Never, never, never give up.

I always believed that some people appear in our lives for a reason. They tend to do so especially when we really need a sign that what we do truly has meaning. Recently, when I had one of those days and I kept asking myself the lofty question of “Is it really worth it?”, I met a certain man from California. The gentleman, well in his sixties, started to ask me where I was from; he asked about my family, about how long have I been in NYC, all the while being very positive and presenting the typical Californian approach – a smiling openness.

I’m usually that way, too, but not on that particular day. When the man asked me why I was here, I responded in a sad way, forcing a smile and saying that I’m trying to make my dreams come true. He looked deeply into my eyes and said, in all seriousness: “Never give up”. He told me he never gave up and that’s why he’s a happy man now. He told me how, right after he graduated, his hunger of money overshadowed everything else. He had succeeded – he made lots of money, but suddenly he felt that it didn’t make him happy. He decided to risk everything – he resigned from his job and decided to do what he really loved and felt passionate about. He admitted that the path he chose was longer and bumpier, but after a while, people recognized that he was good at what he was doing and they gave him their trust, which resulted in a huge success. He said that, however banal it may sound, if you are really passionate about something, you simply can’t give up, because one day it will bring you exactly what you need. I looked him right in the eye and asked if he promises me that it will happen, and he responded that yes – he’s 100% sure of that.

Who was that man and what was his job? I only know he works in the film industry. He lives in California and comes to his NYC place for the summer. I hope that our paths will cross again, even though he actually already gave me what I needed most.