Many people think that they can never reach their dreams. I have never understood why. What is so impossible about defining who you want to be or where you want to go? From where does your disbelief in yourself come?

All of the possibilities in your life, and your potential, are limitless. This explains why some people are very successful, and some are not. Even if you use wealth as a sign of success, unless they inherited money, most worked very hard to get where they are today.

Wealth, however, is not the epitome of happiness, is it? If we do not have joy on the inside, nothing on the outside matters all that much. Your focus, then, should be on creating the experiences and relationships that keep you moving toward your dreams, whatever they may be.

Not all dreams are too big, even if they initially seem that way. I wanted to be a writer all of my life. That dream seemed far too expansive for me to ever accomplish. That is only because I told myself it was too big. I allowed the seed of doubt to grow inside because I was afraid of failure. Failure, however, is not about how you see yourself. It is how you believe others perceive you.

If you make a mistake, do you worry more about how you feel, or what you think others will think of you? The latter is the category into which many of us fall. When you are following dreams, or trying to define them, chances are that you will make a few mistakes along the way. The most important thing is not the mistakes, it is the effort, because effort will continually mold and shape your path and direction and help you achieve.

Most people today have forgotten about effort. They think that success should be available because they want it. Many forget the hours of hard work and dedication it takes to reach a pinnacle. Think about climbing a mountain, or learning to fly an airplane. You cannot do it without practice, effort, and the belief that you can.

When I earned my second degree black belt, I was several months pregnant at the test. I never imagined in my earlier years that I would earn a second degree, never mind test in this condition! Previous miscarriages lingered in the back of my mind, but with the doctor’s clearance, and because I was fit, I was given the go-ahead to test.

There were some things I did not do. I didn’t fall, for obvious reasons. I didn’t run. I didn’t spar. I did drills, techniques, self-defense, and I threw others. The truth is, I had been tested all along in class, and this was a formality.

You are tested all along the way, as well. Life is a test of magnificent proportions and only you can grade how well you are doing. No one else shares the same path or goals as you. That uniqueness is something you should embrace and of which you should be proud. You are given every opportunity to excel, so the choice is yours. How hard are you willing to work to be the person you have always wanted to be?

As I sit here writing this, I have just exerted tremendous effort to share something useful with you. I have brought forth my creativity and my positivity. I have developed a concept and brought it to fruition. It is the combination of all of these things that allows me personal fulfillment, a sense of accomplishment, and yes, even success.

You can reach your dreams! The first step is to move past your false beliefs that you are not capable or empowered. These are the untruths in your mind that need to be extinguished. I speak from personal experience, and this article, one of so many I have written, is proof that your dreams will wait for you until you are ready to pursue them.

Do not wait too long. Today is as good as any other day to finally say,

“Yes, I am going to make it happen. Today is the day that I am going to build my dream.”

xoxo

Andrea

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The Martial Arts Woman book is now available. Purchase through my e-commerce store: http://themartialartswoman.storenvy.com. or on Amazon:  https://goo.gl/5gMzT6

This book shares the stories and insights of more than twenty-five women in the martial arts, and how they apply martial arts to their lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea F. Harkins is a writer, motivator, life coach, martial artist, and public speaker. She was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame in July, 2017. Her book, The Martial Arts Woman, is now available at themartialartswoman.storenvy.com.