It has been almost a full year since I have posted on here. In that time, I have done a lot of reflecting on what it is I love and what it is I have a passion for. I currently love what I do for a living but, it wouldn’t have been my first choice. Ever since I can remember I have had a love for fashion. From designing to modeling, to simply just loving clothes. But, after my cancer diagnosis, I gave up what I loved. I thought due to my diagnosis, I no longer fit into societal standards of what beauty in fashion was. So I chose to pursue my second interest, where I knew I would always have a guaranteed job and secure income.
Not Knowing Your Purpose
At the age of sixteen I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. I wanted to give children a second chance at life the way my doctor had given to me. I spent many years in college telling myself that what I had put forth was the path I wanted. And for the longest time I did. I worked so hard to get myself in the right position to get into medical school. Having a high GPA, making A’s or high B’s in all of my courses. Then, in my final semester, it all changed. I began questioning everything I had dedicated my life to. I longer felt the spark I once had for the career I had chosen.
Finding What is Meant for You
Do you all remember the movie The Vow? If you so, do you remember the scene her memory started to come back of her true passion in life? That is what it felt like for me. I remember being in my final semester of college and nothing felt right anymore. I wasn’t where I was meant to be. For some reason all I could think about was fashion. The clothes I wanted to make and the endless possibilities. A quote I once heard Steve Harvey repeat, said by Albert Einstein, was ‘Imagination is everything. It is the preview to life’s coming attractions.’ In the moments I began to feel lost were really my moments of clarity beginning to flourish. My mind began to remember what I once loved so much. It was like an instant AHA moment for me.
Pursuing What is Meant for You
I couldn’t find where I had directly heard this but, the quote that always stuck with me was Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) saying, ‘Don’t work 8 hours a day for someone else’s company then go home and not work on your own goals. You’re not tired, you’re uninspired.‘ He was right. I work twelve hour shifts three days a week. Which may not seem like a lot compared to the 9-5, five days a week. But, I never felt motivated because I was always so drained from working in areas that no longer suited my desires. I had all of these dreams and visions of what I wanted to do and create but I had no idea where to start. So I felt stuck between staying safe in what I knew or jumping into my passion.
Showing Up for Yourself
The more energy I put into myself and the things I am passionate about, the less strained I feel all the time. For the first time, I feel as though I am exactly where I am meant to be. A quote by Steve Harvey that resonates with me is, ‘Your gift is the thing that you do the absolute best with the least amount of effort’. So, I say all of this as a reminder to never give up on yourself or your dreams. They are there for a reason. Don’t choose something because you have to, do it because you love it. Do it because it is your passion.