9 years ago I made a choice, that choice changed the rest of my life. What I realize today is that same choice is one that many face and are very afraid to consider. I want to help shift that today.
In today’s world, most seem to be chasing success, wealth, an opportunity, fame or something of that sort. And I can’t blame anyone. We live in a world where ‘things’ are flashy, fun, and exciting. Where money holds us back from being able to have basic experiences.
Of course people want to have access to the world! But in many cases to get that access means we may need to work hard. We may need to work through challenges.
Now I think we can go on talking about how much of the time we get caught up in looking for material wealth to make us ‘happy’. But today I’m going to pull focus away from that and simply look at what can inspire us to achieve our deepest desires, passions, and the things we feel we’ve been put on earth to do.
Not everything comes easy but if we have the right mindset approach with ourselves and take action, I believe we can achieve anything. I proved this to myself 9 years ago when I made my choice to drop out of school for good and pursue my passion. I’m still doing it and there is much I learned along the way.
Words have power. The story we tell ourselves and the power of the mind comes into play everyday in our lives. Audit your current story, how much do you doubt yourself? Talk poorly about yourself? Talk down to yourself? What about when you are talking to others about yourself?
Here are some thoughts and phrases to really reflect on and internalize to help you achieve anything.
1. You are in control of your life, at a deep level!
2. Take your dreams seriously. Others will tell you they are not possible, but they are. Always.
3. What does your ideal day look like? Start creating it!
4. “If you don’t have room to fail, you don’t have room to grow. — Jonathan Mildenhall
5. If someone asks you why you do what you do, you better have a good reason.
6. If you are doing what everyone else is doing, there is a good chance you will end up where they are too.
7. What you do and who you are is unique and no one else in the world will do it like you. For that reason alone you must do it.
8. There is no such thing as failure, it’s simply a learning lesson you were brave enough to reach.
9. You already have all it takes to create anything! It all comes from within you, it’s about what you choose and expose yourself to.
10. Change for yourself, not for others.
11. Change starts within. Don’t look outside yourself to get things started. Look inward.
12. There is so much to be said about DOING. You can’t achieve anything if you don’t DO.
13. A setback is a setup for a comeback” -T.D. Jakes
14. Be genuine! Your true self and true story holds much more power than a fabricated game.
15. Connect back with your initial passion and desire weekly. Getting lost in the chase is highly detrimental.
16. Surround yourself with others who support you. Limit time spent with those bringing you down.
17. Don’t completely shut out the nay sayers, they bring feedback you often won’t get otherwise.
18. There is no positive and negative when you see things for what they are. This allows you to stop fantasizing about outcomes.
19. Visualize! Each day you can benefit greatly from visualizing what you want to achieve. Seeing yourself doing it.
20. Be grateful for where you are no matter what. Check in with yourself to refuel the realization of gratefulness.
21. “Your problem isn’t the problem. Your reaction is the problem.” — Anonymous
22. Don’t subject yourself to other’s idea of how things ‘have to be done’. If your way works, do it!
23. On that note, learning from your mistakes is great but learning from others is even better. Use your FEELING to determine which path to take.
24. It’s not about the destination as much as it is about the journey, enjoy every step of the way and don’t judge it.
25. Pay attention to YOUR dream and not the dreams of others. Audit yourself, who’s dreams are you really after? Yours? Your parents? Societies?
26. Give a damn. Care. What you put in is often what you get out.
27. “The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.” — W. E. B. Du Bois
28. And on that note, who are you? Truly? Do you know? Spend time getting to know you!
29. Do or Do Not. There is no Try — Yoda.
30. What you do every day matters more than what you do every once in a while.
31. We often start off terrible at things, no problem. Mastery comes in continuing.
32. No great person simply picked something up and was the best. Everyone put in time, energy, hours and in fact, 10,000 of them. Be gentle with yourself, but remember to work for what you want.
Many of these thoughts, wise words and quotes have been huge themes in my life in following a passion. Climbing a mountain most thought I couldn’t climb. But the key after all these years is not to judge others, ‘prove’ anything to them or revel in accomplishments. It’s realizing that this was my path. This was my journey. I chose this.
Stay present, stay humble, stay in line with your passion and your ego will stay quiet. Connect to your heart.
Photo credit Tim Bogdanov.
via Collective - Evolution