Be prepared for the hard work.
Do you remember when you were 7 and played pretend? You imagined you were a model, teacher, scientist or in my case all of the above plus being a cashier?
Wasn’t it fun to sit back and dream up anything you ever wanted and truly believe tomorrow it could all unravel in your lap like it was your birthday?
That was then. This is now.
Although theories taught by “The Secret” and the Law of Attraction may teach you otherwise, the truth is you must always be ready to sacrifice something for the good stuff.
The Sweet Treats You Want in Life
you want to write a book ~
you want to be a successful entrepreneur ~
you want to find true love in your life ~
Think about the things you want in so bad that it almost hurts to dream about it. There it is. Right in front of you.
Are you ready to give up something to get it?
It’s something businesses who want your money won’t tell you. They market their BIG ideas and products with the hope that you will remember those childhood years and think like a child again. Infomercials won’t tell you that losing weight, for example, takes hard work. That no matter what they put in their food or exercise equipment, nothing will help you to lose weight permanently unless you deal with the emotional stuff that is preventing you from your goals.
The same thing with your dreams.
It’s easy to talk about all the things you want to do in your life, but in order to get there, you need to be courageous. You need to step outside of your comfort zone and do something that you never thought you would ever do. You need to think BIG, do something different and walk the walk even as your palms are sweaty and your heart is beating rapidly.
If you don’t walk through the fire, you will never get to where you want to go.
When I was a child, I had the most important job ever. I was the star singer in a group of cousins at my grandparent’s wedding anniversary. Even as a child I was shy and the thought of singing to my family and their friends on stage and in front of the entire restaurant was terrifying. But I had my little index cards with the speech I prepared and I sang The Rainbow Connection until my throat hurt. I knew the words backwards and forwards.
Then, came the day when I was supposed to get up and sing. My cousins were playing the piano and the ukulele and when I got my little self in front of that big mike, I froze.
I kept trying to say something, but I couldn’t. My mom quickly rescued me from what she believed was an embarrassing situation. Truthfully, the walk of shame back to my family’s table was the real embarrassment and disappointment in my life. It’s one of the reasons why I always challenge myself no matter how scared I am. It’s why I decided to join my high school play, work as a PI in my twenties and said, “Yes” to things like being on a radio show or on TV. When I had the opportunity, no matter how terrified I was, I always took it.
Why?
Because I never want to turn around in disappointment and shame as I did on that day.
If you have the opportunity to pursue your dreams, don’t say, “No” because of fear. Don’t turn down an opportunity because you’re worried about money or timing. There will never be a perfect time to do what you want to do. There will never be the correct circumstances to follow your dream.
I promise.
Throughout my life, I have heard a lot of excuses. “I’ll do it later.” “Someone probably already thought of that.” “I would if I had enough money, time, etc.”
Those people are still living the same life they were living a decade ago.
What do you want to do with your life right now?
Answer that for yourself and then go out and live your life.
flickr photo by: rubyblossom.