I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
If you’re worried about dreaming too big, this is a good mantra to help squash that fear. In the end, you become the very best version of yourself and get exactly the dream you want. A true win-win. Go after those too big, too beautiful, too dangerous, too risky dreams. You deserve every bit of them.
Don’t worry about your competition. It’s not what you do but how you do it that will set you apart. We all have a different method to our madness, so let your own unique brand of madness take flight.
Lady Gaga was one of the headliners at SXSW this year and her message was clear: don’t sell out; sell in. To your art, to making something you’re proud of, to creating the life you want. Dedicate and commit yourself to that. Go all out and all in. It’s the only way to really know what you’re capable of doing.
When you play pool, you don’t look at the cue ball. You look at the ball you want to hit with an eye on where you want that ball to go, and plan your actions backward from there. The same is true for life. Begin at the ending and work your way back to where you are. Then you’ll know where to start so you can get where you ultimately want to go.
“Watch with glittering eyes.” ~ Roald Dahl. Winter is back. Again. It can’t bear to leave us. I’m as over it as anyone and preparing for a serious case of Spring fever when Spring finally gets here. In the mean time, I’m trying to enjoy these last chilly days hunkered down in my apartment. Winter has been a time for me to get my dreams on track while also helping me appreciate the sun and the warmth when it does arrive. The sun’s always out there. So are the stars. Keep looking for them and you’re sure to find them.
It’s easy to get caught up in someone else’s dreams. Our paths cross, we see how we can be useful and helpful, and before we know it we’re spending a disproportionate amount of time making someone else’s dream happen. This is especially true if you have clients for your business or if you work a day job that funds your dream. It’s so easy to take our eyes off our prize because someone else’s prize isn’t so bad to look at. I have to be very careful of this because I like to be helpful and useful. I’ve had so many people who have helped me and I want to constantly pay that kindness forward.
That’s why very clear statements of work, project goals, and timeframes are so important for me to have with my clients. I’ve been asked by a number of them to join them full-time and though flattered, honored, and humbled by the offers, I politely and professionally refuse. I feel very lucky to have a number of repeat clients, and I have to remind myself why I’m doing this: to help others along while I’m working on my personal writing and original content goals.
As you carve your own path, you’ll be tempted, too, because carving our own paths is very hard work. Day in and day out. There is so break from it. We chip away one tiny piece at a time, brick by brick, we build our dreams. It’s understandable to jump to someone else’s dream that feels easier to build up because honestly, it is easier. But I promise you it’s not as fulfilling. Road building it tough work and it feels amazing, the way a tough workout leaves you with a runner’s high. I combat the tired feeling by regularly taking time to step back and look at what I’ve done. I’ve got a long way to go, and I feel very motivated when I see how far I’ve already come. It gives me the energy and the drive to keep going.
The most important example of your work, your art, your craft, and your passion is your life. You plan, design, build, and test it every minute of every day. You try, learn, and recalibrate. You keep what works and you change what doesn’t. Let your life tell your story and let it be an example of what happens when you use your time to work on what you love.
My friend, Jess, posted this article on Facebook and it bolstered my spirits. Here is the link to the full article and below are the 19 hard things you need to do to be successful. So much truth in these words!
“Keep your eyes open and your feet moving forward. You’ll find what you need.” Amaze yourself with just how much you can do, how much you do have, and everything that you can create. No more resources, courses, meetings, or plans that may or may not happen. No more wondering, whining, or wasting time. Now is your time. Just do it. Follow your instincts and make it happen. Whatever it is you want to have in your life. And not for the recognition, notoriety, or rewards that may or may not head your way as a result. Just because you want to and just because you can. I know you can and deep down you do, too. Toss aside any naysayers, your nagging inside voice included, and move ahead. One graceful, beautiful step at a time. You’ll be shocked by what happens next.
When we want to take a chance, when we want to do something new, we have to clear the way so the new can enter. This is exciting and it’s scary because we may have some time when this empty space just wants to house something. It may remain empty for a good long while before we actually figure out what belongs in that space. This is also a dangerous time. We may get so frustrated with that empty space that we feel tempted to fill it with something, anything. Don’t do it. Only fill it with something and / or someone you truly want.
Waiting is a tough business because we don’t know how long the waiting will last and we don’t know exactly what our options will eventually be. I don’t have those answers, but I do know this: we get what we settle for. So if we settle for something less than we want then that’s exactly what we’ll get – something that leaves us feeling empty even though we are full. Something that depletes us rather than building us up. Something that casts a shadow over our light rather than helping it to burn brighter. If that’s the choice, then I’m waiting. I’ll clear the way and hold that empty space for as long as it takes.
Christa Avampato 