What is it you think you CAN’T do? Is there some idea, some nagging thoughts you’ve been talking yourself out of? That thing that keeps coming back and keeps being put off… yeah, you should probably do something about that.
We all have our reasons for why we can’t do whatever it is we really want to do. It’s like the more we want it, the more reasons we have for why we can’t do it. Isn’t it crazy how that happens? I am definitely guilty of that. In the last few years I’ve changed that. I’ve been more about going for it! It’s the whole idea of knowing that all we really have is right here and right now so putting thing off for someday really doesn’t make sense. I had to learn this hard truth:
Can you say OUCH!?!?
Well, no matter your reason for talking yourself out of “it”. Whatever “it” is. Let these fun facts give you a nudge in a right direction. Know that what you want – is totally possible!
Beethoven’s music teacher once said of him, “As a composer, he is hopeless”.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked imagination, and had no good ideas”.
Thomas Edison’s teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. Later, he tried 1,600 different materials before settling on carbon as the filament for the electric light bulb.
When it comes to feeling good, we all want piece of that! While I am a firm believer in going after your dreams, I know that isn’t always easy. Sometimes we don’t go after what we want because we don’t feel like we’re worth it or we just don’t feel good. I think it’s important to work on ourselves from the inside out. Before we can take that first full step toward something we really want, sometimes we need to stand still.
Going for your dreams really means that you’ve decided to do something for you. You’ve decided to listen to that small voice and make your unique contribution to the world. Before your journey onto doing that BIG thing for you, try doing a few small things. It will get your mind in the right spot and get you ready to make your move toward the big thing.
Consider this your invitation to FEEL GOOD! Here are a few suggestions to get your feel good mojo moving:
Take a drive… Crank your favorite song and sing along – LOUD!
This one works for me EVERY TIME!
Go for a walk…Notice all the little things. I bet you’ll find some inspiration.
Try something new with your hair… A new outlook sometimes starts with a new look.
Self care anyone… How about getting a mani or pedi? Letting someone take care of you encourages you to keep it up and take better care of you too.
Put on something that makes you feel good… That could be a favorite blouse, dress or jeans. Ahem, it could also be what you put on underneath it all. Whatever makes you feel good, ROCK it! You’ll feel good and the reason why can be your little secret.
On a recent trip to Target (seriously, I spend WAY too much time there), I stopped by the cards section and noticed a card about living the life you deserve. I was all offended. Yeah, the idea of it all was nice but this card was in the retirement section.
It made me think about the way things usually go. People work all of their lives toward that pie in the sky called retirement. That’s supposed to be when you are really able to live and enjoy life. It seems to me that doesn’t work. If we wait until retirement to enjoy life, we’ve already missed so much. For my generation, retirement seems SO far away. We are going to need millions to be able to live comfortably. Some people fully expect to work until they are 70 years old.
Yes, at 70 years old is when you can begin to enjoy and life the life of your dreams. For most people, 70 years old finds them tired and many have health issues. How much energy do you really have at that point to travel, pursue your passions and “enjoy life”? Yes, that card had ALL of this racing through my head. It seemed to suggest a “dream now, live later” life.I amfully on board with a “dream NOW and do it NOW” way of life.(tweet this) I have all of these ideas and desires for my life NOW. I can’t get to every single thing right now but I’m determined to do as much as I can.
By the time I’m 70 I want to be still enjoying my life but I really want to be at a point where I’m not chasing myself and trying to do things that I’ve wanted to do my whole life. I’d rather that time be spent still pursuing and dreaming but also doing a great deal of reminiscing about all of the dreams I’d made a reality. That’s my goal. What’s something that you’ve put off to do later that you could do right now?
How much do you love you? Is it off the charts love? Whatever the case, we could all use a little more love – from ourselves! Here are my top four ways to fall so madly in love with YOU!
Stop comparing yourself to others. You are fabulous just the way you are. There’s no reason to compare your short story to someone else’s novel. You have no idea how long it took to get that novel picture perfect and publisher ready. Give yourself a break and focus on your journey. It’s going to turn out as it should.
Let yourself off the hook. So you didn’t work out today. What did you do? Focus on the things you do right instead of the areas where you think you’ve failed. That doesn’t mean to ignore the areas that need a little improvement. Don’t make your failures your focus. If you give more energy to the things you do well, other things will begin to add themselves to that list.
Spend some time with yourself. Take a little time to get to know you, like really know you. Fall in love with yourself. The more you love on you, the better you’ll be to Y-O-U!
You have dreams that are unique to only you. That is pretty freaking awesome! Even if your dreams seem like they are someone else’s life, you’re a different person so that dream would look totally different on you! Go for it!
“We’re all desperately waiting for you to just do it. What are you waiting for?
Signed,
The World
Is that the kind of sign we need to get things moving? Does the world really need to cry out for us to set out on the path of turning dreams into reality? The truth is, the world really is waiting for you to just do it – whatever “it” is. Whatever it is you want to offer the world, there is someone out here waiting for it. What you have to offer could change. their. life. Seriously, think about that. If you decide that it’s too much and you can’t get to it or it’s too hard you know what happens? A lot of somebodies miss out on something pretty special. Think about the people who have changed your life with their gift. It could be a pastor, a singer, a teacher or Oprah! If they hadn’t followed their heart and their passion, you would have missed out. Make sense?
