I always dreamed of being in the place that I am now. Not that my dreams were quaint or unreachable but I always relished a balance. I wanted to have a great partner in life, a cozy home and love my work being a writer for Glamour; not too much to ask right? That’s the thing though, you can’t just ask for these sort of things, you have to work for them tenaciously and hope that everything will turn out smoothly. So, on this 31st birthday (yes, I’m a November #ScorpioBaby) & Thanksgiving season I want to give you some insight on how thankful I am of the things I learned in the process of turning my childhood dream into a tangible venture.
1.I am thankful I’ve learned to say NO. I recently read an amazing article that told me exactly what I needed to hear: “Saying no to whatever they are asking of you is just another way of saying yes to what you truly want to commit yourself to.”
2. I’m thankful I’ve learned to give my 100% and not compare myself to anyone else. When you’re chasing your dream of turning your blog into a business like I did, there’s no time to measure yourself up and compare your work to anyone else. You have to focus on giving your best always, no excuses. It’s also great when other people recognize your hard work and I’m thankful for this write-up & interview Tapspire posted on me.
3. I’m thankful I’ve learned to have patience (kinda). Blogging and growing your own platform takes time so just keep the workflow steady and your blog content of great quality. Patience has gotten me to meet people that I only dreamed of meeting like America’s Next Top Model photographer/judge Nigel Barker and celebrity make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury. Right now, it humbles me to know I’m nominated for two categories in the Houston Fashion Blogger awards!
4. I’m thankful I’ve learned success has different meanings for everybody so find out what it means to you. For me success is doing what I love as a photographer and writer on my own curated platform. I thoroughly enjoy creating content by being a storyteller and that’s why it’s a dream come true for me. I love it when someone comes up to me and tells me my blog made them feel better or inspired them to wear lipstick! What do you want to do? Do you want to help people with beauty tutorials? Mommy advice? Do you want fame & recognition to help other people? Do you want to make a lot of money? Find out what your purpose is. I’m actually so happy that HerCampus featured my very passionate article on What Bloggers Want From Brands because I want to help other bloggers out as one of my missions.
Justin Bieber’s purpose is to makes us feel good with his music and I love his music so he is succeeding at that!
5. Have a support system and be supportive. My husband supports me and believes in what I do 100%, I have friends and family that support me and in turn I try to be supportive to other bloggers as well; whether it be sharing posts, commenting on blog posts and acknowledging their achievements, it’s incredibly important to be reciprocal. Don’t expect every single family member to be supportive or read your blog, it’s unrealistic & you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.
At my surprise birthday dinner earlier this month with my husband.
6. I’m thankful I’ve learned to set a schedule. Working as a blogger requires discipline and for me it means waking up really early and blogging. Create a routine so your productivity and posting schedule is consistent.
7. I’m thankful that I’ve learned to surround myself with successful people. I don’t feel intimated by being surrounded by people who have more experience in the blogging world, are better writers, photographers, social media mavens, fitness buffs etc. I thrive on being surrounded by people like that! I applaud them and admire them because those types of people make me want to be better. One of the people I most admire is my friend Pili who now hosts her own Emmy-nominated show in L.A. She motivates me and reminds me to never quit until you are living your dream!
8. I’m thankful I’ve learned to just be myself. Yes, it’s cliche but nothings makes you more successful and your brand believable than if you write your blog honestly from the heart. Don’t try to follow trends that don’t fit your blog mission, you are unique and that’s special. #PinkHairDontCare
9. I’m thankful I’ve learned to celebrate the small victories. This one I read in Dulce Candy’s book and I thought it inspired me to do the same because it’s important to acknowledge the small things that are building momentum in your blog. Celebrate the brands you are getting to work, a new blogger friend, a blog post with many likes or a rising number of views on your page; these are the building blocks for bigger achievements in the future!
10. I’m thankful I’ve learned that the most important thing is to deliver. I see this all the time; the people with most talent are not necessarily the most successful if there is no discipline and responsibility intertwined. The most successful people are those that work hard and follow through. That’s why when I make a promise I keep it and I encourage you to do the same.
This post is part of a Blogsgiving Link-Up with the following bloggers. Visit their links:
“Blogsgiving is all about sharing our experiences, our story, giving tips to bloggers from bloggers and just taking a moment to share what we love the most about blogging.”
I’m so thankful for the insights I’ve gained while in the process of building my blog. What are you thankful you learned while chasing your dream?
