Every once in a while, you might need a little extra motivation. Your coffee may spill all over your shirt on your way to work, or there's a line at the bakery so you can't get your usual bagel order for breakfast. In those moments, the struggle can be real, and you assume that your lack of energy and drive is due to something happening between the planets, like Mercury retrograde. Now, I believe in the universe and all its cosmic powers, too. But, I also believe that you need to just start living your dreams today and eliminate the noise, chaos, or nonsense that you believe is holding you back. Can you do that? I think so.
Personally, I think you're totally capable of changing your life or current situation, so that it better supports you. I think you're able to say "no" to plans on a Saturday night, when all you really want and need to do is snuggle up on the couch and work on your blog. I think you're also capable of surrounding yourself with encouraging and inspiring people, and believing in yourself every single day.
Truth is, that's the secret to success and living your dreams. It's not always about getting lucky or knowing the most. It's simply about creating a life for yourself that isn't cluttered with noise and words like "can't" and "ugh." How do you do begin? Well, you start doing these seven things.
First things first: There may be some people in your life who are holding you back from your dreams. They're causing unnecessary drama, like passive-aggressive arguments and gossip in your group chats. Sometimes, they aren't very supportive or encouraging.
You may bring up an idea for a business you want to start or a big, personal change that you want to make, and they'll make sarcastic comments. They might even get jealous and controlling when you start to succeed. Girl, break up with toxic and fake friends, like, right now. They aren't doing you any favors.
Sometimes, eliminating the noise means being louder than it. It means living to the beat of your own drum, and not giving negativity the AUX cord. (Empowering and motivating Beyoncé songs only, OK?) It means being unapologetic with your thoughts and opinions, and ultimately, a bold person in this world. Can you do that? I think so.
Truth is, following your dreams requires you to be a little tough and stand up for yourself. There may be moments where people question your ambition, passion, and success rate. Don't let that stop you. Instead, be respectful, kind, and genuine, and stick by what you know.
When it comes just to about everything in life, it's important to know the phrase, "Why not?" I learned this right after I graduated college, and was applying to jobs that felt so out of my reach. People told me, "Don't send an application there," and "Wait a few years, and then try." I appreciated their realism at times, but decided there wasn't any issue with being the girl who just goes for it.
Be that kind of person, too. Realize that people might throw obstacles and problems in your way, and that it's all just a bunch of noise. Accept their challenges, turn their mountains into miniature-sized hills, and then move on.
It can be so easy to compare yourself to others, especially when people are shoving phrases like, "supposed to" and "what's next" in your mind. They're asking tough questions, and expecting you to have everything figured out. Let me (maybe) be the first to tell you: That's just a bunch of noise.
You don't need to have it all figured out. You don't need to know how you're going to launch your dream business, or all of the logistics involved with moving to the West Coast. In fact, the only thing you need to know is, what I like to call, your "why." This is your reason for starting and continuing to care about what you're doing, or will do. Everything else is just manufactured competition.
One of the most beautiful things about being part of the "real world" is that you have more time and space to create your life. You can dedicate hours to photography, going to the gym, or getting involved in your community — whatever you want! But, the downside of this is that you have to hold yourself accountable and really practice self-discipline.
You have to filter out the noise and things in your life that aren't pushing you forward, like the gossip that's leaving you drained, for example. Then, you have to create space in your schedule for your passions, and not trade it for anything in the world.
As far as I'm concerned, it's human nature to worry about what other people think of you. It's normal to care about your best friend's opinion of your career, or your mom's thoughts on your latest and greatest ideas for a fashion line. What's not good, though, is when you let someone's thoughts and opinions control you and what you do.
This life (and I can't stress this enough) is entirely yours to live. It's yours to create, experience, and love. Yes, you want the people you surround yourself with to approve of you and your actions. But, arguably what's more important is your own stamp of approval. Got it? Good.
Last but not least, always believe in yourself. It sounds cheesy, or a little cliché, but it's essential to eliminating noise in your life and following your dreams.
You have to imagine yourself as a key player in the game, and a cheerleader who's shouting, "You can do it," from the sidelines. You have to take on both roles, and realize the value in your skills, potential, ambition, and passion.
Then, you need to make your dreams a priority in your life, and continue to fuel that spark that's inside your soul. You'll notice as soon as you start putting your dreams as a top priority, other people will begin looking at them that way, too. And that the noise will fade — just like that.
