if you had asked me three or four years ago if I was following my dreams, I probably would have thought about it for no more than 5 seconds and replied with “yeah, I guess”.
You see, I was one of the very many of us who grow up believing that it is important to dream, but not to dream “too big”. There was a limit to how much I should dream, and it was important to never get “carried away”.
This was always difficult for someone who never really had a clear vision for their future. It seemed like every time I became curious about a certain path or decided to look further into a career option, I was quickly shot down with all of the reasons why I couldn’t do it, or why it wouldn’t work out or why it wasn’t “realistic” for me to follow that path.
It took me a while, but I am now a firm believer of the idea that when you have a dream, and really dedicate your time to making it a reality (no matter how small the steps you take are), absolutely anything is possible. Call it the universe, call it destiny, call it you just making shit happen, things always seem to find a way of working out when you’re in the right mindset.
Maybe you’re passionate about something your peers don’t understand, or maybe your parents have always steered you in a direction you haven’t necessarily wanted to take. Maybe your school has confined your opportunities to such an extent that you haven’t really even had the chance to explore what it is you really are passionate about. There are many things that may cloud your vision when it comes to finding and following your dreams.
One of the most important and beneficial things you can do to allow yourself to find your passion is to put yourself in a positive and inspirational environment, both physically and mentally. Mentally, it’s important to be kind and patient with yourself, and actively make an effort to spend time doing things that make your soul happy.
What do you crave doing? What do you often find yourself thinking about? What are some of the things you wish you could do but never seem to have enough time for? Take time to try lots of new things, and put your heart and soul into them.
Physically, surround yourself with positivity and inspiration. This includes your home, your workspace, your bedroom, even the people you choose to spend your time with. For me, when I’m seeking inspiration and trying to get into the right mindset I tidy my room, light a candle, lay on my freshly made bed and relax.
This way I feel that I’m best able to listen to what it is my heart truly desires. I can’t emphasise more the importance of feeling relaxed and at ease – stress is only going to lead to fear and doubt about your passions and your ability to follow them.
In the end, the one thing that really gets me feeling motivated and inspired to follow my dreams is the realisation that we are only on this planet for a very, very short time, so why would I be investing my time and energy into anything other than something I’m truly passionate about?
Go on, you owe it to yourself.
