Do you work towards your dreams and aspirations daily?

Henry David Thoreau quotes:

“Do not give up on your dreams and aspirations. For if you do, you may exist but you have ceased to live”.

What a powerful quote! 

I believe we have all dreamed and had hopes at one or many stages of our life. However, due to circumstances and life experiences, we may have let them go believing they can never come to pass or worse, that we are somehow undeserving of it. Some dream big, so big that it can be laughable and others dream modestly. I wonder if there are any benefits in dreaming small? Are our dreams not supposed to scare us?

We are responsible for steering our dreams in the right direction.  We need to put in the hard graft – it will not happen any other way.

Perhaps we need to become more knowledgeable in the area we wish to work in, begin to network with like minded people or take up voluntary work. The list really is endless.

Are you willing to do what is required to fulfill your dreams and aspirations? It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of our lives and lose sight of the bigger picture.  The bigger picture is what keeps us moving forward when life seems bleak,  when we are no longer fulfilled in our jobs, when we have outgrown relationships, when we see parts of our character that we know need to be changed.

A few questions for you to consider:

1. Where would you like to be in 10-15 years time?

2. What do you need to put in place today to be nearer to your dream tomorrow?

Take the plunge and put pen to paper – you never know where it may lead to.

Advertisement

Are you a go-getter?

Coming home from work one evening last week, I felt tired. I had a busy, long day at work thanks to my compressed hours. This gives me a day at home with my toddler, son and the pleasure of collecting my daughter from school. She looks forward to this day, as do I.  I secretly wish I could collect her every day and splash in puddles and kick leaves as we walk home.

As I was on the train, I thought of the number of tasks I wanted to complete that evening. Some were practical and some were personal; my make up business, blog and administration as part of worship ministry.

I wondered what it must be like to lead a more simple life. No offence at all to anyone who does – in fact I am almost envious of those who have more spare time than me. Seriously though, I pondered on my motives for always striving and on why I feel uneasy when I cannot tick a task off of my to do list. In the grand scheme of things life continues as usual, whether I update my business page or not, whether I respond immediately to people who comment on my blog or not.

According to my mother, as a child I wanted to play with everything at nursery and I barely stopped to rest between riding the bike, playing with the sand and water and so forth.

This naturally transferred into my teenage and adult life. I was the organiser of my friends, the one who booked our holidays and arranged our daily itinerary.

I guess being a “go, go, go” person has it’s benefits, you get tasks done and fast but how often do you feel resentful or hard done by?

I choose to take on all that I do for a number of reasons. Some are quite deep rooted and need to be dealt with but I will discuss this at another time. 

How do you view yourself?

Are you happy to be “at this place?”

 

Is your glass half full or half empty?

Last week, I focused on coping mechanisms for dealing with delay and disappointment. Well, I was recently put to the test!

My connecting train arrived on a platform at the far side of the station and I did not hear the announcement. To add icing to the mix, the train that followed was running late so I stood at the platform for 35 minutes. This was the 4th, yes the 4th Thursday that I have faced a delay or cancellation.

The first thing that came to mind was using this time to draft my blog. I had already read the bible and completed my daily devotion. Reluctantly, I took my hand out of my warm pocket and proceeded to type on my smartphone in the cold.

I am gravitating towards being a “glass half full” person. It keeps me in good spirits and enables me to rise above my situation. Nothing good derives from seeking disappointment and generally expecting very little from life. It makes one weary, despondent and unhopeful.  Life, as I see it is for living and living to the full.

I have listed some tips below on how to enjoy life;

1. Accept that challenges will arise. Some you may find a solution for and others you may just have to go through. I struggled with this for a while, always aiming to go around.

2. Add trinklets of enjoyment into your life. Watch a “feel good” DVD, go for a walk in the crisp air, cook your favourite dish, eat out at your favourite restaurant. 

3. Have a good night’s sleep. Tiredness makes one irritated and less able to deal with the trials of life. Perhaps have one or two set nights in which you turn in early. 

4. Outsource jobs if you can afford it; cleaning, ironing, gardening.  Knowing the domestics are taken care of leaves you free to focus on those things which are more of a priority.

Do you have any tips to add?

Delays – what are your coping strategies?

The saying;

“There is no use crying over spilt milk” is simple but to the point. It has happened, crying will not turn back time or in fact make you feel any better. 

Which brings me to a particular situation that I have faced………………….

Last Thursday, I arrived at the station where I board my connecting train to find that my train had been cancelled. The line had been closed with no further notice.  I would not mind but every Thursday for the past three weeks, there have been delays of one kind or another.  

I decided to take another route which I had the joy of paying for the privilege! Now, at this moment I could have chosen to become angry and anxious (like a few commuters I overheard) or accept that delays are a part of life.  I admit that in the not too distant past, this would have affected my morning. I would have arrived to work with a fixed face and taken a few hours to perk up again. I would have questioned why I have such a long commute and had a pity party – alone of course!

I plan and prepare but sometimes you simply have no control over situations such as these. They will occur whether we welcome them or not. Our attitude and state of mind matters most. The way in which we look at life, the good and the bad. The way in which we engage with others when things are not going quite as we had hoped. It is during the most challenging times that our character is tested. I still have a way to go but as Evangelist Joyce Meyer says;

“I may not be where I want to be, but I am not where I used to be”. 

What are your coping mechanisms for handling delays and disappointment?

Appearance – how much importance do you place on it?

The well known saying “First impressions count” is absolutely true. We have only one opportunity of giving a good impression. After this, people will have already made up their minds of whether they wish to pursue an interest in our business or employ us.  

The way in which we dress and present ourselves speaks volumes. It tells others that we care about ourselves and mean business.  If we are a business owner or an employer, our dress code represents our company/the company.  I would naturally expect a Hair Stylist to have a good cut. Likewise, I expect a Sales Adviser on a beauty stand to be wearing well applied make up.  

I would be extremely reluctant to use either of these services if the persons selling them do not correctly represent. Clients need to be convinced that the product or service you are selling will add something significant to their life. You set the tone.

When watching the news, I never fail to notice how immaculate the News Readers look, from head to toe. The women wear well structured clothes and complimentary make up and the men wear sharp quality suits.  

One may argue that they are not “the type” to dress formally. This is perfectly fine if you are a stay at home mum or dad or you run a business from home where clients do not see you face-to-face. Even then, consideration to your appearance should still be given but perhaps you can adopt a more casual approach.

To end, while our outside appearance has absolutely no bearing on our character or ability to perform, we cannot disregard that it does influence the way in which we are perceived by others. 

How much value do you place on appearance? 

How important is it in your line of work or business?