A few weeks ago my sister was in town and I spent some time talking with her and one of my good friends about following your dreams in life. We've probably all been there at some point, striving for something we believe in or are passionate about, moving along at a snail's pace toward a goal that at times seems so huge and out of reach - it can be frustrating and discouraging to say the least. How do we know that it's the 'right' thing to do? How do we know that our efforts aren't in vain?
I'm not sure these are questions that can be answered (at least not simply) but we basically all agreed on one thing: if you keep putting in the time and effort, keep believing in yourself and continue building and shaping your dream, staying open to all possibilities (because you never know where opportunity may come) then you will succeed. It's only natural to have fears and doubts but what's important is to recognize them for what they are, push forward anyway and never stop believing in yourself.
As you can probably tell if you've been reading this blog, I'm the type of person who likes to set goals and I often try to tackle a few things at once (ok, more than just a few things). Lately I haven't been able to find as much time to focus on writing about therapy as I'd like. I've been busy working on the design and development of my other blog (I'd eventually like to meld this blog with my other one) searching to replace the car I totaled back in February, organizing my new home and training my dogs to behave like angels. Oh, and there's my full time job. As a goal-orientated person it frustrates me when one of my goals falls by the wayside, especially one that I care so much about. Since I began therapy over a year and half ago I've become so passionate about sharing my experience with others. Having emotional well-being is just another piece of living a healthy, balanced life.
I've felt a lot of anxiety lately as I've been trying to fit everything in. It can be hugely overwhelming at times trying to figure out how to balance a full time career with a budding aspiration and there are days when I'm filled with doubt - doubts about whether I can do it all, whether I'm good enough, whether I'm silly for even trying to follow my dreams. But I keep coming back and checking in with myself, and little by little I feel like it's slowly taking shape. I no longer feel like I'm spooning water into a bucket with a large hole that's draining faster than I can keep up. I'm not sure how exactly but it finally feels like I'm managing to get a little ahead of the game. I'm slowly learning how to juggle and balance it all.
I think the biggest trick is just to keep at it. There are some days or weeks I can only manage a little bit of work towards my goals or inspiration doesn't come as easily as it does at other times and some days ideas fly at me so fast I can hardly keep up. I'm trying to remind myself to just relax and be patient and keep moving forward, that it's ok to feel discouraged but not to let it stop me dead in my tracks. On days when I'm feeling more doubtful I try to remind myself of what I've already accomplished since I first started and how far I've come. I try and remember not to sweat the details - they'll work themselves out. I've also decided to stop worrying (which is easier said than done). I like to think that when the time comes for opportunity that I'll be ready and I won't miss the boat. I like to believe that if the passion and the hard work and the product are there then success will come.
I am truly a believer that we can all take control of our own destiny and shape our lives however we see fit. The key is to believe in yourself and your passions and not to let anything (fears, doubts, the opinions of others) sway you from what you know deep down to be true. We should all be so bold as to chase after our dreams. It's scary, sure, to lay it all out on the line and really put your heart out there but what's the worst that could happen? Maybe your dream won't look exactly the way you pictured but what if it turns out better than you ever could have imagined?
-k
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