Lisa Bilyeu

Yeah. So I was brought up Greek Orthodox and a big part of my upbringing was being taught that as a Greek woman, that my goal in life was to get married and have kids and be an amazing mother. And even when you're a kid and you have all these crazy dreams, I wanted to come to America, I wanted to win an Academy Award.

Over time, every single day, it becomes the dripping effect that ends up changing who you are. Now, I liken it to, have you ever seen a water drop on a stone? over time, it just starts to change its shape, right? You have this rock and the water drips and over time it ends up molding. I think of that as your belief system. So you have a belief system.

Over time, every single day, it becomes the dripping effect that ends up changing who you are. Now, I liken it to, have you ever seen a water drop on a stone? over time, it just starts to change its shape, right? You have this rock and the water drips and over time it ends up molding. I think of that as your belief system. So you have a belief system.

Each day, that drip of water is draining on you. And then over time, you end up doing something or being something that you'd never dreamt of. That was exactly what happened to me. I grew up with orthodoxy. I end up in America, married to a man of my dreams, having these big audacious dreams.

Each day, that drip of water is draining on you. And then over time, you end up doing something or being something that you'd never dreamt of. That was exactly what happened to me. I grew up with orthodoxy. I end up in America, married to a man of my dreams, having these big audacious dreams.

But how on earth did I end up for eight years being a stay-at-home wife, taking care of my husband, which was the thing that I didn't want to do? It's not that it's bad. There's anything wrong with being a stay-at-home wife. In fact, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it wasn't what I wanted. And I asked myself, how the hell

But how on earth did I end up for eight years being a stay-at-home wife, taking care of my husband, which was the thing that I didn't want to do? It's not that it's bad. There's anything wrong with being a stay-at-home wife. In fact, it was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it wasn't what I wanted. And I asked myself, how the hell

if I had such big dreams and I went to college and I knew what I wanted in life how the hell do I end up doing something for eight years that I despise and when I look back it is absolutely the drip that ended up happening on the rock that became who I was so my dad tells me every single day that I'm going to be a great Greek wife my grandmother tells me if I'm running on the streets and I fall

if I had such big dreams and I went to college and I knew what I wanted in life how the hell do I end up doing something for eight years that I despise and when I look back it is absolutely the drip that ended up happening on the rock that became who I was so my dad tells me every single day that I'm going to be a great Greek wife my grandmother tells me if I'm running on the streets and I fall

She literally, the message she would tell me is she would pick me up off the floor, wipe off the blood and say, oh, it's okay, you're going to be fine by the time you get married. The messaging that that's doing, right, this Greek woman to this little susceptible Lisa that's telling me that don't worry, no matter what bad things happen in your life, the goal is to get married.

She literally, the message she would tell me is she would pick me up off the floor, wipe off the blood and say, oh, it's okay, you're going to be fine by the time you get married. The messaging that that's doing, right, this Greek woman to this little susceptible Lisa that's telling me that don't worry, no matter what bad things happen in your life, the goal is to get married.

Once you get married, life will be fine. So there's no surprise that I ended up living a life that didn't serve me, living a life that wasn't mine, but living a life that absolutely was the path that my parents created. Now, the question is, how the hell do you get out of that? Most people end up living their lives in that space.

Once you get married, life will be fine. So there's no surprise that I ended up living a life that didn't serve me, living a life that wasn't mine, but living a life that absolutely was the path that my parents created. Now, the question is, how the hell do you get out of that? Most people end up living their lives in that space.

Most people end up living their lives for the greater good of other people, especially once you've started. Once you're in it, you're like, well, I can't upset so-and-so. I can't say this. I can't change my mind. I can't let this person down. I can't, I can't, I can't. That's one part. The other part is you put off your own dreams because you're living in service of other people.

Most people end up living their lives for the greater good of other people, especially once you've started. Once you're in it, you're like, well, I can't upset so-and-so. I can't say this. I can't change my mind. I can't let this person down. I can't, I can't, I can't. That's one part. The other part is you put off your own dreams because you're living in service of other people.

So what you end up doing is you say, I will do that when? I will go for my dream once my husband is happy. I will go for that dream job once my kids are in college. I will fill in the blank, do that when something else happens. Now, what you're doing is you're using an excuse, but that excuse feels real. And that's where it gets complicated.

So what you end up doing is you say, I will do that when? I will go for my dream once my husband is happy. I will go for that dream job once my kids are in college. I will fill in the blank, do that when something else happens. Now, what you're doing is you're using an excuse, but that excuse feels real. And that's where it gets complicated.

Because in those moments where you're self-soothing yourself and you're telling yourself, don't worry, you're doing it for the greater good. That can be wonderful, right? You're doing it for your kids. That's a beautiful feeling. You're doing this for the family. That's a beautiful feeling. The problem is, is that the excuse ends up getting in the way of you actually living out your dream.

Because in those moments where you're self-soothing yourself and you're telling yourself, don't worry, you're doing it for the greater good. That can be wonderful, right? You're doing it for your kids. That's a beautiful feeling. You're doing this for the family. That's a beautiful feeling. The problem is, is that the excuse ends up getting in the way of you actually living out your dream.

And I ask anyone listening right now, if you want to get shaken awake, ask yourself this question. What if the when never happens? So if you say, I'm going to do this when my husband is happy, what if he's never happy? I'm going to do this when I've got enough money in the bank. What if you never have enough money in the bank? What if that when never happens?