Go confidently in the direction of your dreams #Friday Reflections

With my childhood innocence I knew without a doubt I wanted to be a teacher. After my mum would tuck me in at night I would set all my teddy bears, dolls and other soft toys all around the side and end of my bed. I would sit up confidently with my pen and a pretty writing bad and begin by marking the roll. 

I remember I adored all my teachers in primary school, and even in high school I was confident that I wanted to teach. In the later years of high school I discovered psychology and fell in love with it. I then knew that my dreams were teaching and wanting to help others.

School came fairly easy for me, and clearly writing essays was never an issue, (I’ve never been short of words). I received my final marks and secured a place at my chosen University, I was all set to follow my dreams. I was going to study psychology and later add on teaching which would give me the option to work with and help the mentally ill, and later teach psychology.

So what happened, why didn’t I follow my dream?

I stopped listening to me! I stopped hearing who I truly was, and I stopped paying attention to what I wanted. I ignored my inner voice.

Growing up I may have been confident in what my dreams were, but I was never confident in my ability to achieve them. In fact I was an extremely insecure child. I guess you could say I was a perfectionist who could never live up to her own high standards. My default pattern became running away when I was scared of failing. I wrongly thought that giving up meant I didn’t have to fail. I also was an extreme people pleaser. I wanted so badly to make other people happy, and protect them from disappointment, that I went down a path that I thought would please others, and chose to ignore what I knew I wanted, what I knew my true purpose was.

Essentially I ignored me. I turned my back on my inner light. And looking back I see how I blew out my own light. I see how I lost my spark, my glow, my vibrancy, and instead walked into a career I had never wanted. I started living a life that was not authentic. I felt like I was living a lie.

I was advised against my chosen path as I was told there wasn’t the career options for me that there would be if I chose to be a nurse. I looked up to the person who advised me and so I applied to the university to change my degree.

I did extremely well at university and thrived in the subjects that I loved the most, psychology and social work. I graduated as a nurse and was both surprised by how well I did and pleased. But still I felt at a loss, I felt like this wasn’t the life I was meant to lead. Yes I was helping people, and I loved that side of nursing, but I didn’t feel fulfilled. This coupled with a terrible time in my personal life and my ability to cope with all I was going through left me feeling lost and unsure.

I fought through and went on with my life, I was happy, just not fully. To be honest I didn’t really know why I was flat, why I felt like I was faking it. When I was around people I was happy and vibrant, but when I was alone (and I love being alone), I felt like something was missing, like I was searching for something, but what?

Put simply I was not going in the direction of my dreams, let alone going confidently in the direction of who I was.

I chose to reflect on this quote today because for me it holds personal significance. I needed to believe in myself and learn to listen to myself, and I think that is what we all need to do. If we all just stop and listen to ourselves, allow our inner voice to speak to us, then I believe we can all live happier, authentic lives.

Click to Tweet: Listen to yourself, allow yourself to feel what it is you need in order to find happiness & personal fulfilment.

I always wanted to teach, I always wanted to help people and I have always been a writer. It may sound strange to say I forgot this, but I did. I pushed it down, I got on with every day life and tried to accept that this was life, that living without these things was OK. I don’t want it to sound like I wasn’t happy, I was. I have a beautiful family that I have always been so grateful for, and so many fantastic friends. But when it came to my career I was not fulfilled. I thought that was OK, I thought it was selfish of me to want more.

I was wrong to think that I had to settle. When I stopped and started asking myself the hard questions, when I started to really listen to me, to ask what are my dreams, and to actually hear the answer it was so obvious that I wondered how was I ever so blind to it?

I now have this blog, and my others that I get to write for everyday, and my novel that I am working on. Writing for this blog allows me to fulfil my dreams of writing and it also allows me to teach and help others through my words. I also have my Life Guide business, which allows me to help others fulfil their dreams and find their inner peace and that inspires me everyday.

When I opened my eyes, my heart and followed my dreams with confidence it brought me so much more happiness and peace. If I can inspire just one person who reads this post to listen to their heart, to open themselves up to who they truly are then writing this and sharing my story is worth it.

Be your own truth and go confidently into a brighter future, don’t let others tell you that your dreams are silly, or too hard, or come with limited opportunities. When you go confidently with your dreams a whole new world of possibilities will open up to you. Put in the hard work, fight for your dreams, give them 100%.

Click to Tweet: Be your own truth, go confidently into a brighter future! Put in 100%.

If you ever ask yourself “is this it”? Or say “there has to be more to life”. They are your cues, they are signs that the universe is telling you that you are not living your own truth. Explore your thoughts, explore your options. I didn’t have the opportunity to head back to university and get another degree, so I was creative and found another way to help others be empowered, which empowered me. Sometimes we have to think outside the box, find a way to make your dreams come true.

It doesn’t have to be a career change, it may be a hobby, or volunteering. It may be moving on from a bad relationship. It may even be starting a blog.

Need some reflection time? Take a moment and read my post titled ‘Peace’, this is a great way to open your heart and mind and to allow your inner self to shine. I would love to hear from you, feel free to comment below. Please head to the bottom of this post too, as I would love to share a beautiful song with you.

“I am now living confidently and following my dreams and life is better than I could have imagined”

Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx 

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Welcome to Friday Reflections Link Up!

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Click here to see our rules. Each week Janine and I provide you with 3 prompts. Here are this weeks prompts, and don’t forget the Linky is open through until Wednesday, so plenty of time to get creative and have fun.

This weeks prompts are: 

24 April 2015

Have your ambitions changed over the past five years? Why or why not?

What or who inspires you?

Reflect on the following quote: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”- Henry David Thoreau

How you become Involved.

Simple! First of all check out the 3 prompts we have provided for the week and let your inspiration take over, start writing! Grab our badge and proudly display it on your sidebar and/or on the post you are linking up.

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