A Nation of ‘Could Have Beens’

As a busy author and journalists I must confess I don’t get to really read and digest every press release I receive but one headline hit me hard in the inbox recently.

Modern Brits are a nation of ‘could have beens’ – not living life to their full potential’

The press release which was from Fundingguru.com* and said that a nationwide study reveals that we are indeed nation of “could have beens”, with a staggering 84 percent wishing they could change their life for the better and ultimately feel more fulfilled.

Apparently we are not making the most of our talents, with as many as six out of ten (61 percent) admitting they have a natural talent they do absolutely nothing with.

Perhaps unsurprisingly our creativity doesn’t always get fulfilled, As many as 29 percent of those surveyed believe they had a writing talent, while one in four said they could paint or draw well, but never get around to it.   Check out my blog on creating compelling content.

There are also millions of frustrated musicians in the UK, with almost one in twenty saying they could play an instrument, but that they had stopped playing altogether.

17 percent see themselves as talented singers, while 14 percent believe they could have made it as a stand-up comedian.

Over 40 percent of people had dreamed of opening a business, while 26 percent had once had ambitions to be a novelist.

According to the survey, the biggest excuse for not making the most of our lives came down to personal belief, with nearly half (49 percent) saying a lack of confidence made them give up.

Fear of failure was also major concern for 36 percent of people.

After that it was cold hard cash posing a problem, with 26 percent of those polled saying they just couldn’t make their gifts pay the bills.

22 percent said family life had got in the way of finding their dreams, while 19 percent said they were simply too busy to use their talents.

Matt Haycox, founder of fundingguru.com, who commissioned the poll of 2,000 adults said: “I’ve always been a big believer that anyone can live out their dreams by following their passion. Throughout my experience in business, I’ve encountered first hand pretty much every problem you can think of, and access to funding can seem overwhelming. I wanted to help people realise that they can overcome these obstacles, and The Get Funded Guide has been specifically designed to help with all these issues.  What’s more, the guide teaches you how to get in front of the right investors, and every single person that completes it will have their very first funding pitch guaranteed, as I will personally review every one. I’m hoping to find the next big business in the UK, so pitch me!”

As many as 94 percent said they would enjoy life more if they’d used more of their creative skills.

So what are you NOT doing?  Whats your purpose and are you fulfilling it?  It’s one of the things that upsets me most when I see talented people, I can’t bear that they don’t follow their dreams!

Read my post about the late Wayne Dyer who famously said ‘Don’t die with the music still in you 

And while we are on iconic quotes, Here’s just part of that classic Marianne Williamson quote…

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. “

So take some time out today and ask yourself honestly what am I hear to do? What is it that’s holding me back?  If its confidence, fear of failure,  lack of time, who could you ask for support ?

What could you do differently?

If its hard cash check out what Matt offers *(see note below)   http://www.fundingguru.com/

If you want clarity on your work, your brand, your purpose, there are some helpful visualizations in my book You are the Brand, it’s all about encouraging you to step into the spotlight

https://janeyleegrace.com/shop/you-are-the-brand-paperback-edition-including-free-audio-masterclass-module/

  • For clarity I have not met Matt and this isn’t a recommendation for his work, I just thought the research was interesting!