DON’T BE AFRAID OF YOUR PASSION

If you have been brought up to believe in certain things, achieve in a certain way and follow a path that other people in your family have before you there’s a good chance you are not following your passion!

Afraid to disappoint and step outside of our comfort zone, we are brought up in a school system that expects us all to conform and as we try and navigate our way through the system if we don’t perform we don’t feel good enough. We are told that we need to figure out our career path at 17 and get good grades to secure a place in a good college so that we can have a good career.

How many people do you know who get up and go to a job they hate everyday? How many people do you know who hated their chosen college course and how many people do you know who feel that there is nothing that they can do about their current situation?

Well whether you agree with me or not I believe that there is always something you can do.

• If you hate your job change it
• If you need to go back to college do it
• If you have to make temporary sacrifices make them

Life was not meant to be easy but if you follow your heart and work hard you will reap what you sow.

Yes this can be easier said than done but by taking baby steps and moving out of your comfort zone you will start to effect change.

It took me nearly 34 years to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life, what I was good at and who I am as a person. I don’t have all the answers but I know in my heart I’m finally heading in the right direction.

As a single mum I was faced with a very harsh reality a few years back and I knew I had two choices. Feel sorry for myself and expect everyone else to feel sorry for me too or get up off my ass and figure a way out of the situation.

During the past few years I have failed many times in an effort to find my way. What you see on social media are the times I have succeeded. I have stood in front of so many people with so many ideas that I thought were amazing but they did not!!

Since I was 15 I have been told ‘NO’ on a daily basis. Too tall, thin, wrong body shape, too pretty, not pretty enough, too old, too young and more recently: its not what people want, not marketable, too real, too honest, not mainstream enough.

But what I have realized is that when you find something you are passionate about it just doesn’t matter what people say because your energy, your drive and your belief is what’s important.

If you feel that you have not found your passion or if you are not sure you have one at all, please keep trying. Try anything and everything. I have started more college courses; night classes and hobbies than I care to remember and although I knew most of them were not for me at least I was finding out what I didn’t want to do.

You are never too old, it is never too late and your current situation does not define your future. If you can’t see a way out ask for help but do something or you will never know just how amazing you are and can be.

Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe in you too.

Ali xxxxx