Ah, dreams. We all have them, we all desire to live them, but very few of us actually go out and chase them. Whether for fear of failure, self-doubt, or life’s challenges, “living the dream” doesn’t always feel attainable. Well, we want to change that. We all deserve to live our dreams, and deserve the chance – and the confidence – to make our dreams a reality. So let’s make it happen.
Take That First Leap
The greatest obstacle to pursuing our dreams lies in one simple, yet powerful area: our minds. Many of us – for lack of confidence in our own capabilities, outside forces creating doubt, or lack of role models to give us hope and guidance – are scared to even try. We’ve let our own inner dialogue or outside influences convince us that our dreams can’t become a reality, for reasons only our insecurities can conceive. We’re here to tell you that you deserve to live your dream as much as anyone else. You are capable, we believe in you, and we are confident that if you start believing in yourself, too, anything is possible.
That “first leap” we mentioned? It isn’t necessarily an action step toward chasing a specific dream of yours. Sure, we can tell you to start writing a goals list or create action steps, but belief is what makes anything achievable. The first leap is one of faith: in yourself and your capabilities. Start by combating any self-doubt by focusing on everything you do have that will make achieving your dreams possible. This can be your health, your personality, the fact that you have a great support system cheering you on, anything. Continuously choose to focus on the positives over negatives, and over time, your self-doubt will wash away. An unwavering belief in yourself will allow you to create action steps you know you can achieve, and will give you the confidence to persevere despite any negativity from outside forces. Nothing can break a person who believes in his/herself above all else.
Define Setbacks as Opportunities
The next step: use any failure, setback, or roadblock on the way to your dreams as an opportunity. You are going to run into your fair share of bumps in the road, it's inevitable and a part of life. But what ultimately separates those who achieve their dreams from the rest is that they chose to keep going. They found something positive in the negative, had confidence in themselves, and used each and every setback as an opportunity to learn, grow, and try something new. Start thinking of “failures,” or “obstacles” as stepping stones toward something greater, and you’ll find yourself that much closer to achieving all that you’ve wanted to achieve.
Repeat: “I CAN, and I WILL.”
On top of that, reaching your dream will feel all the sweeter after overcoming the obstacles that once stood in your way. There’s something special that happens when you find yourself persevering through setbacks, breaking barriers, and discovering the strength to press on. You quickly realize that everything you need, you’ve had within you all along. That there’s power in believing in YOU — in building yourself up, gaining confidence, and letting your heart guide you to where you’re supposed to be. So, starting today, tell yourself that you CAN achieve, be, do anything you set your mind to. You are the source of your success – give yourself the chance to reach those dreams you’ve been aspiring to.
A Final Note...
One of the most beautiful things about dreams is that they’re so much bigger than us. It may feel selfish at times to focus on yourself, your needs, or your aspirations, but trust that it isn’t. There’s a reason you were given a dream – it is specific to you, your skills, and who you are as a person. And although it may be difficult to see right now, your dreams are meant to benefit the world around you. Once you achieve what you’ve been working toward — and you will — you’ll realize that your achievement is something you, and only you, have contributed to the world. That the road you took to get there was meant for you, that you’ve had so much strength within you all along, and that your path and dream has made a positive impact on others along the way. When you go out and chase your dream, you’re doing it for more than just you. You're making a positive impact on the world, inspiring those around you to have confidence to follow their hearts as well. Now just imagine how beautiful the world will be when we all start chasing – and living – our dreams.
