You know the old saying, “Time flies when you are having fun”? Well, I can’t believe that it is May already! Just to think that last year I was sitting in a cubicle on the 24th floor of an office building in New York City is crazy. (For those of you that have not been tuning in, seven months ago I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and moved to Costa Rica to work for Mr. Endless Summer, Robert August.)
Since moving to pura vida land, I have met some AMAZING people that not only inspire me, but also reassure that I made the right decision by following my heart. And when one does such “radical” things, a lot of people become intrigued and start asking questions and advice about how I actually “did it”. Fortunately, I have some great friends that helped advise me as I was going through the decision process and consequently, it seems right that I pay the advice forward to those that inquire.
Waimea-Headstand Barrel
Well, as I was contemplating during a surf session the other day, I thought, “Why not share my thoughts on Samba to the Sea?” So, lucky you guys, I am going to tell you what I tell my friends that are contemplating making a lifestyle change. Make of it what you wish, it is just one person’s advice and opinion. When it comes down to it, the only person that you have truly have to answer to is yourself.
- First and foremost, what are YOUR goals and dream? We all don’t have to fit into the “American Dream”.
- Ok, now you have a dream…now what/who is holding you back? What are your current “responsibilities”? Are you married or have kids? Can you financially afford this?
- If not now, when? The little voice inside your head is not going to go away if this is something you really want. If plan A does not work, figure out a plan B, C, D, E or Z!
- If this dream does not work out, what is your “exit strategy”? You don’t have to have this completely figured out, but just don’t burn any bridges when you decide to make this life change.
- Finally, do you really believe in yourself? All it takes is yourself, your dream and your willpower to make it happen.
OK, so I made this big life change and so far, it is working out. Yes, my life is pretty good right now, but I do want to let y’all in on a little secret… as rosy as my blog posts and photos may appear to be, it has not been all smiles and sunshine. SO WHAT. Life is frustrating and awesome and sad and blissful no matter who you are!! I truly believe that as long as you are true to yourself, good things will follow.
Pathway to Surf Heaven
And if the above does not get your mind thinking, take a moment to read blog excerpt about pursuing your dreams from someone I admire, Mercedes Maidana,
“If you’ve been holding back from going after your dreams, or if you’re trying to make your dreams work but are feeling defeated due to the lack of support, then this is an opportunity for you to reclaim your power.
When we listen to the voices around us, follow them and believe them, we are giving our power away to others, or even to our own fears.
We all feel fearful when we are pursuing something big in our lives. It’s scary to drop what you’ve been doing for years and take a different path. It is scary to invest money in a project that we don’t know is going to be profitable. Nothing in this life is certain (well they say that only taxes and death are).
Do you sometimes feel like this?
When we go after our dreams, we need to use every inch of our self-confidence to build a foundation of faith that will support us in the shaky times.
We need to understand that when others around us are not showing us their support, it’s not because they hate us, that they’re mean, or that they don’t believe in us. No, it is actually the other way around. Most of the time, our friends and family don’t have the trust, imagination, confidence or courage to go after their own dreams, or to believe that their own lives could be bigger and better than what they have now. So they reflect back to us their beliefs, their hardships, and their scars from past failures.
The other possibility is that they can sense the doubt that is coming from you, because you don’t trust yourself enough. When they reflect your own lack of confidence back to you, you may see it as the lack of support. This is why it is so important that we own our dreams and believe in ourselves before we ask for the support of others. When we live in doubt, doubt is reflected back to us. But when we stand in confidence, trust is reflected back to us.
This is not about making others wrong so you can be right. This is about you living your best life. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to those around you (yes, even the non-believers). The best service that you can do for yourself, and everyone around you, is to live your dreams, so you can shine from within and touch others with your light.
When you believe more in the fear than in the possibility, or when you doubt yourself enough to quit pursuing your path, you’re giving your power away and you’re doing a disservice to your soul…
…By taking action, we silence all those voices around us and within us. This is not about you convincing others of your potential. This is about living your life to your full potential…
You only need one person in this world to believe in you – yourself.
Be your biggest fan. Become your biggest supporter. Go take life by the horns. The moment is here, it’s now. It’s for you to make it happen. So GO!” – Mercedes Maidana
Bottom line, do not be afraid to FOLLOW YOUR HEART!!!
Pura Vida,
Kristen
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