If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it is that absolutely anything is possible. This isn’t something I was taught at school, I’m not sure about you but my school years weren’t exactly spent being told I could become a blogger or travel the world. We were encouraged to do things like go to University and become doctors, lawyers and other similar things.
My favourite subjects at school were English, history, art and drama. I was never any good at math, science or any of those kinds of things. By the time I left school, I had really big doubts in my mind about my abilities and felt, to be honest, a bit dumb. I figured because I hadn’t received good grades for certain subjects at school I must be a bit stupid and not capable of having a good job like the dream jobs sold to us by career advisors. This way of thinking made me feel really down on myself and I couldn’t choose what to commit to studying at University, so I started working instead, just waiting for the right job or sudden vision of what I wanted to appear.
Education is important, of course, but you shouldn’t ever feel limited by it. I’ve never gone to ‘Blog School’ or taken writing courses at University. I just found something I love and that makes me happy and I share it with other people. The way things are now, the rules have changed completely and while you probably need to go to University if you intend on changing careers to become a Doctor, for example, there may be ways you can share your talents and passion with the world without having to study too.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, you have control over your destiny and you can change your life and circumstance any time you choose. If I had stayed in my post-school mindset for the rest of my life, I would have had really low self-esteem about my writing abilities and my intelligence. Since I learned to trust my instincts and abilities, I’ve built that self-confidence back up. It has taken years and I was terrified when I first started sharing my writing with people, but now I feel comfortable with my writing and creativity and that’s more valuable than anything else.
You can always make something from nothing, trust me. Little Grey Box started as a tiny little blip on the radar and now it’s my biggest passion in life. It is always possible to take the things you love and turn them into something valuable, it just takes time and dedication. But, if you want it badly enough, it’s possible. Anything is possible.
One of the first motivational quotes I ever came across was shared by my eldest Uncle. He switched his mobile phone on, one of those really old Nokia slide phones, and he’d programmed a welcome message for himself. As the phone lit up it displayed the phrase, “Fortune favours the bold.” He didn’t go into detail explaining to me what it meant, he just left it up to me to decide for myself what it meant to me.
Those words have changed meaning a lot over the years as I’ve grown and changed. At this point in my life, I feel like it’s about having the confidence to put yourself out there and go after what you want. Ask and you shall receive.
All you have to do is make the decision to start, make the decision to change. Commit your mind to it and just begin. There’s no pressure to achieve absolutely everything at once. From there, things will grow organically and before you know it you’ll find yourself in a place where you look back and wonder why you weren’t doing this sooner.
People talk a lot about regrets they have, I know I’ve done it too. We question why we didn’t take that job we were offered, why we didn’t call the cute girl at the coffee shop or the nice guy from the party. We regret not travelling when we could have or not making changes to our life path. But here’s the thing, if we keep putting these things off we’ll find ourselves standing in the exact same spot a year, two years, 10 years from now… asking the exact same questions.
One of my favourite sayings is a Chinese proverb that goes like this; “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Whenever I’ve told people I left my job to take a chance on following my dreams, they are always incredibly supportive. I’ve never had anyone say, “But aren’t you worried you’ll regret going after your dreams?” Not once has someone questioned the decision because we all know what it’s like to have regrets. Instead, every person I tell says, “You did the right thing, take the chance now or you’ll always wonder what could have been.” Life ain’t going anywhere and the world won’t stop turning if you change your life path.
Another great piece of wisdom that had a huge impact on me was given to me by a previous boss, who told me it was important I understand that I am completely replaceable. Now, hold on, that might sound a little bit harsh but that wasn’t what she was intending. What she was saying was that I shouldn’t ever stay in a situation I’m unhappy in, because even if I think I’m incredibly important and key to that situation, it really doesn’t depend on me. I am always replaceable.
If you’re in a job you dislike, thinking ‘I have to stay, they need me!’ That’s not true. If you leave they will recruit someone else, train them and they will do the job and the company will continue without you. If you’re in a relationship or friendship you’re unhappy with, the other person won’t simply disappear or cease to exist if you leave. Nope, they will find another partner or another friend to replace you and they will get on with life and so will you. It is the continual momentum and rhythm of life. When one thing ends, something else grows in its place.
This is excellent news for us, my friends because it removes a lot of the pressure we place on ourselves. It brings a sense of lightness and ease into our lives because things aren’t as difficult or binding as they may seem. No matter what you choose to do in your life today, the sun will still rise and set tomorrow and the human race will continue to exist. So, why waste time doing something you don’t want to be doing?
Find that self-belief and trust within yourself and put yourself out there. You can achieve everything you’ve ever dreamed of achieving, all you have to do is make a start and what better time than right now?! Today is your day to plant your tree and watch it grow. So, be bold and take a step toward everything you desire. It’s all there waiting for you.
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