So I talked to my older sister recently. She was talking about wanting to change careers, possibly start her own business. Currently she is a registered nurse and makes very good money. However, it was never her dream to become a nurse. In fact it was our parent’s dream. My parents instilled in her the notion of pragmatism when it came to careers. “Be a nurse or be a doctor or something in the medical field because it is a sure route to making good money.” I think they said something along those lines. I for one ditched their belief and went on my own path… a creative path that has yet to see monetary rewards. Yet, I think I’m happier than her. She told me during our conversation that she didn’t really know her passion. I asked her did she still have some burning childhood desire/dream within her. She replied, “no.” Okay… “What gets you going right now and makes you excited,” I asked. No response. Wow was it really possible for someone to not have a dream?! I guess I’ve been in this entertainment town called Los Angeles far too long (b/c here everyone and I mean EVERYONE’s got a dream). After much probing, my sister did mention her fiance wanted to open up a Greek restaurant (the guy is Greek so it’s quite fitting). But then I thought isn’t that his dream? Anyway, she finally revealed that her dream is to be ridiculously rich and have a good life. Okay fair enough. And I told her: Your Dreams Are Worthy! So are everyone else’s dreams really. So going back to this idea of attaining the good life and her fiance wanting to open up a restaurant. I asked her do you know anything about running a restaurant??? Or a business? She’s a nurse so I know she can take good care of her clients
. But seriously, if she wants to achieve her dreams she’s got to have a game plan. So that’s when I told her it’s time to take action. And I’m not saying to achieve that goal within a week. I’m talking baby steps. I told her to pick up or buy a book on running a business and/or running a restaurant. I felt she needed to start expanding her mind first because all she knows is nursing and also listening to mom and dad. See, to be a successful entrepreneur (or successful anything) you gotta have the guts, drive and resolve to go against the status quo to realize your dreams. You can dream but sooner or later you gotta take that action towards it. And again it doesn’t have to be all done by next week. One step at a time. Anyway, my sister thanked me profusely on giving her the idea to read a book on starting a business. Funny though, I would think that would be the first logical step someone would take in her position — research. And if after researching through books, magazines, or the internet you are still convinced that’s the path you should take then the I would recommend interviewing people who have made it successfully in that particular field. I have talked to many successful people in my field and it’s only inspired me and pushed me to become better at my craft and finish projects. So yeah talking to people in the field really helps motivate oneself. To find these people, you can attend seminars, panels, networking events, go though your career center at school, asking your own network for referrals, etc. The possibilities are endless. Really, if you’re serious and you put it out there and take action when the inspiration occurs, the universe will bring the right people and opportunities at you. No sweat. It’s up to you to grab them. Just remember: Your Dreams Are Worthy!!!
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Tomorrow is my birthday.
…And I, finally, am turning 21.
Another date signifying that I have lived x amount of days and survived y amount of years. Its a wonderful feeling to look back and see the kind of life I’ve lived. Each person I’ve encountered, all the things I’ve done, and everything that I’ve ever felt, saw, or said is a pretty accurate summation of my current state of being.
After all, birthdays are just reminders of how far you’ve come…and also how completely clueless about life you still are. The whole, “you’re another year wiser” saying may or may not be applicable for everyone. In all honesty, tomorrow I will wake up feeling exactly the same as I did the day before: tired yet hopeful (Tired mostly due to me getting my ass kicked at the gym. Hopeful because I hope and pray that my body will recover). But when does the wisdom part kick in? The part where you know now not to make the same mistakes or have a clearer vision of your future than before– when does that happen? Is it somewhere between the many birthday shots or the morning after with the ever present hangover? No, I am assuming that the wisdom and the answers to all of life’s questions will come later–MANY birthdays later. Because right now, I am turning 21 and the only answers I can provide are to pop culture trivia and who is Blair Waldorf’s favorite actress (Audrey Hepburn, by the way). But I’ve also wised up to a few things: sleep when you can, exercise is good, if you wear leggings make sure the shirt you are wearing appropriately covers your butt, and never take yourself too seriously.
So for now, I’ll leave the answers to the wiser, slightly older folks. I’m sure they will be more than happy to tell you what and what not to do. And as for me, well, I may not have all of life’s answers, but I have all the ones I need right now. So tomorrow, I will continue to enjoy my life and all of its blessings. But most importantly, I will definitely enjoy my 21st birthday and hope a little wisdom comes my way. Cheers.

