SHOWER THINKING

THE BEST THOUGHTS OCCUR...WHEN YOU ARE IN THE SHOWER...


Are you gonna live your live wondering,Standing in the back, looking around?Are you gonna waste your time thinking,How you've grown up, or how you missed out?Things are never gonna be the way you wantWords are gonna get you acting sillyThings are never gonna be quite what you wantEven at 25 you gotta start sometimeI'm on my feetI'm on the floorI'm good to go-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-Are you gonna live your live wondering,Standing in the back, looking around?Are you gonna waste your timeGotta make a move, or you miss out-Jimmy Eat World, Crimson and Clover

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That is one of those undeniable truths... The shower produces the best thoughts. Period. While in the shower I began thinking about my recent decision to follow my heart and chase my dreams. I tend to get analytical about phrases... Where they came from, who came up with them, why? All that. I began to ponder on the phrase "chase your dreams".
That in turn brought about images of myself in hot pursuit of my fleeing hopes and dreams (I am a very visual person). I concluded that the reason we have to chase them [our dreams] is that they are, in fact, fleeing. They are not just going to sit around and wait for you to grab them by the hand or fall into your lap. They are "oft, in the stilly night" And you must away to chase them. You have to work for it. The best thing's in life are like that. They take effort, sacrifice, dedication, loyalty... I could go on and on. 
I am not really sure why I never came to the conclusion before that the thing's I really want out of life will not just be handed to me. God knows that is never how it has worked up to this point... I am done wondering; I am done missing out. I am going to make my move. In fact, I have already begun to make my move. And I look forward to the outcome. Even if that outcome is not exactly absolute success. Because in this, I cannot fail, except by not trying at all. Even if I do not become a published author or a successful photographer I will be proud that I made the effort to achieve the thing's that I want. That is more than most people can say. Not that I am trying to beat anyone else at anything... But I am very proud to say that I am finally following my heart. And I hope that it leads me to a good place. I hope that I am successful in achieving my dreams, but if I am not... I think that is okay too. I am by no means accepting "failure" or saying that I don't have to work super hard because it doesn't really matter... THAT is most certainly not the case. I am just well aware that the thing's I want are extremely difficult to procure. 
Statistics say about five out of twenty five hundred manuscript sample pages a literary agent receives in a years time will actually be picked up by a publisher. About thirty two thousand querie letters lead to the lucky twenty five hundred. And then about ninety eight manuscripts will actually be read before the fortunate few are chosen for publishing. For photography businesses; in the first year, about  sixty percent of photographers are unsuccessful in the field. Of that remaining forty percent, another twenty five percent will fail within the second year. About fifteen percent of those who endure through the third year are successful. Altogether,  those are rough odds. But I dream non-the-less... 

AND SO... HERE'S TO SUCCESS!

AFFIRMATIONS

WISE WORDS...

Over the past couple of day's I have been encouraged and given some lovely advice from various people in my life. I have made some decisions that some may say are less than wise... but to me; I am following my heart, I am chasing my dreams. I am going to do instead of wish I could "do". To have encouragement and people standing with me, saying that I CAN do it; telling me to chase after my dreams and MAKE them come to pass... it is a wonderful feeling. I would like to share the words of advice, encouragement, affirmation...

"Take your dreams and the promises God has put in your heart and declare every day that they will come to pass".

This one comes from a new friend. Someone I have only just met. I work with her. She doesn't know me all that well and I don't know her all that well. But she believes in me and encourages me like someone would encourage a friend they have known most of their life. Might not sound too strange to some... but I don't make friends easily. I don't trust people for the most part and I am painfully shy... So, as you can imagine, getting to know me is not super easy. But when I told this woman that I officially resigned from my job so that I can chase my dreams... She did not chastise me or tell me that I was being unwise to give up a paying job for something that could lead nowhere... NO, she encouraged me, she told me she believes in me and she believes that I will make it. This meant a lot to me. I will not forget this faith that she has placed in me. I cannot.

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do" - Freya Stark

This comes from an old friend. Family, really. I grew up with this person. We have seen each other through different trials throughout the ten or so years that we have REALLY known each other. We have parted ways a few times, but always seem to come back together again. I believe in my art. I dream that my art can be my profession. But it isn't enough to just believe in it. I have to do it! This wise quote applies in many areas of life. Spiritually for sure! But it hit me like a revelation concerning my dreams to make a living off of my passion for photography and writing. 

I am going after it. I will not just dream about it any longer. I am going to be pro-active in my story. I am going to at least try to make my dreams come true. What are dreams for anyway but to be made into reality? I want my dreams to become my reality; and they CAN if I only make an effort. And so, here is to making my dreams a reality. So I leave you...

WIDE AWAKE AND DREAMING...