Dreams Come True, But Not Overnight
It seems like there's been a lot of talk about personal growth around these parts lately. From my post about what to do while you're waiting for your dreams to come true to Luam's soulful lessons on what it takes to build a successful dance career, I've hooked you up with plenty of food for thought when it comes to personal development during your career pursuit.
And I'd like to stay on this subject for just a bit because I feel like there's more to be said.
I've connected with hundreds of dancers within the past month alone, and there seems to be a common thread of eager anticipation coupled with mild frustration over the vision they have for their lives versus what is currently taking place.
Meaning, everyone has intense passion for the dreams they're waiting to come true, but that's just it...they're still waiting. They feel like they're ready, they're talented, and they're qualified, but their dreams jobs have yet to manifest.
Chances are that maybe some of you are feeling the same way too. And my response is the same as it's always been...'patience young grasshopper.'
Because I've been where you are, I completely understand those feelings. I've told you my story a million times already.
'Member?
How I nearly worked myself to death doing all the right things in my career pursuit in LA, felt like I was on a "hamster wheel" hustle, was broke, got burnt out and bitter, then I quit, and moved back to Texas.
If you've heard this story before, then you also know that as soon as I released my dreams from monster grip, they were free to manifest in ways I hadn't imagined.
In other words, as soon as "Let go, and let God", my career started to take shape.
While that's an important life lesson to learn, that's not the main principle I'd like to drive here. What I'd like to focus on is the fact that great things take time to come to pass.
What you may not know about my story is that it took about five years for my dance jobs to start looking anything like a career. I moved to LA in 2004, and even though I had booked different jobs here and there, I didn't start working consistently until 2009 when I was back in Texas.
So, again, I was booking small performance, choreography, and teaching gigs here and there for five years before I started working consistently enough to support myself on dance alone. #dancerproblems
Now, that's not the magic number, and everyone's story will be different. Even still, know that just like mine and everyone else's, your dreams will take some time to come true too.
And I know that our microwave generation has trouble appreciating the concept of waiting, but you know the sayings: "Easy come, easy go." and "Good things come to those who wait."
The fact that our dreams take time to manifest is actually a good thing. Why would you want something that you're not ready for? That's a classic "easy come, easy go" scenario.
That delay between you having the vision and then actually living the vision is life's way of preparing you for what's to come.
It's also important to note that you won't and shouldn't be sitting around just waiting for your dreams to come to you, which won't happen. You should always be working towards your goals.
That means you should be diligently submitting and auditioning for jobs, constantly training and building connections within the industry, and taking care of your mind, body, and spirit so that you can be your best self when your dreams start manifesting.
In addition to working towards your goals and maintaining personal growth, the last key I'll mention here is to activate your faith.
While our dreams are big to us, there's a higher power that has an even bigger dream for our lives than our tiny little human brains can even imagine. So, while you're trying to force your dreams to come true a certain way, you could be missing out on the bigger picture (like I was).
Activate your faith, and trust that God (the Universe, your higher power, whatever you call it) is causing all things to work together for your good. That faith will help take some of the pressure off of your career pursuit, it'll help you find a certain level of peace, and it'll help you be more present in this current moment, which is where life is happening anyways.
Lastly, just know that what you're feeling is normal. You're not alone in how you're feeling, and you're not alone in your experience of it either (not as long as I'm around).
Just continue living your life to the best of your ability, and if you continue the work and suggestions I've laid out, you'll look up one day and be living a dream possibly greater than the one you had for yourself.
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