How to follow the path to your dreams…
Have you followed your dreams in life?
This is a question I often contemplate and reflect on. Do you feel that you are living your life purpose? Or do you feel like you are still figuring that out?
There is no right or wrong. I have spent time feeling disappointed and frustrated with myself for not feeling in line with my purpose in the past. But what I have come to realise is that I wasn’t ready to be living my purpose back then. I was still figuring out my dreams.
It is so easy to put lots of pressure on ourselves to be a certain way or feel a certain way, but I believe the best thing you can do is to accept where you are, find happiness in that place and enjoy the journey that is life!
We are all unique, and that makes the world a beautiful place. In figuring out my goals there have been times when I have tried to shy away from them. This has been because I have sought other people’s opinions and allowed them to shut down my dreams. I’m not blaming anyone else but myself for allowing this to happen. But what I would love is for you to accept where you are today, spend time figuring out your dreams, and then go ahead and pursue them, without fear.
So why do we suppress our dreams? This subject intrigued me greatly and I want to share what I believe to be the key limiting beliefs to us pursuing our goals…
Influence from others.
I have already mentioned this and for me, this has been a key limitation in my growth. How many times have you had a fantastic dream come in to your head, told someone and then they have said something that’s made you feel stupid/crazy/embarrassed? I know I have many times! Often these people are those closest to you. They may be saying things to try to protect you, or because they don’t want you to change or go in a new direction. People hate change unfortunately, but the reality is that we are always changing as we are beings that are made up of cells, and cells are forever changing. Ultimately, no one has to live your life apart from yourself and although your closest friends and family may mean well, they do not have the same dreams as you and therefore should not have the capacity to dictate your life.
Lack of time or not the right time.
Time is a great excuse for a whole host of things… How many times have you decided you haven’t got time for that gym class? Or you haven’t got time to make that phone call you keep putting off? Ultimately it isn’t about time, it’s about priorities. You get the stuff done that you prioritise. And a lot of the time the sad reality is that you prioritise others, before yourself. I know for me, I have been continually putting off starting to write and I have used time as an excuse. But if you want something that badly, all you really need is an hour a day and over time you will have created something beautiful. I hate using the phrase ‘I’m too busy’. It’s a pet hate of mine, and I actively try to keep the word busy out of my vocabulary. Everyone has a lot going on and saying you are too busy for something is often a cop out.
Fear of failure.
For some reason we are scared of things going wrong in life. However I can honestly say that I have learnt the most from situations that haven’t turned out in my favour. I think we all have an inherent fear of exposure and other people witnessing us not succeeding in something. Especially if this is something that is not in line with the norm. The way I have got around this is to accept that failure is a natural part of life, but to spend time reflecting and seeking out the positives in my failures. Vulnerability and openness can be a very powerful skill. I have found that people often respond positively when I share stories of ‘failure’ and can often relate and help you grow through these experiences.
Unsure what your dreams are.
Another highly likely scenario is that you just haven’t figured out what your dreams are yet. We are all on the go a lot and often don’t take the time to reflect and figure out our passions in life. Our days are taken up by work, family and friends and all these mean we rarely have quiet time for ourselves. A way that I got around this is I learnt to meditate, spent time reading and journaling, and also worked with a life coach to figure out my path. I highly recommend all these things, although I appreciate that everyone is different so you may need to figure out what works for you to bring that reflection time into your life.
Ultimately, life is full of limitations, but starting to pursue your passions in life is something that I believe shouldn’t be ignored. You are the only person with your unique dreams and goals so you are the only one in control of getting yourself there!
This quote sums it up nicely for me…
“Go to sleep with a dream and wake up with a purpose”
Jennie, With Love xx