Every year, so many of us make resolutions, intentions and commitments to rock out life in some way or another. We start off strong. Then around March we start to slow down. Our burning ambitions become a slightly visible flame. So what happened? Over the years, I have been able to point the finger at a few things. Sometimes it’s as simple as life. It gets hectic, it gets complicated, it changes before we are ready to make the adjustment and we have to roll with it. So, our original demands of ourselves become back burner suggestions at best. It happens. If you stop altogether now, you’ll be that much further behind and probably totally give up eventually. Don’t do it!
Consider this your permission slip to take those goals and dreams off the back burner and make them a priority again. Maybe you can’t take on the whole enchilada but how about one small piece of it? Everything is easier to chew in bite sized pieces, right?
Here’s what that looks like for me. Instead of taking on the task of writing a whole new book right now, I’ve decided to work on a few small things at a time. I’m still keeping the writing mojo going but giving the time to my family that they need too. It’s a win-win. I do what I love and my family still gets what they need.
So tell me, how can you take bite sized pieces toward your dreams, goals right now?
As I’ve set out to make my dreams cone true, I’ve come across so many who hold on to doubt that their own dreams are even possible and worth pursuing. Here are my top 9 excuses for why we don’t follow our dreams.
Remember your words have power. If you keep telling yourself what you aren’t then it will become the truth. So what ARE you?
I don’t have time to discover my passion, let alone follow it.
We tend to make time for the things that are important to us. Finding time to learn what you are passionate about or making time to follow your passion are worthwhile. Think of all the people you aren’t impacting because you’re not sharing your gift, passion and dreams with the world.
I’ll do it someday.
Simply put – we aren’t promised someday, today or Thursday. None of them are guaranteed. Stop putting your life off for time you don’t even have. {click to tweet}
I don’t know where to start.
Just start.
People will judge.
People judge no matter what you do or don’t do. Heck, they judge based on what they think you do. So, do you!
There’s no guarantee it will work.
That’s just life though, right ? Nothing is a sure fire promise.
I’m too young/old.
No such thing. I just read about a 15 year old tech millionaire business owner. Too young? Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame started his business in his elder years. Too old?
I don’t know what I’m doing.
No one starts anything knowing everything. You just have to go for it and learn along the way.
Rejection sucks. There’s no way of getting around it. It is no fun to want something or someone and get a big thumbs down thrown your way. We’ve all been there. Still, rejection is not something anyone wants to get used to.
The thing is, sometimes we have to get used to being denied. We just have to look for the lesson in it. For me, one lesson came when I moved to Los Angeles with the mission of working for the Style Network. I applied for months before moving to L.A. I continued to apply for every job I thought I was qualified for at the network once I moved here. For various reasons, I was told no. Denied. Rejected. Ouch. I tried to make sure I learned something form each closed door. It’s easier to see in hindsight. That’s when the dots start to connect. I wasn’t as ready as I thought I was to work in network TV. There were still some things I had to learn. Had I been hired for the jobs I had interviewed for, there wouldn’t have been time for me to get up to speed. It would have been a total hit the ground running type of thing. Lucky me that those didn’t pan out, I would have probably fell on my face.
The thing is, I didn’t give up. I chose to see the denials as simply delays. I kept looking for things that I was suited for. As someone in love with all things fashion, beauty and style, I was determined to work for that network. Fast forward, two years later and my fourth interview with the network and I finally got the job! It was a perfect entry point for me to learn as I grew there. Here are a few lessons I learned from that experience:
If you want it, don’t give up I recently read a blog by a woman who was nervous about not getting into medical school – for the second time. It is her dream to be a doctor. She was beginning to feel like if it didn’t work out this time, that maybe she should move on to something else. By the end of the post she had convinced herself that this was what she wanted and there was no other dream. When you feel that strongly about what you want – DON’T GIVE UP!
Not now, doesn’t mean not ever Even when things aren’t happening on the timeline you expect, don’t trick yourself into believing that it will NEVER happen.
If you believe in it, be willing to wait for itIn my situation, two years was a long time to wait to work for a network I had dreamed of working for. It was worth the wait though. My determination paid off. There’s no reason to believe that what you want won’t happen. NONE. Keep working and give it time.
How do you deal with denial? What dreams are you thisclose to giving up on? Tell me in the comments.
“The biggest fallacy on earth is that you can be anything that you want to be. You can only be what you were meant to be.” ~Oprah Winfrey
When I first read that quote, I had a big question mark on my forehead. Then I read it again and it totally made sense. Everything I want isn’t always good for me. That goes for relationships, food AND ambitions.
When it comes to relationships, sometimes people show us who they are from the beginning and we have the choice and the chance to walk away. At other times, we learn who they are the hard way. It’s not always easy to know that some relationships just weren’t meant to be.
