Finding the Courage to Follow Your Dreams

"You're studying what? Oh..."
"Are you planning on living in a box on the street? Switch majors..."
"You might as well be studying basket-weaving!"
"That's just not feasible."
"You can't do it."

Have you heard any of the above, or something similar? Whoever utters those words to you is trying to discourage you from following your dreams. They might say that they have your best interest at heart, that they're just looking out for you or some other bogus rationale. However, that's just a cover-up for their true intentions. Whatever you do, don't let them stop you from living your dreams and defining your own path in life!

Ignoring the Naysayers, Haters & the Closed-Minded

For some reason, certain people seem to be threatened by those who follow their dreams, no matter what people say. These individuals could legitimately want to hurt you by trying to instill self-doubt and negativity into your "half full" mentality. They could just be bitter because they didn't do what they wanted to do with their lives. Some people, such as parents or relatives, just want you to play it safe because they want you to have a "secure" and "normal" career path.

Regardless of their reasons, the naysayers are trying to put you in a box and limit your potential whether they mean to or not. Now, we all know that you are FAR too fabulous to be placed in the square of the mundane.

Live the Life You've Imagined

Take the road less-traveled!

You only have one life. I know that's cliche, but I swear it is true. Also, we never know how long we have to live it. I know far too well that life is fleeting. Make the most of it! The other people out there who decide that they are too scared to go for it, do not live life to the fullest. Let them cheat themselves, just don't let them cheat you! It will be you on your deathbed saying, "I wish I had done that." - not them.

Try not to let fear of the unknown, failure or rejection keep you away from reaching your goals. There is no such thing as true success without experiencing failure. If one door closes, it just leaves room for the right door to be opened.

Turning Dreams into Reality - The Practical Way


Once you've found it within yourself to ignore the naysayers, it's a whole other story to find the courage to actually live your dream and reach your goals!

Finding or living your dream is more practical than most people think - it actually takes confidence, time, planning and serious introspection. To think, most people actually think you just woke up one day and decided to become a makeup artist all willy-nilly! It might seem that way from an outside perspective, but you have probably secretly had that dream for a long time.

Take the following steps to create your own reality:

1. Create a "life goals journal" or a "goal-setting workbook." Make sure to take some time away from the daily grind and dedicate at least 10 minutes a day to writing about what you want out of life. You can't achieve anything until you have concrete goals.

2. Inspire yourself. It's hard out there for a bold, fabulous risk-taker (You thought I was gonna say pimp...)! Make sure to prepare yourself for criticism or set-backs by repeating a mantra to yourself every morning before you go out into the world. Type it out on a small paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror. This mantra can be anything you find personally inspiring. You can even have more than one for different situations! One of my mantras is: "Don't block your blessings. Embody positivity. Live your dreams every day."

3. Research, Research, Research. If you are going to give your all to doing something, you better make sure that you know everything there is to know about it. Make yourself an expert in whatever field you want to go into. Once you are an expert, you already have an edge and will feel more confident in going after your dream. For instance, doctors know everything about the body. You wouldn't want a doctor who went to Roscoe's Med School and practices out of a van! It's the same for anything you choose to do.

4. Be Yourself. Put a bit of yourself into everything that you do. Be unique! You are already being bold, by going off the beaten path, so why not go all out and let your fabulous personality and creativity shine through? It's easy to look to successful people in your field for inspiration. That's perfectly fine and recommended, but don't try to emulate them. Be the next YOU.

5. Don't Give Up. Times will be guaranteed to get rough along your journey to the top. However, let your true inner strength shine through when you are faced with adversity. It's easy to quit, but you will be cheating yourself if you don't fight past the obstacles that come your way. Whenever you think of quitting, look at it this way - If you quit now, all the work you already did will be in vain and you will have wasted your precious time. That wouldn't be cool at all! Wasting your time is only hurting you. Remember: the night might seem long, but the morning is quickly approaching.

6. Surround Yourself With A+ People. Have you ever heard the saying, "Misery loves company"? Well, it's true! Imagine yourself - a bold, dreamer - surrounded by people who limit themselves to what's "normal" or "expected." It will be ten times harder to stick to your dreams when you are surrounded by such horrible energy. Surround yourself by people who share your goals and also strive for the best! Also, don't let your ego keep you from surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do! That is a key mistake that many people make. If you hang around with A+ people and you're a strong B, it's only a matter of time before they help you to become an A+ too! I'm not saying, ditch people, now. Try to help your friends expand their mentality to one of positivity and success, but if they aren't being open minded and are discouraging you - re-evaluate their position in your life.

Remember, you can do anything that you set your mind to. Only you can limit your potential. Don't let fear or other people decide which path you take in life. Listen to Robert Frost and "take the road less traveled." You might end up somewhere amazing, beyond your wildest dreams!