Today’s post is written by our Senior Editor, Rachel Kempton.
My big dream, growing up, was to be a magazine journalist. When I was eight-years-old I had an article published in a national newspaper and that was it. I just knew that was what I wanted to do. But as I got older, a combination of bad careers advice and self-doubt led me down a different path and for years my dream was just that: a dream.
Then suddenly one day, in my mid twenties, I woke up. I was on a yoga retreat in Wales. As I walked silently through the mountains, the sun beaming down on my face, I had valuable time to think. I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I wasn’t living the life I’d imagined because I didn’t feel alive; I was on auto pilot just going through the motions. In that wonderful moment of clarity it dawned on me: the only thing stopping me from chasing my dream was me.
Deep down I knew that if writing was what I really wanted to do everything about my life would have to change. It was a scary thought. A million questions whirled around in my head. I’d spent years working my way up to senior manager at a big health spa and I was finally earning decent money – did I really want to give that up? Was I doing the right thing by ending my long-term relationship and selling my house? How would I afford the fees to do a post-grad course in journalism, let alone support myself while I was doing it? What if I couldn’t get a writing job? What if overhauling my life was a huge mistake? The list went on…
Looking back now, I can smile. As soon as I made the decision to follow my dream things just fell into place, as if by magic. I wasn’t fulfilled in my job, the hours were unsociable and it felt right to say goodbye. Selling my house, and everything in it, enabled me to relocate, pay my course fees and live without having to work for six-months. Within days I found a lovely little flat near my art college – which was love at first sight! – and met a whole new community of people who were following their writing dreams too. It was like the universe was lighting the way, gently reassuring me that, yes, I was finally on the right path!
During this time I was pushed out of my comfort zone more times than I can remember. It was challenging and scary at times, but it was also exhilarating. I felt happy and free, inspired and empowered, and incredibly excited by the prospect of shaping my own future. As is often the case when you find the courage to take that leap of faith, it worked out. Those big decisions paved the way to a great writing career and a fulfilling life doing what I love.
On the Do What You Love team away day recently we all shared our life stories. It was so interesting to hear each team member talk about their childhood, the choices they made growing up and how these have impacted on their lives. Every one of us has travelled a different road and learned different lessons along the way, yet we have one big thing in common. We all believe that we are free to follow our dreams and choose how we live our lives, because ultimately we are the masters of our own destiny.
This week we invite you to focus on your dreams. Do you have a dream, something that inspires you, lights you up and gets you excited about the future?
Well, here’s our advice:
- Believe that it is possible and commit.
- Make time to take tiny weekly steps towards it. Make a plan: start with your yearly or monthly milestones and then break these down into weekly or daily tasks.
- Make choices that support your dream.
- Be flexible. If you are too rigid in your thinking, or you get bogged down in when, where and how you’ll make your dream happen, you might miss an opportunity to pursue your dream in a way you never could have imagined. Keep an open mind!
- Go for it!
We’d love to know what you thought about, and what came out of it – please share with us on Facebook or Twitter!
Have a lovely week
Rachel and the team
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