passion

Overcoming the Poison of Society’s “Success”
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Overcoming the Poison of Society’s “Success”

In the pursuit of a dream, we will stumble across many “poisons” that attempt to deter us, weaken us, and make us doubt our dream’s capability and legitimacy. Like a physical poison, it’ll work through your system and slowly kill any hope of passion and confidence.

One of those poisons that has haunted me quite a lot is the perceived notion of “success” that is intentionally-unintentionally pushed on us from society. Well, it is half the time, and then the other half is our own self-imposed notion. There’s different factors that we may deem “successful,” and it can slightly differ amongst us, but overall it involves the same concept. And, ultimately, it results in us believing that because our lives don’t match this picture, then we’re not successful.

First of all, this is all this “success” is: a picture. An idea. An ideal imagined by generations of a collective culture that has changed and merged and intersected so much we’ve lost track. So this picture of “success” has changed an insurmountable amount of times. It’s irrelevant. It’s pointless. There’s no need to pay it any attention.

Here are a few things to dwell on:

  • What makes you happy?

Now, if having a certain income or marrying well or climbing the ladder to CEO or becoming famous is what makes you happy, then by all means pursue it! If none of that matters to you, then there’s nothing wrong or different about that. If you’re happy, or at least content, I’d say you’re doing pretty good.

  • Every path is different.

Even when two people are pursuing the same thing, they won’t do it exactly the same way. And both are valid and equally successful.

  • What’s better: satisfied others or satisfied you?

What’s so great about living a life that others demand and being miserable and bitter all the time? I’m sure you’d rather be pleased with yourself. Now, this doesn’t mean you don’t listen to wise and well-meaning advice from those you trust and who know you well, and this doesn’t mean you don’t practice humility and sacrifice (after all, Character comes before dreams). But also don’t forget to listen to your own gut. Even in the midst of presumed certainty, your gut will never lie.

  • Society knows nothing of you.

You know you. Your family and friends know you. What do they say about you? What does your heart say about you?

  • Divert your thoughts when they dwell too long on this “success.”

Thinking too much about this will only make you lose hope and energy. Have a plan to divert your thoughts to something more productive, and something more positive. Choose a subject on which you will habitually think about when your mind starts to wander into darkness (Philippians 4:8-9, “think on these things…”)

The Danger of Putting your Dream on a Pedestal
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The Danger of Putting your Dream on a Pedestal

As someone who thinks of dreams, who lives for dreams, who worries over dreams, who endlessly talks about dreams…I naturally live my life around my dreams. Many would say that’s a good focus to have, and it is. But too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing. At some point I realized that I had reached a dangerous zone of idolization.

Leviticus 19:4 says “Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.” Our minds initially go to physical idols, like statues. The Bible is indeed addressing these, but we forget that it’s also addressing intangible idols that we can set up in our minds. This can be anything, and anything that begins to take God’s place in our thoughts and attention ultimately becomes an idol. The scary thing is, this can go unnoticed because it’s not directly in front of our eyes.

After a serious bout of stress because I had convinced myself that my dreams were never going to be fulfilled, I realized I had risen my dreams to a level on the verge of obsession. It became harmful to my mental life, my daily habits, and my relationship with God.

During those times when it seems like our dreams are on hold or they look bleak and impossible, perhaps that’s the season of character building. As I’ve said before, Character comes before dreams, Character is more important, Character is God’s greatest concern for us.

By all means, follow your dreams. Pursue them with passion and persistence. But beware of putting them on a pedestal and obsessing over them. It will just make you an anxious, bitter, dissatisfied person. Nothing good comes from obsessing, even when the topic is a positive one.

 

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4 Reasons Why You Don’t Follow Your Dream

Fear, patience, time, decision…four factors that often define whether we succeed in achieving our dreams or not. Clelia from Keep Calm and Travel explained so perfectly the 4 reasons why your dream gets left in the dust. Even though I’m not a traveler, stumbling upon her blog was meant to be, as it’s been an inspiration for me as a blogger, and I get encouraged and motivated by her posts. If you haven’t already, I highly suggest checking it out. You’ll love the color, passion, and beauty that resonates from her blog.

->The Top 4 Reasons Why You Don’t Follow Your Dreams Now

Three Important P’s: Planning, Pacing, and Passion
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Three Important P’s: Planning, Pacing, and Passion

Every dream we make may be different, but the process of achieving them works the same. It’s a simple process of three P’s: planning, pacing, and passion. You need all three to make it work.

Planning: What is the goal? What will be the steps to achieve it? What is the outcome and the reward? What will be the obstacles? What will you do to overcome those obstacles? What does this dream require, a degree, a connection, a specific skill, a tangible resource? Create an answer for these questions to establish a working plan for your dream.

Pacing: Schedule your dream. Spread it out across a reasonable timeframe. Break it down into smaller goals and tasks that you can conquer with less energy. Create a reward system to motivate yourself. Take breaks from the work.

Passion: You won’t strive to accomplish something if you don’t want to in the first place. Is this something you’re passionate about? If it’s not, consider letting it go. It’s more a waste of your time when your heart is not in it. Don’t do as much as you can; do as much as your heart will give. Often times, that’s just one thing.

 

What do you do to plan, pace, and generate passion for your dream?

What’s so great about…?
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What’s so great about…?

