Inspiration Monday: Dream on Dreamer

Ironically this is my 150th post on In-Between Life and it really couldn't be a more perfect fit. This whole year has been about me chasing my dreams and not giving up, even though there were plenty of ridiculously difficult moments for me. But I charged through (and don't get me wrong, I'm still charging) and eventually all that hoping and dreaming paid off. The road is long, though, and I have a lot left to do and accomplish. I'm just glad I kept my dream alive. I want you to keep your dream alive, too. Dream on dreamer.

"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts."

-Albert Einstein

Pursuing my dream job

Many of you bloggers may be familiar with the "Blogtober" challenge with the goal of blogging every day in October. At first I thought I'd give it a go, but honestly I've been the laziest bum ever these past couple of days. I've let sucky times get the best of me and resorted to laying in bed sleeping and/or Netflixing (can that become a word?) all day (and night...) I haven't been very productive. Being jobless sucks. You'd think having all this free time would mean I FINALLY catch up on all these projects I've started and such, but my motivation is seriously lacking. I actually had to slap myself in the face today to snap out of this mopey mess I've become. I absolutely dread getting sucked back into that hole of post-grad misery I faced about a year ago, so I am absolutely not going to let myself get to that point. I have been applying to jobs, but jobs that actually interest me/are relevant to what I want to be doing with my life are lacking, so who knows where the road may take me...

Anyway, I'm getting off topic. The point is, I was scrolling through my blog newsfeed and I noticed that today's Blogtober challenge is to write about your dream job, which is funny because that's exactly what I've been thinking about for awhile now. I know I always say I don't know what I want to be doing with my life or what direction I want to go in, but deep down I actually do know what my dream job is. I know exactly what I want to do. The problem is that I'm too scared to pursue it. I'm too scared to lack financial security. I'm too scared of failing at something that actually means the world to me. I'm too scared to actually get started and pursue that dream job.

The funny thing is I've known what my "dream job" is since I was a kid. I just never really acknowledged it until recent years. It's not an easy job and it's not something that many people are successful at. It's a job that if I do pursue, I want to be the very best at, and it scares me to think that I won't be. How will I ever know if I don't try, though?

Okay, ready? My dream job is... to be an author. Surprise, surprise. A blogger whose dream job is to be an author (absolutely no shock factor there, sorry for the suspense). The thing is, it's not something I really tell people. Or at least haven't gotten to telling people until very recently. I feel that especially in today's world, it's not really a viable career option—to be an "author". I don't want to be just a "writer", I want to actually be an author—someone who writes books and books that people actually enjoy. I'm always so critical of books that get turned into movies, but you know what? That would rock my world. If that ever happened I think it would possibly be the high point of my life. This isn't really something I've told to anyone, and here I am putting it on my blog for the whole entire world to read. I guess in a way it's like giving myself a kick in the butt. Now that I've told all of you, I actually have to follow through with it.

And that's exactly what I plan to do. I am jobless right now. So even though I will be applying for jobs, I'm going to take the free time I have now to not only work on this blog that I have come to love so much, but also finally get started on all that book business. I have tried before, but it was a pretty weak attempt. I know that even if I do get a job, I will continue to pursue my "dream job" so to speak. I guess that would mean I have two jobs. Writing may be a hobby of mine right now, but if I were able to actually make a career out of it... well that would be a huge thing to cross off my bucket list (I think meeting Leonardo DiCaprio would be number one on that list, no shame).

We all have dream jobs. We all have ambitions and goals that we'd like to some day reach, but sometimes fear gets in the way. Sometimes life gets in the way. Don't let it! Don't let anything stop you from pursuing your dream job. It's never too late. Seriously. Life is too short to just live day to day life. Even if your dream job is way off the charts and literally impossible to pursue, make a list of other things you want to accomplish. Things you know that you absolutely can accomplish if you just set your mind to it. A bucket list, basically. Make one today if you don't already have one. Check on it regularly. Pursue that list.

And as my favorite actor playing my favorite character from my favorite movie says...

Inspiration Monday: Hustle, Hustle, Hustle

These past couple of weeks I've found myself busier than I have been the entire summer accumulated.  I have new projects left and right and so many new things going on in regards to my blog (which you will see/get more info on very soon!) Basically, I've been hustling. Not just with my blog, but in other areas of my life as well. I'm determined to see my dreams come true. I'm determined to land that dream job, or at least start the path towards it. I always kind of knew that just sitting around waiting for things to happen wasn't a good way of succeeding, but it's not until recently that I finally got the determination to actually pursue my dreams and ambitions. Nothing worthwhile is easy, so you need to put in the hard work to see the pay-off. 