Growing up I wanted to be a singer, a supermodel and a writer. Well, I don’t have the nerve to get up in front of people and sing. I’m too shy that way. I did, however, have the nerve to get up in front of people sometimes half naked and walk a runway or take photos. Even still, I’m no supermodel. That industry wanted more than I was willing to give and I gracefully bowed out. So I guess one out of three ain’t bad.
I am a writer and have been for what seems like forever. Writing is what I was meant to do though. Motivating people, is what I’m meant to do. Still, getting to that place of figuring out what I want and if it’s what’s meant for me took some trial and error. It took me auditioning for a choir and realizing my voice refused to meet me at the audition for me to finally accept that as much as I love singing, I wasn’t meant to do it on that level. Sometimes it takes having jobs that make us miserable to realize it’s time to do something else. Whatever the case, realizing we have the choice and the chance to be EXACTLY what we are meant to be is exciting and worth the journey. What do you think about Oprah’s quote?
When you were a kid were you told you could do and be anything you wanted? Were you encouraged to reach for the moon? As a kid,did you believe anything you imagined was possible? If the answer to any of these is yes, know you’re not alone. I was that kid too. I thought I would be following in the footsteps of my favorite singers and taking the world by storm with my powerhouse vocals. Only my vocals don’t pack much power. Still as a kid, you could not have convinced me that I didn’t have a shot a stardom.
There is something to be said about blind faith. We have it as a kid. Somewhere along the way we lose it. It kind of falls away, bit by bit. I think part of it is because the older we get, people stop telling us the world is ours and instead invite us to step into the “real” world. As an adult you are told and often forced to get your head out of the clouds. While this is a good thing, it’s also crazy confusing. How is it that the world is your oyster as a kid but as an adult you have to accept that that oyster had an expiration date and (sucks for you) you missed it?
I get growing up, but what does that mean for your dreams? Is it just kaput once you hit a certain age? I think of this all the time. Probably way too much. I am one of the few that still believe in the power of dreams, no matter how out there they seem.
My family and I recently took a trip to Disneyland. It was a dream come true for my nearly four year old son. He’s been wanting to go there for the last two years. While we were there, immediately, I felt the bubbling up of the Disney magic. It was such a feel good environment from the minute we entered the gates of the park. I inhaled and took it all in.
As we strolled through the park and squeezed through the crowds, I couldn’t help but feel perkier than I had when we walked in. It could have been all of the music I heard that took me back to a childhood of endless possibilities. It could have been that I was surrounded by fairy tales where all the stories have a happy ending. Whatever the case, it was enough to inspire me to not only keep dreaming but to dream bigger and believe that dreams can really come true. Maybe it’s childish. Maybe I need to snap out of it and pull myself out of the clouds. Or maybe that land of make believe was all I needed to make me believe in a bigger way. I have seen too many of my dreams come true to not think that “Impossible things are happening every day. ~Cinderella”
I never would have thought a trip to the happiest place on earth would be just the re-boot I needed. While my son is still talking about the magic of seeing Mufasa in the Disney parade, I have my own bit of magic tucked away. The question is how do I hold on to these good vibes?
Stay positive!
The feel good music in Disney was a mood changer. Keep yourself surrounded with positive people, positive quotes, affirmations and a little feel good music never hurts.
If you tell yourself something is impossible, then it is. You’ve already set it up to be that way just by speaking the words. Why not live in a place of why not? If you want to try something new, instead of telling yourself all of the reasons it’s not possible, simply say “Why not?”
Recently, I was strolling around the web. I came across this article and from the title – it had me. It’s “Why You Should Stop Making Excuses and Start Doing Cool Sh*t”. That gets your attention, right? It’s about a book by a woman who details how she pretty much took control of her life by following her passions. As a result, she’s found a way to live a life that’s true to her and make a difference along the way. Cool Sh*t, indeed.
It made me think of my own mission. While I continue to be about making my dreams come true and following my passion, I want to help other moms do that as well. The article didn’t mention whether the author of the book had kids or not. For me, it doesn’t matter, I think her message is universal. I think it is especially important for mothers to find and follow our passions. We tend to put what we want on the back burner or take it off the stove all together! By no means do I think we need to be “me me me Moms” and only focus on our goals. I do think that taking some time to focus on what we want as women makes us better moms. I think it’s even more important to do once we become moms because there are little eyes watching our every move. Why not give them a front row seat to us pursuing our passions?
The author of the book had some pretty big goals. She opened up restaurants in New York and Las Vegas and founded a company with her sister. Everybody’s goal doesn’t have to be a restaurant or a business. I think our passions, like fingerprints, are as unique as we are. {tweet me}
Everybody doesn’t want Beyonce success, some people would rather be in a local chorus. Everyone doesn’t want to be a New York Times Bestselling Author, some want a blog as an outlet for their thoughts. Whatever your passion is and no matter how small you may think it is… it’s a big deal. It’s yours!
What’s your passion? How did you find your passion? Still searching?
Can you say OUCH!?!?
