I'm the type of person who will dream day and night about places I envision myself in the future. I have visions of so many great ways I can help change the world, inspire people, make a lot of money, take care of my family etc. It's so many people just like me who are the same way, but you have to ask yourself when do you stop dreaming and begin living?
It's simple. You live those dreams! After years of dreaming, wishing, and hoping I couldn't take it anymore. I had to make a change. We live in a beautiful world full of terrible things and even more unfulfilled promises. The greatest gift we're given here on earth is life, something we have to begin to believe is worth every second of living.
It saddens me that circumstances in society and the imbalance of the social structure has convinced people to believe they can never be as big as a person like Oprah. In traditional culture you're taught to go to school, go to college, get a job, and work there for 50 years then retire. In some environments, going to college isn't encouraged. It's more of a survival of the fittest type thing; do what you have to do by any means to get ahead. That leaves a person with as many or as few options to do whatever to make it another day.
There's no security in that. Where's the dream in that? As humans we must encourage one another to focus our energy on things that don't cause us to loose our true selves while trying to survive in this world. It's hard as hell trust me I know! We have to find a balance between what's real for us now and what we want to be real for us in the near future.
How can you focus on your dreams when you have bill collectors calling you all day until your phone gets cut off? Taking eviction notices off the door. Not being able to return to school because you can't pay your tuition. Not even having a whole dollar to feed yourself and put gas in your car. No financial means to start your dreams. How can I possibly dream a life that seems far from my reality right now?
I ask myself that all the time. Then I remember my passions, finding my purpose and understanding that the greatest gift given to man is LIFE! We were given the ability to make choices; good or bad we have a choice to live the way we want to.
Your job sucks and you still broke? Work that job and start your own business then quit! Why waste your time working for somebody you'll never meet who has their millions (or billions) and you're struggling to make ends meet? Steal from somebody for money they worked so hard for or go get a job; or stop and pray that God will provide me with what I need to make it through the day?
In the world we live in, a dream is about risking all or nothing. That is why so many people don't follow their dreams or even believe in them. It takes too much time and the risks are too high! I totally agree! Dreams are believed to be childlike because we envision only what lies within our subconscious and uses our imagination to embellish the realness in what we see.
When I made the choice to follow my dreams a few years ago I chose all or nothing. I sacrificed more than what you can imagine. I risked stability over satisfaction. Creating this very site was my first risk and one of my best choices. My choice to begin FARRINHEIT 411 was never my dream, it was my outlet when I told myself it was all or nothing. I knew that this was the first step of many. I didn't know how far it would take me, but I had an idea of where I wanted it to. Even when there seems to be no way, I always find ways. Stepping out on a limb to see if you have what it takes to do something you've never done before takes courage.
When I made the choice to follow my dreams a few years ago I chose all or nothing. I sacrificed more than what you can imagine. I risked stability over satisfaction. Creating this very site was my first risk and one of my best choices. My choice to begin FARRINHEIT 411 was never my dream, it was my outlet when I told myself it was all or nothing. I knew that this was the first step of many. I didn't know how far it would take me, but I had an idea of where I wanted it to. Even when there seems to be no way, I always find ways. Stepping out on a limb to see if you have what it takes to do something you've never done before takes courage.
It's scary. For starters, you don't have much in the beginning just a vision and an idea where you want to be. Most likely you don't have any help because we guard things close to us, in fear of others opinions. We take baby steps into uncharted territory because we also fear the unknown, but we must feed our curiosity.
There's no road map to success. It doesn't matter how many books you read. If you don't take the first step out the door to walk the journey alone, you'll always be stuck in the house! Do you know why people we admire so much in pop culture like Jay Z, Beyoncé, and Diddy have so much power over the people?
It's not because they are anymore of a human than you and me. They jumped off the cliff of security and dived into a pool of risk. They worked hard, they surrounded themselves with people that not only supported them, doubted them, but people who are wiser and smarter. They chose a path of opportunity that has lead them to fame and fortune, but there are many other successful individuals that make much money then them and you've never heard of them before.