We've had this idea drilled into our heads since kids, though, right? At least I have. I've always been told that hard work pays off, that you need to put yourself out there in order to succeed, etc. However, it's much easier said than done. Even though I'm a lot busier these days and working hard towards a lot of new things, I know I could be doing even more. But I'm trying to take it one step at a time. It's also very easy (at least for me) to get overwhelmed with new projects and ideas. In the past I've had moments like these and put so much of my energy and time into it that I quickly burn out, leaving my brain fried and exhausted for a long time. This time, I'm trying to take things as they come and not go crazy on the hard work. It's so tempting, though! When you're this passionate about what you want to be doing and determined to see yourself succeed as soon as possible, it's hard to stop working and turn your brain off for awhile just to let yourself be. Could be one of the reasons I've had trouble sleeping the past couple of weeks! Oops.

So for this week's inspiration Monday, I'd like to remind you all that in order to see your dreams come true you have to hustle, hustle, hustle! Put in the work necessary. Make it happen. Get in that mindset. But at the same time, don't forget to take a step back every once in awhile. It's okay to give yourself a break. If you don't, you might overwork yourself and then what good will that do you? Also, remember that just because you don't see instant results, in whatever it may be that you're pursuing, doesn't mean you won't get there. Some things take a lot of time. The important part is that you don't give up. Set backs are inevitable. What counts is that you bounce back from them. 

Inspiring TED talks for all you twenty-somethings

I love TED talks. They have TED talks for just about everything and anything. The majority of TED talks I have actually spent watching have always left me with an important message to ponder over. I stumbled upon these three TED talks recently and felt that the messages these presenters have can really be of some inspiration to all you new grads, post-grads, twenty-somethings—anyone, really. The first one comes from one of the survivors of the plane that crashed on the Hudson River a few years ago, and what he learned from that life and death experience. The second presenter talks about how to put time in perspective and how essential it is for us to learn to balance the different "types" of time perspectives in order to lead happier lives. The last guy is kind of all over the place (he owns a wine company, maybe he indulged a bit before his talk?) but I think his overall message of passion, patience and ultimately doing what you love is something I firmly believe in. All the videos are under 15 minutes long (I usually can't watch anything for longer than that...) so give them a listen!

Summed up: You don't have forever. Do what you want before it's too late.

Summed up: Put your time on Earth into perspective. Learn to balance your time and don't focus so much on just the past, present or future. Balance is key.

Summed up: Do what you love, no excuses!!! Hustle in order to get your dreams come true. We live in an age where the internet can easily make those dreams come true (example A: me starting a blog to pursue my dream as a writer!)
*At the end he says to "stop watching Lost" so you actually have time to put into what you're passionate about, and let me tell you—since starting this blog, I have stopped watching all my favorite shows. I rarely watch t.v. anymore. I just don't have time for it. And I'm okay with that. Because the free time I do have, I spend it working on my blog/networking. Sometimes we have to sacrifice certain things in order to put in the time that's necessary to pursue your dreams and goals.

And to leave you with an inspiring quote from one of my favorite comedians:

"You’ll be fine. You’re 25. Feeling unsure and lost is part of your path. Don’t avoid it. See what those feelings are showing you and use it. Take a breath. You’ll be okay. Even if you don’t feel okay all the time."

― Louis C.K.

Inspiration Monday: Follow Your Dreams

I hope everyone's been having a great start to the new month (spring is getting closer!) It's so easy to get caught up in all the negative in your life during the winter months. That's why I think it's important to start off every Monday with a little bit of inspiration for the week ahead. A reminder of the goals you have set in your mind, what you strive for, what your true dreams are if reality didn't get in the way; the list goes on. We have the power to do whatever we want, it just takes determination, motivation and courage. This week's inspiration Monday is focused on following your dreams. I'm on the path towards following mine, are you? You should be.

"Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do."
- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“We may place blame, give reasons, and even have excuses;
but in the end, it is an act of cowardice to not follow your dreams.”
― Steve Maraboli

"The secret of making dreams come true can be summarized in four C's.
They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy; and the greatest of these is confidence."
- Walt Disney

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it,
and the imagination to improvise.”
–Sylvia Plath.