Imagine this scenario: Someone suddenly stopped you on the street and asked you the question, “What’s so great about your dream?”
Would you have an answer for them? Or would you most likely stare at them dumbfounded, wondering why a complete stranger was bothering your perfectly isolated day?
Considering you only had the option to answer them, what would you say? Do you know what’s so great about your dream?
When time comes around to dive head-first into your hard-earned dream career/position/goal/whatever, heart is very much considered by those who choose you (it may not seem that way, as skills seem to be mostly elevated, but deep down, the heart can determine even that). People know a passionate person when they see one. A passionate person usually is someone who has sudden bursts of energy when they talk about their dream, who light up in complexion and mood, and who knows, who really knows, that what they’re talking about is important.
No one else knows how important it is, and so you have to tell them. This may seem like a silly or geeky thing to do, but think about what it will show you: do you know enough about your field? Will you be capable of convincing your future customers/clients/audience/fans that you’re the one to go to? Are you convinced enough yourself that this is the path for you?
Let’s change up the scenario a little: imagine it’s one of those future customers/clients/audience/fans that asks you the same question as before. You’d probably be a little more motivated to give an answer this time.
Perhaps I’m one of them…so, may I ask, what’s so great about your dream?
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A Poem A Day #519

A Dream Cannot Live in an Un-Stricken World

A dream cannot live
In an un-stricken world.
You see, it’s the pain and the zest
That wake it up,
Make it a test.
A dream needs a substance,
A lifeform, tenacity.
A dream only lives wild,
Like cannon fire,
meek and beguiled.
It needs passion and fame,
The fire eater kind.
The kind that are brave,
With minds that bend
And sometimes concave.
A dream needs a story.
It requires good heart
And love, and fight.
A drop of good fortune,
A whole lot of bite.

By Catherine Joy

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5 Things I fear (and must overcome)

Fears come and go, some stay forever; some make us or break us; some bring us higher or destroy our worlds. There is one thing that pertains to all of them: they are to be overcome.

Some fears are greater than others, but they are all equally meaningful in their way. Here are five particular things I fear and thus must overcome.

  1. Being a burden. Despite the incessant reminder from others that I am not, and in fact the opposite, I struggle with the thought that I am an annoyance to those around me. It is why I am so fearful of messing up and making mistakes, particularly if the mistakes have to do with others’ work. I must stop believing that and start believing that I am a blessing to those I help. After all, I have plenty of grateful proof to show I am not a burden.
  2. I am an easy target. Being such a small thing, it’s fairly easier for me to get hurt. Since my major injury of breaking my back, which of course made me a little more fragile, I often feel like I am in some sort of danger wherever I am. I feel like anything can break me. It’s caused me to fear being around certain people, particularly tall, large men. God told me that he wanted me to trust him in everything, including trusting him with my physical protection, and trust is what I need to have.
  3. Being in a relationship. Yes, oddly so. From what I’ve observed, romantic relationships never looked appealing to me. They seemed to only bring stress and sadness, at least to the ones I was always around. But I have beautiful examples of romantic relationships done right, like my sister and brother-in-law, that remind me that they are wonderful when you do it right. I trust that when the time is right, I won’t be afraid of entering a relationship that God ordained for me.
  4. Losing my passion. I love writing so much, and I never want it to go so far as to become a means of support and nothing more. I hear those stories, how artists lose their passion because they no longer do their art for the love of it but because it’s a way to make an income. I never want to think of my writing as, “How much can I get with this story?” I want to write because I want to write. Period. Else it’s divine purpose would fade.
  5. Wasps and hornets. Deathly afraid of them, right here. Makes swimming a little difficult to enjoy. It’s a work in progress.

What things are you afraid of? The first step is realizing. Once you know what it is, you can know how to overcome.

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5 Changes in the air

Perhaps it’s been noticed that I’ve been a little…disconnected. Partly my fault. My one yet frustrating class has ended, textbooks have been returned, and summer classes have been registered. I can forget about school for a little while. Summer has begun, and that means change is in the air. A few things have been occurring, good and wonderful enough things.

  1. I am finished with my internship at 3 or Less. I feel like making it ceremonial and taking a deep freeing breath when I walk out. It was a fun and educational experience that I don’t regret, as it taught me many valuable things. I’m just very eager to move on and expand myself.
  2. I’m starting a virtual internship with NCM Publishing as an Editing intern. I’ll be editing manuscripts! This is one of the things I discovered recently: I love to edit writing. I’m very good at it too, so why not? I’m excited to learn editing and become more professional with it.
  3. I’m getting involved with the youth at my church. With my brother as the youth pastor I became more and more interested in being a part of something like it. I realized that some of my gifts and passions could be used and explored with this. Now that the scare has passed, I think I’m rather eager to grow my leadership skills. The growing and learning part is one of the things I feel most excited about, in fact.
  4. I applied for a job at a new cafe opening nearby, and I will be pursuing after it. I don’t why, but ever since I first found it on snagajob.com I kept going back to it; it fascinated me. Perhaps it’s a spirit thing that makes me want to try it out. That’s what I’m doing it for, to try it out. I want to try something new, put myself outside of the box, in the unordinary. I don’t know. All I know is recently I’ve had a sudden urge to just explore new things.
  5. I am a hooked Whovian. I just watched the infamous Doomsday episode and, yes, I cried. Not too hard, because I had to leave in about twenty minutes, and it wouldn’t do to show up anywhere blubbering like a silly fangirl. I never thought I’d get attached to Rose as much as I did, but it was inevitable. Yes, I am officially hooked on Doctor Who.

I’m sure more change is to happen. When 2014 started I had the feeling that it would be a year of difference and new things, and that feeling has not wavered. I’m ready.