Currently...

Well, I guess the simple answer is that I am finally trying to make the most of my potential and also put my energy, drive and ambition into fulfilling my life-long dream of making innovative, stylish, inspirational, and cool films about the relationships we as humans share with sharks. I'd like to educate people along the way about the importance of sharks to every single one of us and encourage people to want to care and to help conservation efforts in often simple, easily achievable ways.

I have already taken the biggest step and that was to leave a secure job which, despite giving me a supportive environemnt with an excellent boss and great prospects, just wasn't 'me' at all. I didn't hate it by any means, I just wasn't passionate about it; I didn't look forward to the challenges it would bring. I only did it to try and afford to have holidays where I could go and undertake my passion: diving with, and filming, sharks.

One Monday morning I realised what a waste my life was becoming, so I went in and quit - a decision which I'd considered for months but one which was essentially decided upon in the space of thirty seconds!

I didn't have any savings (I know, I know...) and got straight down to work on the germs of an idea born from a much bigger project I have been working on for almost three years, with a clarity of mind that comes only from finding one's self in the kind of do-or-die situations that make or break a person. It really is all or nothing.

My days are consumed by work, often between 12-18 hours a day, every day, working towards finding sponsorship, networking, meetings, promotion of the film, marketing and going down every possible avenue I can to help me get this film made. In fact, I spend more time on the phone and send more emails now than I did when I was being paid to do it!

Before I escaped...

I was a professional musician for ten years in my own band. We were often touted as "the next big thing" and even "pretenders to Metallica's crown" but anyone working in the music industry will tell you it doesn't usually work out as well as you deserve, so after ten years of writing, recording, touring and going into debt, we had to call it a day.

That's when I moved into recruitment for the sole reason I thought 'd be good at it and you could earn decent money.

My moment of truth...

I was speaking to a client and we somehow got onto the subject of scuba diving, something we both enjoy, and as the conversation deviated from insurance to diving, we both perked up and discussed excitedly our favourite diving experiences. When it was pointed out that I needed to wind the call up because I'd spent too long talking about diving and sharks, I knew that I was stuck in a rut and only felt alive when I was either doing or discussing my passion.

It was also around this time a good friend of mine passed away at the age of 21. We both shared an adventurous spirit and it reminded me how fragile life is, and that I owed it to myself to make a proper go of it... So I did!

Planning for it...

I had actually googled myself just to see what came up and I saw a number of blogs discussing me and an article I had written for DIVER magazine, saying extremely positive things about what I had http://sharkdivers.blogspot.com/2009/12/david-diley-smart-industry-call.html" rel="nofollow">written.

One of the blogs was based in a location in which I have had a huge interest for years, given their efforts to support shark conservation, so I contacted them to thank them for the kind words, mentioning in the email my interest in their story. They replied and over the course of a few emails, I came up with the idea for the first film in the http://www.officetoocean.com" rel="nofollow">"From the Office to the Ocean" series; I did all the ground work, got access to all the stories I wanted to cover and within two months I had left my job.

I had been working on the idea for "From the Office to the Ocean" for the preceeding eighteen months and had just enough contacts and enough of the framework in place to justify me taking the leap of faith.

The worst and best bits...

The worst thing has been not having a reliable steady income and the fact I will be leaving my flat very soon, effectively making myself homeless.

That's it for the negatives really! Of course there are ups and downs, frustrations and successes, but they all relate to what I have always wanted to do with my life. The pressures and stresses come from my own drive and ambitions, not from having to fulfill the expectations of others. I have a sense of freedom, liberation and optimism - a vindication that I am doing the right thing for me and that, ultimately, I will succeed.

Best advice...

I generally live my life on the teachings and wisdom of Rocky Balboa from the Rocky films; in particular "it's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward...". I am of the belief that if you keep getting up and going back for more, you will ultimately wear your opponent down and emerge victorious. That 'opponent' may be just trying to negotiate your way around a receptionist to speak to someone who could actually help you, or it could even be the very goal which at first seems impossible - just keep chipping away!

Another bit of advice that I will take to the grave was given to me by the happiest, most content man I have ever met: "the world is full of dreamers and dreamers can only become doers when they dare to take risks...".

Useful resources and information...

The most helpful thing to me in all of this has been my own self-belief and an almost naive insistance that anything is possible. Add that to the fear of what life holds if I end up back in a boring office job and that motivates me every morning; a motivation which has only been present since I took this step.

As far as resources and information, there have been a number of people within organisations, businesses and charities, alongside individuals within my chosen industry, who believe in me enough to help me with networking, contact details and endorsements. The clearest thing throughout this whole situation is that nothing, absolutely nothing, compares to getting out there, face-to-face with people and letting them see your belief in what you are doing in person.