Dream Chaser: Alex Fayle, Author

Q: Tell us about yourself and your dream.
AF: My name is Alex Fayle and ever since I was 12 years old, I wanted to be a writer and live in southern Europe. I also wanted to be a famous actor, a French teacher, a jazz musician, a philosopher and a famous TV presenter (we’ll just leave out the singer-dancer dreams). As for living situations, I also dreamed of living in the Scottish Highlands, London, Paris, the Central American jungle and the New Mexico desert. However, whenever I was unhappy with my life my dreams would take me back to writing and southern Europe. The rest were whims. My real loves involve fiction and Mediterranean countries. 

In 2006, after helping a friend disconnect from her life in Toronto and prepare for an around-the-world journey, I realized that there was nothing holding me back from doing the same. So I sold my house and moved to France where I wrote my first (still unpublished) novel. I then discovered Spain and settled in the Basque Country, where I’m working on building my fiction career as well as helping others make big changes in their lives.

Q: What kinds of challenges stood in your way and how did you overcome them? 
AF: The challenges were all internal. I grew up in a family that encouraged us to do what we wanted and to celebrate our uniqueness. My father moved from the UK to Canada when he was 18, so he totally understood the wanderlust in me. And yet fear kept me from starting. Several times I almost made the leap but feared failing, and so didn’t. After high school I almost applied for a Creative Writing degree on the other side of the country, but then chickened out and went to my local university instead. After university, I applied to go teach English in Portugal, but then got sick and let that steer me away from such a risky leap and into the safety of a Masters degree with an eye on getting a secure job. The thing is though, I’m not suited to security. It bores me. And when I get bored, I get depressed.

After following the designated career path for seven years I made the leap to self-employment, starting up a Professional Organizing business. Three years later I found the confidence to follow my dreams and, realizing that Organizing wasn’t it, I finally made the leap I had been putting off for nearly twenty-five years.

Q: Describe a gray time in your life.
AF: My early 30s were very gray. I was in a job I hated, I chose a negative relationship and cut myself off from almost everyone in my world, and I was tired of dealing with an illness that had affected me since my mid-20s. I was tired of living. Nothing interested me and I stopped writing altogether, despite having had a short story published in an anthology. 

I added color back into my life by ending the relationship, reconnecting with positive people, and leaving the soul-numbing job. In other words, I broke out of the gray by making choices and taking action instead of waiting for the world to decide for me.

Q: What’s next?
AF: Becoming a published writer is a long-term plan. In 2006, I decided to give myself 20 years to reach my goal. In 2008, I also gave myself five years to build up my lifestyle design coaching business. That means more choices and more actions, on a daily basis, slowly moving my dreams forward. And when I achieve them? I have a whole bunch of other things on my list, such as becoming a professional speaker and touring the world. And maybe writing a screenplay.

Q: What advice do you have for other people struggling to pursue their dreams?
AF: Patience. It’s something I have struggled with all my life. I don’t want to wait for success. I want it NOW. But as you can see from my plans, I’ve learned that success doesn’t always come right now. It comes later based on consistent action now. So, instead of offering advice, I’m going to ask a question: What are you doing on a daily basis to move your dreams forward?

To learn more about Alex Fayle and Someday Syndrome, visit http://somedaysyndrome.com/. You can also follow him on Twitter: @AlexFayle.

Are you actively pursuing or living a dream? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please e-mail me at: Erika (dot) Liodice (at sign) hotmail (dot) com.