In Memory of Julie ❤
I wanted to
dedicate this post to my close friend and amazing work colleague Julie.
Sadly, Julie suddenly passed away this past November. It may sound
cliché, but Julie was one of those people that sincerely cared about everyone
around her and was always there when you needed her.
She always
encouraged me to follow my dreams and to not worry about the little things,
because in the end it would eventually all work out. I have learned
through Julie’s passing that life is too short and you have to reach for what
you believe in and what feels right in your heart.
This post is
intended to help inspire individuals (yes that means YOU!) to pursue their
dreams the way Julie encouraged me to follow mine.
We
all have goals and ambitions we want to achieve, but it may be daunting or a
little scary because you don’t know where to begin. I’ve included some tips
below that I hope will give you that initial kick-start, so that you too, can
follow your dreams:
1) Let Go of Your Fears
“I cheated on my fears,
broke up with my doubts, got engaged to my faith and now I'm marrying my
dreams.”- Unknown
“What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail”? - Unknown
Many times
the main reason we hold back from pursuing our dreams is the fear that we will
fail or that we won’t have the support we think we need. The truth of the matter is you need to let go
of your fears and realize nothing comes easily in life. Yes you will most likely face obstacles, but know
that these obstacles are just part of the journey. If you believe in yourself and what you think
you are able to accomplish then it WILL happen.
It’s that passion and drive that will keep you motivated to achieve your
goals.
I’m going
to be honest with you guys, I too have had many fears when it comes to things
I’ve wanted to do in my life. For instance, I have wanted to do this fashion blog
for a few years now, but part of me was SUPER nervous to get it started.
I knew I
had a lot of great fashion tips and advice to share with the world, but was
unsure whether people would actually read about what I had to say? And what about those “haters” that would only
have negative comments about my posts?
Would I be able to handle it?
Well
needless to say I am SO happy I conquered my fears and finally started this
page. I am grateful to say with just 5
posts thus far, I have reached over 3,500 hits on the blog (YAYY!)!
2) Set a Task List/Create A Vision Board
"I am a goal setter and I set more goals everyday. I keep lists of goals
in my office to stay on track." - Kiana Tom
Ok so now that
you’re ready to get the ball rolling - where do you start? I recommend developing a task list of the
next steps you will have to do to take your goal(s)/ambition(s) from fantasy to
reality.
Whether it’s
setting up an appointment with your bank to get a loan to start up your own
business, or setting up a consultation with your local University/Collage to
learn about a career you wish to pursue, YOU
are the only one that can make it happen!
I’m a visual
person so I love creating a vision board as it inspires me and keeps me focused
and motivated. What is a vision board
you ask? I have included a definition of
it below:
Definition: A vision board is simply a
visual representation or collage of the things that you want to have, be, or do
in your life. It consists of a poster or foam board with cut-out pictures,
drawings and/or writing on it of the things that you want in your life or the
things that you want to become. The purpose of a vision board is to activate
the law of attraction to begin to pull things from your external environment
that will enable you to realize your dream. By selecting pictures and writing
that charges your emotions with feelings of passion, you will begin to manifest
those things into your life. - Tristan
Loo
3) Network! Network! Network!
“I like
to define networking as cultivating mutually beneficial, give-and-take, win-win
relationships… The end result may be to develop a large and diverse group of
people who will gladly and continually refer a lot of business to us, while we
do the same for them.” – Bob Burg
“If
you want to go somewhere, it is best to find someone who has already been
there. - Robert Kiyosaki
If I could
give anyone one piece of advice it would be to embrace the power of
networking. Making connections with the
right individuals can open doors and take you down a path you otherwise may not
have been exposed to.
Personally there
are many opportunities I know I would not have been presented with if I hadn’t networked. For example, Facebook has enabled me to connect
with talented individuals within the Fashion industry. I have never been shy to send someone a
private message to throw out an idea I may have or suggest collaborating with
someone on a particular project. What’s
the worst thing they could say…..no?
However, I
would remind you to be cautious with those who cross your path. Always do your research to determine if the
individual(s) you are connecting with are who they claim to be. In this day and age you hear many horror
stories of people who wholeheartedly put their trust in individuals and ended
up disappointed to discover they are just a big sham.
4) Surround Yourself with Positive People and Ignore
the Haters
“If you’re absent during my struggle, don’t expect to
be present during my success.” - Will Smith
Surrounding
yourself with positive people is very important in my eyes. These are the people who will push you to
your limits to ensure you achieve your full potential. It’s in those moments when you may be feeling
a little lost and insecure that these people are there to boost your confidence
and ensure you that you are heading in the right direction. They are the ones who will be by your side
through your highs AND your lows.
I have been
very blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who will go out of their
way to help me achieve all of my fashion goals, for example there is:
- My friend Arianna who will make time out of her busy University life make a trip down from Toronto to take pictures for my blog;
- My friend Sheena who will text me late at night telling me I better stay on track on my blog posts (or else);
- My friend Shaesta who kindly volunteered to be my fashion editor and double checks all of my blog posts (god knows I need it!);
- My friend Taj who shares EVERY single one of my blog posts on her Facebook wall;
- My cousin Ruby who pushed me to finally conquer my fear of walking the runway (I’m terrified that I may trip on the catwalk) and model for an amazing Canadian designer (which I will be doing next month – eeeek!); and,
- My brother Amrinder who is always there to give me advice and suggestions on all of my fashion endeavours I wish to pursue.
These are
just a few examples of why it is so important to be surrounded by that positive
energy and encouragement.
“Hating
is an emotional disease. So for those
who hate, I hope you “get well” soon!” - Unknown
They say
you’ve reached success when you have haters.
I don’t know if this is something anyone actually enjoys
experiencing. Personally, I never really
understood why someone would want to hate on someone else who is trying to
accomplish their goals. I often wonder
why they wouldn’t redirect that wasted energy to focus on themselves and what
they want to achieve?
I really
don’t want to spend too much time on this section because in all honestly I
don’t think anyone who spits out negative vibes deserves anyone’s attention.
My only advice
is to ignore those who don’t wish you
well. Turn their negativity into
something positive that just further motivates you to achieve your goals.
5) Always Stay Humble
“When I see talent and when
I see a good person who comes with the talent, I melt.” - Alber Elbaz Designer for Lanvin
I find that
there is nothing more unattractive then someone who brags and flaunts when they
have reached a certain level of success, and puts down others who are aiming to
achieve their own. Most of the time, the
harder these people rise the quicker they eventually fall.
Humility to
me is very important because it always keeps you grounded and makes you
grateful for all the blessing you have in your life. My advice to those who have achieved where
they want to be in life is to try to share your experiences, knowledge and
expertise with others. What better
feeling is there than assisting someone in reaching their own goals and dreams?
6) Be Thankful (The Thank You Jar)
“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you
concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” - Oprah Winfrey
Sometimes we
are so busy in life that we don’t take a step back and actually process all of
the things we are thankful for.
I saw this Do
It Yourself (DIY) post on Pinterest called “The Thank You Jar” and I thought - what
an amazing idea!
The Concept:
Take an empty jar and label it as your “Thank You Jar”. Throughout the
year if there is something you are thankful for (no matter how big or how
small) write it down on a piece of paper/card and place it in your jar. Then at the end of the year you can open the
jar and reflect back on all the things/experiences you were blessed with.
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