5 reasons to keep following your dreams

Picture of my view as I pen this entry - a wintery but surprisingly sunny English afternoon in the UK
(5 min read) 

Happy 2017 my lovelies!

This morning, I started my day with some incredible news in my email inbox – 10 sessions of my leadership seminars have been confirmed with a university in Singapore, due to be delivered from end January 2017 onwards. Hip hip hurray!
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A year ago on this same day, this possibility would seem impossible. To be physically all over the place on the globe, but still do the things I love and have people (not to mention, reputable institutions!) paying for them. In addition, I get to work with the audience I love and deliver topics close to my heart. It’s an amazing feeling, to carve and create all of these out of nothing. 

This reality I have today used to be a “lofty dream”. While the idea sounded enticing, it also sounded almost impossible to execute. Moreover, I had no clue how to do it, nor had any inkling where to start.
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When we are faced with obstacles that we have no idea how to overcome, it is easy to be intimidated by fear - it often thrusts us back to our comfort zones at lightning speed since the unforeseeable outcome is synonymous with “danger”.  As a result, we throw the white towel in and continue living life in the same manner as before.
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However, we somehow continue waiting. For something, perhaps a moment or a turning point. And we continue having the same conversations about unfulfilled dreams, being fully aware that whatever same actions we are taking now aren’t going to bring us new or different results.

At some point, we might begin justifying to ourselves that our dreams aren’t that important at all. We start the process of removing things and thoughts that excite and thrill us about living. We allow ourselves to fall into the doldrums of life.

Of course, we convince ourselves that this is what adulthood is about. We roll our eyes and diss people who are still stoked by incredulous dreams (even though we know that we are just secretly jealous of them). We keep telling ourselves that these idealists are really impractical and they will eventually have to grow up like how we did.

There is certainly no wrong in this entire pattern of being. Our lives will still be fully functional and comfortable. In fact, it is a very safe and secured place to be in because nothing ever changes since everything is always the same.

It just isn’t the least bit extraordinary, that’s all.

For some of us, that doesn’t sit well with the deep desires of our hearts. Why? Because we still have that little child in us unbashfully hopeful for an exciting and extraordinary life unbridled by self-imposed limitations. The thought of a life led by freedom, passion and endless possibilities make those butterflies in our tummies flutter again.  

When we start talking ourselves out of what we have always wanted to do, we inevitably lose our zest to life. Beyond that, we also subconsciously belittle ourselves bit by bit every day. The hidden messages that we are really sending to ourselves are that we aren’t capable enough for our dreams, that we aren’t as good, talented or privileged as others, that we are just mediocre and tolerable. Slowly but surely, we lose our sense of self-worth. We end up leading compromised and unfulfilled lives.
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Whatever that “adult voice” of ours is telling us in our heads surely isn’t doing that great a job at being inspiring.

In the past year, I made a conscious choice to keep listening to the voice of that inner child in me. Despite being occasionally labelled as an overgrown kiddo trapped in the body of a 30-something year old (which I actually think is an incredible compliment), this choice I had made worked wonders for me.  

​Because I kept honouring my dreams, they never once died.

And because my dreams never died, it propelled me to TAKE ACTIONS. It allowed me to turn my so-called “lofty dreams” into my reality.

I am not saying the journey is a walk in the park. Definitely, there are prices to pay - I had to keep going despite feeling inadequate (which is perfectly normal if you are doing something new for many first times), shed a few tears (and always feel better after) and had more than a couple of falls along the way. Despite that, I chose to keep going. I learnt new things, experimented new ways and kept growing.

It is also this unwavering faith that eventually led me to the first whiffs of the results I have always dreamt of. If you want something bad enough, you can definitely make it happen.

This news I received today may not sound like a massive deal to you. But to me, it is a monumental milestone.

I’m shamelessly and incredibly proud of myself for making a stand for the life I want to have. And the sense of fulfilment and achievement is indescribable.

For all of us looking to create new beginnings at the start of this new year, use your renewed motivations purposefully. Revisit the dreams you’ve always wanted to achieve and allow yourself to take the first steps towards them.

 Why? Because you are indisputably worthy of having all your dreams come true. You deserve nothing short of an extraordinary life well lived.
 
5 reasons to keep following your dreams

1) You will start taking action
Getting your butts off the chair and taking action is the only way to turn your dreams into a reality. The faster you take action, the faster you will achieve them.
 
2) You will feel energised and alive again
Having a dream goal that excites you keeps you alive and energised every day. The renewed sense of purpose as you discover new things about yourself will keep you growing and feeling younger!
 
3) You deserve the very BEST in life
When you truly believe you are deserving of the best things, you will then allow these great things to come into your life. Don’t settle for anything less!
 
4) Your self-confidence will increase with every milestone achieved
When you do things you have never imagined possible before, you will keep discovering how capable and unstoppable you actually are!
 
5) You only live once
So why wait? Live our lives filled with memories, not unfulfilled dreams. Carpe diem!

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