Why You Must Follow Your Dreams

When we were young, we had thoughts of who we were going to be when we grow up. 

Like other young girls, becoming a ballet dancer was my very first childhood dream. There's something magical about ballerinas, that girls are trying to be like them. Perhaps, it's the dazzling costumes and the pointe shoes or maybe the grace, beauty and elegance that goes with it.

I had a lot of ambitious dreams when I was young such as joining a beauty competition, becoming an actress or perhaps a flight stewardess. Until one day my daydreaming galore went to a standstill when a critic (a.k.a. cousin) found out about my secret fantasies. She laughed out loud and said to me with such determination, “you couldn't be one of those, you lack the height ..." I didn't want to hear what else she had to say.

As a dreamer, criticism could not stop me to keep on dreaming. As I grew older I tried to be more realistic in choosing what I really wanted to be… I could either be a teacher, an accountant or maybe a nun.

A few years after finishing college, I had difficulty settling into a good career. I thought I might not have known my life's true purpose. So I sent a letter to a nunnery to ask questions of what I needed to do to become one of them. After a year or more since the inquiries, three nuns came to town to finally meet me. Unfortunately, they showed up a bit too late. They came on the day after I got married. It was clear then that living in a monastery and wearing a habit wasn’t my destiny after all. For I eventually became a nurse.

It took me many years to finally figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. Nowadays, I am pursuing another passion which is "writing". I love to write about life and hopefully my writings will inspire others. Someday, I would love to write my own memoir or an inspirational book! But first things first, I want to become a better writer.

We should not stop dreaming and must always pursue our true passions because our efforts may lead us in finding the true meaning of happiness and contentment in life.

Oftentimes life gets in a way and pushes us into another direction farther away from what we really want to be. We get sidetracked and give up following our true longings. Do you wonder why there’s too many people who are unhappy with their lives despite being successful in their careers? Success doesn't satisfy a burning emptiness inside them because they lost sight of their inner passions and something that truly matters in their life.

Do you know that "all dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them"? One of my favorite quotes from Walt Disney.

But don't forget to follow the dream that you truly desire. Hence,  later on you can honestly say "I have no regrets in life".

Good luck and happy dreaming!

Believe in Yourself

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy." -Norman Vincent Peale

When my son Jason found out that these were all the books (shown in photo) they had to learn throughout the first semester this year,  he was a little bit worried. It's been known to Physical Therapy students that the first semester in fourth year is the hardest.

On the other hand, he felt excited knowing he's getting closer on reaching his goal. When the first semester finally ended last October he proudly announced to us that he made it with flying colors. Sadly almost half of the class failed. He took this picture to record his milestone in college and put our dog besides his books as a prop.

His success didn't come easy. There were some failures and frustrations during his early years in college. What made him turn around was when  he realized that he deeply desired to become a Physical Therapist. Failure is not an option especially during these economic hard times, a good education is really a must.

To achieve this goal he decided to change his mindset. He started believing in his capabilities that he can achieve anything if he puts his heart and mind into it. He devised a better study plan that he thought works best for him and he started working harder. Soon after, he started achieving successes, such as attaining higher grades, being noticed for good performances in class and getting praises and positive feedback from   teachers and peers. Consequently, these improvements boosted his confidence further which inspired him to strive even harder.

We've heard a lot of success stories all our lives and sometimes we wonder what's the secret. Oftentimes we say these successful people are lucky because they have the means or the talent to succeed.  But from reading their stories and  my own observation and experiences in life I came to realize that anyone is capable of achieving success.

First of all, you  need to discover what is your innermost desires or dreams. Then you must believe in yourself,  because believing is one of the most important step to success. The next step is to take action or take charge in achieving your desires or dreams in life. If you'll fail on the first try, don't give up. Have faith in yourself that you can achieve, get up and keep going until you reach the finish line!

Good luck!

Related Topic:

  Don't Quit- An Unforgettable Poem

Blogging Again

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to all who dropped by and took the time and effort to leave a comment on my blog. Also, thanks for giving Facebook thumbs up on my posts.  It’s been awhile since I wrote my last entry here.

A few months back, I acquired a photo editing software called Adobe Photoshop. Since then retouching and manipulating images has become my new leisure pursuit. Though it was not my intent to neglect my blog, I needed time and intense concentration to be able to learn the complicated software. After lots of long hours of  hard work and dedication, I can finally say my efforts have paid off.  I have gained a new skill. Henceforth, I promised myself to also set aside time just for blogging. So, I’m back in the blogosphere!

I did some tweaking and experimenting on my blog design to find that sweet spot and to give it a fresh new look. I also changed my header using the new skills I learned in Photoshop. The new header is simple but I think it looks better than what I had before.

I hope this blog makeover drives my passion for writing again. I feel like a newbie once more but I'm happy to be back!