an Emmy-nominated actress, and a Personal Power Practitioner. For musical, speaking or workshop bookings: email info@TheRhondaRoss.com