This month I saw my one of my ultimate goals and dreams come to pass: the publication of my first book, Get off Your Attitude!
For two years, I have been working on it and I must be honest with you, it wasn’t easy. It was a struggle. There were times that I thought “this is never going to happen.” The long hours, late nights at Starbucks, working weekends and daily efforts might have been time wasted. I asked myself: Are you crazy? Should I be doing something else? Is all of this struggle worth it?
Now, I can say, honestly, loud and clear, YES!
Something kept me going. I couldn’t say what at the time. Now, it’s obvious: my hesitation was doing battle with my attitude. Hesitation versus commitment — it’s a dangerous battle. Writing each day about the need for a positive attitude helped kick me off the pity pot. I have hoped that my book would help others as they read it. Now I realize it helped me as I wrote it!
I thought going after your dreams was about the end result. It’s not. Not even close. It’s about the journey and the path that you must take to reach the end result. In my case it was my book. Going after my dream made me realize that I needed to focus and to put all my energy into it, because it was worth the work.
While going after my dream, I had to keep a job to pay bills, etc. I had a sales job where one of my duties was to drop off tasty sweet treats on a weekly basis to clients. I didn’t mind doing it at all; actually, it was one of the fun days of the week for me. I remember wondering, from time to time, if my dream of being a full time speaker and a writer would ever come true. Was I ever going to finish my book and will it ever be published? At the time, my dream wasn’t even close to my reality. But I didn’t let my reality or any negative thoughts stop me; I made sure that I kept my dreams close to my heart and I kept believing.
I also made sure that I kept my dream them away from any negativity and dream busters. Those are people who will squash your dreams. Stay away from them. Dream busters may mean well and they may be kind, but, they can do damage to hopes and dreams.
Let me share with you the 3 P’s of going after your dream:
Purpose – You must know your purpose…what is your “why”? Why are you living and what are you on this earth to do?
Passion – This is probably the one thing that kept me in the game and going after my dream. When it comes to my book, my speaking business and my message, I am very passionate. I know that we only have one round on this merry-go-round that we call life and I am going to make the best of it. I know that it is a positive message that can help others believe in themselves and be happy and successful.
Perseverance –My parents taught me to never give up in life, No matter how big the task at hand was. It reminds me of one my favorite quotes by Winston Churchill: Never. Never. Never Give up.
Going after your dreams is tough. You’ll have to get out of your comfort zone. But if you never leave the comfortable little place you’ve made for yourself, you’ll never grow.
Get off Your Attitude includes many phrases that I call my GOYA-isms. Here’s one that makes this point: “You must do something you’re not used to doing, to get something you’re not used to getting.”
Any time you think or say something negative about your dreams, you must stop yourself. Realize you’re setting yourself up for failure. Get out of the habit of failing before you start.
Here’s one more GOYA-ism: It’s okay to be afraid. It’s not okay to stop or give up.
I encourage you to NEVER stop dreaming. Write your goals down and look at them on a daily basis. Write down specific goals to reach those dreams because goals are the building blocks to your dreams. They are the support system for your dreams.
If there is a dream in your heart, something you have passion for, and you feel is a purpose in your life, go after it. It will bring you happiness and make your life that much more meaningful.
Remember, it’s not only about crossing the finish line; but also about the person you become that makes the victory so SWEET!
“Remember that it is up to you to choose everyday to Get off Your Attitude and to create a positive lifestyle for yourself and others.” Ryan C. Lowe
