MONDivation: Finding Yourself

My life has definitely gone in directions I couldn't have predicted.  And though I am happy with where I am at this point, I always have that voice in my head asking me... Where are you headed?  What does the future hold?  Are you on the right path towards achieving your goals and dreams?  Will you be "OK" in the future?

Modeling was something I wanted to do since I was a child and the fact that I now do it full time and spend my days traveling and meeting all sorts of new and artistic people in all sorts of places is thrilling.  But I can't help but think about the fact that it is a job with a deadline.  With the way the industry is changing I can hope that it is something I can do for longer than just my 20's... actually, I'm fairly certain I can, but I know I want to do even more than just being a model.  I want to do something that I can really use my personality, creativity, and people skills to the fullest.  I want to be a host.  I want to have a talk show. I want to be able to help people achieve their own dreams.  I'm sure I'll "want" many more things.   I wouldn't say I'm completely lost by any means but I would say I am in need of some restructuring and re-prioritizing in my life.

I think it is important every now and again to step back and analyze where we want to go and how we are going to get there.  It is easy to get distracted by all that is happening in our lives but even if we don't know exactly where we are going, we can at least focus our energy in the general direction and trust that we'll get there eventually.

Happy Monday!

MONDivation

One of my friends, Dustin Farivar, was in town for a day this week and as usual I learned more from him in a few hours then I usually do in weeks.  He has taught me so much regarding social media, branding, and building relationships, and is no doubt somebody to pay close attention to.  I wake up daily to an inspirational "morning quote" in my email box and usually a few articles that are relevant to my goals and interests.  One of the many things we discussed during this most recent visit was the idea of setting goals for ourselves and knowing where we want to end up, even if we have no idea how we will get there.  I truly believe that if we want something badly enough, and we put it out into the universe, that we will both subconsciously and consciously do whatever it takes to move closer to that goal.  Dustin compared it to a GPS system.  We have to know where we specifically want to end up but we don't have to know exactly how to get there.  There are many different routes we can take, some longer than others, but they all will eventually get us there if we know where it is we would like to be.

I've been very fortunate in life but there have certainly been many times where the odds were far from being in my favor and I somehow beat them anyways.  Just because something hasn't been done before, doesn't mean it can't be done.  In my opinion, it actually makes it more appealing to achieve.

I have wonderful parents who taught me that I could be anything I wanted in life and I credit them for the amount of drive and passion I have today in whatever it is I am doing.  No matter how many people are telling you that you can't do something, always remember that if you want something badly enough, your opportunities are endless.  The only person that needs to believe in your success is you!

I hope everybody had a great weekend and that you spend this week beating the odds!

MONDivation

It's often hard to realize that some of our failures or struggles are actually blessings in disguise.  More often than not I have noticed that in order to improve ourselves and our lives, we often have to let go of certain things, in hopes we will gain more from whatever may take its place.  We have to make a lot of choices in life and the answers are not always clear as to what choice is best.  I think the greatest thing we can do is follow our gut and our heart, and it will lead us to wherever we need to be.

So start making that lemonade or I'll just continue throwing lemons at your face!

I also have to give an honorary mention to my friend Caitlin who shared what I thought was a genuine and refreshing perspective on how we often compare ourselves to others.

It's important to remember this when we look at media, magazines, social networking sites, and even the strangers around us in our everyday life.  All we need to be is the best versions of ourselves.

Hope everybody had a fun weekend! I know I did!  Happy Monday!