Posts tagged ‘Challenges when following your dreams’

August 11th, 2009

Just Say No: How Saying No Can Help You Say Yes to What You Really Want

On the well worn path toward the gold at the end of the rainbow, there will be many sidesteps along the way. Sometimes the road is unpaved and hard and there are no signs along the way to alert you where to go. And then you see a temporary haven, an easy way out, a shortcut towards your dreams. The question is do you take it?

Well if you have been reading my blog for a few weeks now, you know that I’ve favored saying yes in the past. That’s why you might be surprised to now read that I’ve had a change of heart. Maybe it is not always good to say yes to every opportunity.  In fact, recently I have relearned the value of saying no.

Sometimes when we’re on our way to fulfilling our dreams it can seem like forever and the gap between where we are now until where we want to be can feel overwhelming. But oftentimes we can’t see how close we are to the end.  We’re on our final lap and we don’t even know it but in our frustration we may give up too easily.  

When we are feeling desperate, we start desiring anything and everything.  You know the feeling you get when you’ve been dieting for too long and EVERYTHING starts to look good!  Well that’s what happens when you feel like you’ll never get the relationship, the job, or that plum writing assignment you are dreaming of.  Out of desperation you begin thinking of giving up.  You might think to yourself, “I might as well just ___ (fill in the blank with your chosen act of desperation) because I won’t ever get to ______ (fill in the blank with your dream).”

Well I’m hear to tell you, “Just Say No!” Although the temptation may be great, taking that low paying job or that high paying job you hate just because you are worried you won’t ever get there will only get you even farther from your dreams.  Stick to your goals.  Remember why you came here in the first place.  And don’t ever let your feelings of insecurites, self-doubt and desperation talk you into saying yes to living a life that’s less than the one that you deserve.  You will get there with time, patience, hard work and the belief that you can really succeed.  Trust me.  Saying yes to opportunities you don’t believe in and that doesn’t fulfill you is less of an opportunity and more of a temporary shortcut, one that will undermine your hardwork and prevent you from living the life of your dreams.

Path

July 29th, 2009

Saying Yay to the Naysayers!

I just finished watching a very inspirational documentary on PBS aptly titled, “Following Dreams.” Part of what moved me was the fact that it followed 8 people of various ages and aspirations, on pursuit of their dreams. 

The thing is, taking the step to fulfill your dreams can bring out the worst in others. It’s kind of like that piece of hair that drives people nuts because they can’t get down. You want to stand out and that makes the ones that stay down with everyone else, uncomfortable. Like one woman from the program says, “When you believe in something, you can get a lot of negativity around you.”

That’s why it was comforting to see that I wasn’t the only one. That there is a band of dreamers like me who would like to scream, “Yes we can!” to those naysayers. And if you are reading this and in the same boat as me, know that you too are not alone. There are many of us searching, struggling, and doing everything we can to fulfill our dreams. Let’s support each other on the journey and remember to be positive and compassionate to those who are struggling too.

The road is not easy. It’s windy, bumpy, scary, unpredictable and there are no guarantees that you’ll come out alive. But on the other hand, if you take this road, you’ve got a great shot at happiness.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXeAIuyEks0&hl=en&fs=1&]