I remember the night of September 2, 2011, very well. It’s engraved in my memory. It was the night I had that conversation with my dad.
I was sitting in the corner of my room, and crying. I had kept all the lights of my room switched off because I thought the darkness resembled my future. Yes, I was crying over the fact that my future seemed bleak, and I had let myself down and I had finally decided to give up. I remember my dad coming inside the room, switching the light on and maintaining an enigmatic expression on his face. As I divulged into the details of my behavior, my dad offered me emotional support and gave me the most valuable advice of my lifetime: Don’t let go of your dreams, whatever be the number of obstacles you face, because, if it were easy, everyone would have done it.
After that moment, I felt I could surpass all insurmountable obstacles, come what may. People all around us carry some or the other dream in their heart. But somewhere in the middle, they give up because, it’s too easy. You’ll have ‘self-doubting’ moments  when you’ll begin to question your dreams, but whatever you do, don’t give up.
If you think otherwise, here’s what you should do:
1. Remember your Why’s
This works very well for me. Leave everything aside and just focus on the Why’s. Because, everyone has a Why. And without a Why, whatever dreams you follow, whatever road you take, it all seems futile. And with a Why, your dream is alive, in your heart and you can give shape to it in the future.
2. Remember that you’re not alone
Everyone has their share of good and bad moments. It is in the bad moments, that your strength is put to a test. You’re your own Samurai. Understand that you are not alone when you think like this. It’s pretty normal, but the way you choose to get out of this storm totally depends on you.
3. Seek help
This has been repeated thousand times. No one succeeds alone. No one. Nobody succeeds without someone giving them some hope or a break. So, ask for help. Take advice from others. And if there’s a chance, then feel humble to offer help to someone in need.
4. The biggest failure is not trying
As Theodore Roosevelt said “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” Because, ‘I failed’ is thousand times better than ‘I could have.’ Just give your 100% towards the task you’re doing and if you’re convinced you have, be at peace. The doors of opportunity will open up. If not, do it again.
And lastly,
5. Set a SMART Goal
- Specific: You know the consequences after you’ve achieved your goal
- Measurable: Â Have a specific way to mark your progress.
- Attainable:Â Given the right attitude, can your goal be attained in a certain time frame?
- Realistic: You’re willing to do the required work.
- Time-bound: You’ve set a time frame
Set your short-term goals which will help you in achieving your dreams. And make sure that they are realistic so that you can actually commit to them.
Do whatever you want. But, don’t give yourself this reason: ”I quit because I was scared.”
As Lupita Nyong says: “No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid.”