The other day I watched this video that
Steve Olson put together where he talks about
living your childhood dreams...
My mind went back to when I was 4-years-old and asked my parents for a typewriter. I wanted to be a secretary "when I grow up". Even when some of the keys had fallen off from excessive use, I was still tapping away at that typewriter! Thank God for computers because it was so frustrating to have a typo and have to put white-out on the paper. Then you had to wait for the white out to dry! I'm sure some of you can relate ;)
My aha moment came the other day when I realized that I had taken for granted the fact that I have reached my dream of being a writer! I somehow never did become a secretary...Well, actually, in some ways I did become one because my first job out of high school was working as a telemarketer for an insurance agent. I also answered the phones and entered info into the computer.
Those dreams of being a secretary were replaced with dreams of being my own boss and doing something I love. It was five years ago that I was working at Nordstrom thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if I could be paid to write all day?"
And now I'm here...I'm doing it!
I used to be one of those people who believed that achieving dreams were for other people. I bought into the idea that you had to work hard all your life and then you could enjoy your passions after you retire. Boy am I glad I got out of that mentality! However, it did take awhile for me to break the box. Even when I started making money from my art, I still believe that I had to live the "starving artist" lifestyle.
What I didn't know then that I know now is that everything I want to do, I can do it and I will do it. It all starts in the mind and having the belief that it will happen.
Even though I had forgotten about my passion for art and writing, everything that has happened between my childhood and now have been the stepping stones to help me with my writing and my businesses. If I wasn't a manager for Wet Seal, I wouldn't have known how to manage my own business. If I hadn't worked at Nordstrom, I wouldn't have known the importance of customer service and relationships in business. The experiences I had working there have made for great stories on my customer service blog as well.
Yes, everything does happen for a reason!
Although I don't really believe in labeling or giving yourself a title - like for many years I was an "Artist" - I would like to include in my bio the title "Author". I've been visualizing myself sitting with Oprah while she interviews me about my latest "Best Selling" book and this year I've been taking the steps to reach that goal. I've also visualized a publisher approaching me with a million-dollar book deal ;) 