Believe you were born to grind! Everybody says they're a hustler, a grinder but are you? When you wake up every day your goal is to make stuff happen no matter what stones are thrown at you. Your grind will be rough, but the results will be smooth.
Believe you can be whatever you want to be! People like to clown those who live by the cliché quotes that sound too good to be true, but they're only cliché because you're a non-believer of the possibilities. Everything begins with the mind, if you think everyone else's dreams and goals are too big, you're thinking too small!
Never get comfortable! Comfort is the cousin of the devil. Becoming complacent in your situation is never good. I'm not saying be pessimistic, but never be okay with "this is how it's supposed to be." Embrace hard times but do NOT accept them into your life. Do not get comfortable accepting negativity in your space. Never be comfortable being a bystander either. Stop watching others succeed while you sit back and watch. Stop watching and doubting your capabilities and start doing something.
Believe you are worthy and deserving! No one deserves to experience hard times or unfortunate things happening to them, but not everyone's hard times are measured the same. No matter what your past or present is, know that your future begins NOW and not tomorrow! Stop thinking that dreams will come true in the future because they won't if you don't do anything about them now. We like to wait for the right time but guess what? The time will never be right because something will always be in the way.
Love yourself, trust your instincts and know they will never lead you astray. Loving yourself before anyone on this earth will always put you on the right path to self success! Respect yourself at all times. Claim your blessings and work towards them! The right timing comes when we finally receive blessings already given to us before we knew it. You were born to do whatever you put your mind to so don't waste it! Put positivity in the atmosphere and you are bound to receive it back.
Don't waste your time looking at people fake living on Instagram, rambling about nothing on Twitter, and posting ratchet videos on everything else. It's so easy to get caught up in everything going on today that it's easy to loose ourselves in it. Educate yourself, set goals, believe you are willing, capable & deserving, and go get what's yours. Stay positive and never give up. It's easier said than done but it can be done. Having a peace of mind and living happy is choice. Life is a daily struggle for various reasons, but it becomes easier the more we know about ourselves and the more we understand the world in which we live.
Don't waste your time looking at people fake living on Instagram, rambling about nothing on Twitter, and posting ratchet videos on everything else. It's so easy to get caught up in everything going on today that it's easy to loose ourselves in it. Educate yourself, set goals, believe you are willing, capable & deserving, and go get what's yours. Stay positive and never give up. It's easier said than done but it can be done. Having a peace of mind and living happy is choice. Life is a daily struggle for various reasons, but it becomes easier the more we know about ourselves and the more we understand the world in which we live.
Society was created with systems and structures by the greedy to keep people from being equal. Embrace walking man and woman on this earth as your equal! Treat people with respect and value. Not everyone is your friend and not everyone will treat you with the same level of respect but you simply remove yourself from individuals such as those.
We were all created uniquely but at the end of the day our minds are the only things that make us extremely different. Know that if everybody is working to own a piece of the worlds wealth that is owned by 1% of the population, they will have no choice but to share!
Success is more than money and most dreams turned reality don't have a monetary value to them! Success is not defined by money but is often rewarded by it. A popular quote says that "money is the root of all evil;" I'm sure we're all witnesses of the great lengths people have gone to obtain money, power, and fame. Don't let it be you!
Please don't take from this message that I'm encouraging you to live in a fantasy, but if that's what it takes for you to truly be happy and achieve your self actualization, do that! Be smart and don't quit your day job without some sort of plan.
Reflecting back to the opening quote about Puffy Daddy and thinking of all of the things he accomplished, do you know why he says "I thought I told you that we won't stop?" Because he accepted that he was born to be great. Even after achieving his biggest dreams he's able to continue to create more and achieve more as long as he's alive. His grind is commendable. As one of the most successful persons in his field, he has not stopped yet! He still hustles as if he's trying to make it to the place that he is today and that is why he is great. He is a believer in endless possibilities.
If you take nothing else from this message take this; would you rather future generations read those who made history written by an untitled author that happens to be you, or would you rather them read about YOUR history?
BLAZE ALONG your dreams. Trust they are REAL and they want to be lived!
CONVERSATION