[singlepic=201,300,,,right]If you’ve only thought about taking a career break or sabbatical – what has stopped you from actually doing it? No matter the excuses that you come up with (or believe in) the only thing that is truly stopping you is yourself.

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Seth Godin talk at the Small Business Summit in New York City. (Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, agent of change and overall inspiring speaker.) And although he was addressing an audience of small business owners and entrepreneurs, the messages he imparted can most certainly apply to you as well.

Following are a few of his “sound bites” that made a great impression on me and led to a few observations of my own. (Please note that they are paraphrased from my fastidious notetaking.)

Become a Misfit
“The reason they want you to fit in is that once you do, they can ignore you.” – Seth Godin
Growing up it always seemed so important to “fit in”. And as a grown-up, we’ve been led to believe that we must do what is “expected” of us. If we follow this expected path of least resistance, we are promised a metaphorical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – retirement. But the trick is on us once we get there to find out we won’t always have the health or wealth to enjoy it. In the meantime, we are serving other people’s goals and not our own.

Be an Artist of Your Own Life
“Art is about seeing the world as you want to see it. Artists work without a map.” – Seth Godin
In school we were always taught to stand in line, fill in the ovals with a #2 pencil, and raise your hand before you spoke. We were told how the world looks from text books and outdated film strips. Now that you are old enough, don’t be afraid to make choices for yourself. Color outside the lines – swing upside down from the jungle gym – and most importantly, don’t let other people’s views of the world make you question your own.

Ignore the “In-Crowd”
“We all have a lizard brain – that voice in the back of our head telling us to stop because we are worried about failing and people laughing at us. It forces us to act like sheep.” – Seth Godin
If you have ever expressed your dreams of travel to people before, most likely you have gotten strange looks and responses like “why would you want to do that?” or “why would you want to travel there?”. More often then not, these people are resentful that you want to break out of the mold and do something unique. Trust me, there is a network of other career breakers who will openly accept you into their clique.

Still need more motivation?

Top 10 Reasons to Take a Career Break and Travel

Why It’s Not Crazy for Working Professionals to Quit Their Jobs and Travel the World

Six Reasons Living on the Road is Good Option in a Down Economy

Round-the-World Trip Tips, Planning Resources, Inspiration and More

So….what’s stopping you now?