The Dreamer, The Doer, and The Damsel
Do you ever take a step back from your life and think, “how did I get here?” When you were a little girl, did you want to be a singer or a movie star or maybe a teacher or a doctor? No matter what you were striving for when you were 8 years old, did you get there? There are three types of people in this world. The dreamers, the doers and the damsels. Which are you?
When I was 8 years old, I wanted to be a pop-superstar! I wanted to travel across the world preforming for the masses. I danced to Mariah and Whitney on my mom’s black boom box for hours. I wanted to write music and record all day everyday! My dad even built a music studio for me in our house!! When I was 22, graduating college, I wanted to fly to Europe and see the countries that were thousands of years old. I wanted to drink wine under the Eiffel Tower and fall in love with the paintings at the Louvre… all before starting ‘real life’. At 24, my first real job out of school offered company cars if you hit a certain goal. I wanted that company vehicle and I wanted to be #1 in the firm. I guess these were just some of the major goals I can recall over the years….
From 8 dancing to Mariah up to 14, I was blessed enough to meet a girl in my 9th grade Public Speaking class and her boyfriend was a ‘producer’. They young man introduced me to a strand of people. I ended up in a girl group where we worked hours on hours in the studio on harmonies, vocal lessons, physical training. That led me to one of the greatest and longest standing friendships I’ve had to date…. and now he’s a Global A&R rep for a major record label. (check)
At 22, after graduating college and saving every dime I had from working 3 jobs and going to school full-time, I went to three countries in Europe with my best friend for two weeks. We did a wine tour in Tuscany, we ate croissants in front of the Eiffel Tower and we saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. (check)
By the time I was with my first corporate company for 1 year, at the age of 24, I had worked my ass off. 60 hour work weeks was nothing, coming in on the weekends, and pushing harder than most… I hit my goal, got my first BMW company car and was so proud of myself. I left that job several years later with an unparalleled work ethic, a COO I admired and friends I can call genuine. (check)
When I was 12, I was in New York visiting. I can recall looking up at my mom and saying, “one day I’m going to live in New York and I’m going to be one of those girls walking down Park Ave in my Christian Louboutin shoes.” This past week I realized, as I’m walking down Park Avenue to my office, that I am that girl living in New York City, walking down Park Avenue. I’m still needing my Christian Louboutin shoes (which I said I’d own my first pair before I was 30 – which is in a few months) I’ve half way fulfilled my dream. (partial check)
I share this not as a visual check list of accomplishments, but as encouragement. Growing up, my mom and dad always told Jocelyn and I, “you girls can do anything you want in the world. If you can dream and work hard, you can do it.” It didn’t matter how outlandish something sounded. I wanted to be a pop-star and I believed I could. I wanted my company car in under 1-year and I worked my tush off. I wanted to travel to Europe and I saved until I could afford it. I wanted to live in the Big Apple and well…
You can achieve anything you want in the world. No matter how big or small. Success is packaged in all shapes, sizes and colors. Success is a beautiful family, it’s writing a book, it’s taking a bubble bath… As we grow up, mature and age, we sometimes get lost in life’s shuffle. We forget to dream.
Be an unyielding dreamer with the perseverance of a doer. Don’t be afraid to be a damsel, but only for a moment in time. Dust yourself off and dare to dream again!
Dream big and do big,
P.S. I have 4 months to get my Louboutain (the pressure is on!) =)
What are some of your dreams that maybe you’ve forgotten about lately?
Chelsey