FIRST THINGS FIRST
I took my son for a stroll yesterday and CRINGED as he let his new pal, Crep, slob allllll IN his mouth. I mean this dog lapped my kids face like it was a puddle of water and the baby? Well he LOVED every minute of it…smh. I gotta get this kid out more often!
SECOND THINGS SECOND
Last night was my first night watching the Olympics and as an ALMOST “pre-Olympian” myself, I have NEVER been more proud to be an American (except for that one time when that Obama guy got voted into office:) #TeamUSA
I was so excited for Gabby Douglass and the other gymnasts that you would’ve thought that my own daughter was KILLING those balance beams. AND I totally understood Michael Phelps joy of being the most award winning Olympian out because of my own days on the swimming team!
SIDE NOTE: I was also on the diving team. DIVED WRONG one day. Felt like I hit concrete…head first. And never went back.
ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: I was also a very good hurdler. HURDLED WRONG. Felt like I hit concrete…head first. And never went back.
ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: I care.
But enough about my memories of being a “PRE-OLYMPIC” athlete and on to why you probably need to get some new friends (and family).
“YOU ARE THE SUM TOTAL OF THE 5 PEOPLE YOU SPEND TIME WITH!” -JIM ROHN
You’re a big dreamer.
Your dreams resuscitate you when you flatline and is the only thing that keep you from dying a slow, excruciatingly long and boring death.
They keep your heart pumping.
They keep you alive.
Your dreams are the ONLY things that keep you happy.
So happy that you can’t keep them to yourself. You want to share them with the ones you love so that you can celebrate. In advance. Because success is SOCLOSE you can taste it and you’re positive that your friends and family will wish you well…up until the moment that they don’t.
You smile from ear to ear and tell them about your beautiful dream of writing a bestselling book, starting your own business, your trip to the moon, or becoming the FIRST woman President. Because you’re sure they’ll understand. And see things your way. Be supportive. Encouraging. Happy.
But instead, they reply with a list of how high the odds are stacked against you. Why you’ll never make it. And why believing in yourself isn’t a bet they’d risk their life on.
And it’s in that VERY moment that you doubt yourself. Your beloved dreams. Your ability to feed your family with money made doing what you love.
You ask yourself: ARE THEY RIGHT…DO I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
Tiphani’s Answer: HYFR!
The people you allow into your space is a reflection of who you will be for the rest of your life. They don’t understand your vision and quite possibly never will. They weren’t designed to.
“AS YOUR VISION GETS BIGGER YOUR CIRCLE WILL GET SMALLER!”
The people in your life will try to talk you out of your dreams for three reasons:
REASON #1: They fear being left behind and forgotten. They’re comfortable in their current situation, no matter how dysfunctional and unhappy, and are afraid of change…even when it benefits them.
REASON #2: Some people are jealous of the fact that they never went after their own dreams and the mere thought of you succeeding in your pursuit will haunt them with the thoughts of what could’ve been different in their own lives if they had’ve faced the fear and did it anyway (and yes, I’m well aware that this was a run on sentence).
REASON #3: Some people mean you well. They tried to live their dreams, but failed miserably and want you to avoid feeling the pain that they felt from failure. But what they don’t realize is success is all about falling down seven times and standing up eight.
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE
You’re always struggling to pay bills and fearful of what people will think of you going after what you really want in life. Your friends hang out in the “Ain’t It Awful” club and because that’s all you hear…so do you.
But now imagine that you’re in the exact same situation, but surrounded by go getters and people who are in the top of their field. People that instead of saying, “I CAN’T AFFORD IT!” say “HOW CAN I AFFORD IT?”
What will happen? Their energy is contagious. You’ll start to see what’s possible instead of what isn’t. Your whole mindset will shift. And that’s where change begins.
Your circle is NOT the reason you’re where you are in your life. That’s your fault. But your circle IS the reason why you’ll stay where you’re at.
Everybody can’t go with you to your ride to the top. The trip is steep and they’ll lose air and fall off along the way.
Stop waiting for permission to live YOUR life on your OWN terms. The only person you have control to change is yourself so if YOU don’t want to end up like your clique…seek out better, wiser, more loving, encouraging, supportive company and watch how your life flourishes.
Because I want you to believe in yourself.
HARDER than you ever thought possible.
xo
Tiphani
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