Following your dreams is the most difficult thing you’ll ever do.
You might think the hardest thing is getting a nice career, finding a husband or wife, purchasing a home or raising a family. While all of these things are indeed incredibly challenging and virtuous in their own right, there is no crucible so formidable as seeing your dreams to completion. The reason this undertaking is the most difficult thing you’ll ever do is because of the cost. Your dreams are built of blood, sweat and tears – and nothing less.
Blood
Your dreams are going to require the most legitimate, soul-level sacrifices you’ve ever conceived. Occasionally along the path to your dreams, you’ll be asked to give up certain aspects of your life you never thought you would be able to leave behind or trade in for what you want most.
The truth is you’ll have to start looking more closely than ever before at what you value, and more importantly, why. Your dreams have the power to strengthen what you value most and weaken what was only latent beforehand.
Some of the things you might have to give up are your pride, your comfort, certain resources, sometimes even friends. It all boils down to what your dreams are pulling you towards, and whether the opportunity cost is powerful enough.
Sweat
Maybe you’ve been sold on it before, maybe you haven’t, but there is no shortcut to success. Any kind of success with any business will only come about through the right kind of persistent hard work. With 50-75 percent of businesses failing within the first five years and 75-90 percent failing within the first ten years, the fact that so many people are looking for shortcuts and “instant” answers is less and less of a mystery.
We’d all like to think that there is such a thing as “push-button” success; that as soon as a few small components are set up, the customers will be soaring in. At the end of the day, those who are left believing in shortcuts are those who have the wrong values and mindset for their business or endeavor. People-oriented businesses will thrive (provided there is enough hard work), whereas businesspeople who simply want to turn a profit as soon as they can will be left out to dry.
Don’t make the mistake of telling yourself that a business can function and be successful without hard work. Every single individual who can call themselves a successful entrepreneur, business owner, self-employed specialist, millionaire or billionaire had to break their back (at least figuratively) at one point in order to be where they are today. Recognize, respect and harness the fact that you will be sweating for your dreams if you want them that badly.
Tears
Just due to the nature of it, if you pursue your dreams long enough, at some point you will be crying over them. The greatest dreams are often born out of the greatest pains, for this is when creative, artistic and inspired hope shines the brightest. This is how you know your dreams are real – that you’re feeling hurt over them because somewhere, they’ve been challenged or fallen short of how you thought their original execution might go.
Keep trying, and keep getting better. Keep honing your abilities. Keep sharpening your vision. Keep surrounding yourself with people that are helping to pull you up. Stay driven and grounded in a plan while aiming for the stars at all times. Your dreams require blood, sweat and tears, but you will make it and it will have all been worth it.
Ask and you shall often receive – but be careful what you ask for, because it just might come true.
No man has ever seen his dreams fulfilled and regretted the sacrifices necessary to fulfill them. – Mattie Montgomery
What are the blood, sweat and tear moments you’re going through while pursuing your dreams? Have you had any moments that made you think twice about your dreams? Leave a comment below and tell us about it.
[…] of the biggest mistakes a newbie writer can make is skip writing when they’re feeling something strongly. If you’re really impassioned or inspired about something, or even angry or depressed, take […]
[…] of the biggest mistakes a newbie writer can make is skip writing when they’re feeling something strongly. If you’re really impassioned or inspired about something, or even angry or depressed, take […]