Chasing your dreams

Today I had lunch with one of my roommate and had talked a bit about chasing your dreams. For the most part my roommates/friends understand my dream of wanting to be a writer yet they still don't seem to understand the reasoning why I've completely changed my priorities. I appreciate the fact that my close friends are supportive, yet it's frustrating that they just don't get it. After today's lunch I'm starting to understand a little bit more about why from how they talk about chasing ones dreams.

Part of not having your dream yet is about putting in the time and hard work to be able to achieve that, even if that means you have to use your own personal time outside of your day job. My roommate had made a point that it's important to keep your day job in order to pay your bills, as well as to keep progressing in that job instead of having to start over from the beginning somewhere else.

Here's the thing that got me....where does anywhere in that statement mean that you still can't put in the time to get that dream job eventually. Yes, it might mean that you might eventually have to take a pay cut, yet does that mean that you should give up your happiness in a job you hate to stay financially stable. To me that doesn't mean that you will forever be struggling with money. It's just a matter of time.

If you don't try then how are you ever going to achieve your dream and you're going to stay miserable in a job and stay in a rut. That is no way to live. You can always take steps to reach your dreams while still keeping a full-time job to keep up paying your bills. It is just about changing your priorities to meet them, let that be going to school part-time or stop partying to volunteering wherever it is to get you where you want to get going.

Apart of beaching able to chase your dreams is surrounding yourself with people who are there to encourage and support you along the way. Those who are negative and drag you down need should be cut out of your life. I've seen not only with my self but with a roommate people who say that they are your friends but are negative and make fun of you the whole time. It is then that you really need to make a decission. Is it worth saying unhappy in a job surrounded by people that make themselves feel better by treating you like crap? Or is it worth burning the candle at both ends to put in the extra work to be able to say at the end of the day, I reached my goal and have all these amazing people around me that helped me do it.

Personally I'd rather keep all the positive people around me, cut out the negativity and put in the extra work while still continuing to succeed in your day job. It's possible. The only thing that is stopping you from succeeding is yourself. And true failure is when you don't even try.

For those of you out there that are chasing your dream, whatever it may be, and know that there are those who are in the same place as you, struggling with you, and are cheering you along the way. Don't give up. I know I'm not. It's just a matter of time till you get there.