3 Things That Happen When You Pursue Your Passion

I had my first taste of fashion week and I must say I was totally thrilled to be right in the mix of things. This includes staying up super late to edit a press release and taking every possible form of public transportation you can imagine within a short amount of time. It all makes me happy because it is exactly what I want to do. Therefore no matter what potential downsides to the job may present themselves, I know I will still be happy because I am achieving my goals. There are horror stories that people tell me about the fashion industry as if they are trying to scare me away.  When I hear critics try to discourage me from pursuing what I have set my mind to I simply can't help but to laugh hysterically (usually in my head) just thinking about their failed attempt fueled by toxic negativity.

"Is this a Disney Channel original movie? No. This is reality."

This may surprise you, but I absolutely hate the term "chase your dreams" because I feel that it has zero substance. Are we in a Disney Channel original movie? No. This is reality. You have one shot with no retakes. It does not make sense to spend your precious time doing what other people think you should be doing. You are your own expert. If you know what you want to achieve, then you're on the right path already. When you get to know who you really are and what you really want to achieve, then you will naturally do things that put you closer to those goals.

Here's what you can expect to happen once you decide to pursue you passion:

1. You hear, "What are you going to do with that?"

If I had a dollar for every time I got asked what I was going to do with Public Relations I would be able to afford that luxury penthouse in Manhattan I've been eyeing. Is PR really that elusive, people?! This statement could be referring anything from a college degree that interests you to a litter of Golden Retriever puppies... or both if you decide to buy a ton of puppies while getting your college degree. Who knows! What I do know however, is that when you're doing something that brings you happiness there will be loads of negative people lining up at your door to question your actions. If you have a realistic plan and strategy that places you one step closer each day to achieving your goal, don't listen to any negativity. On the opposite side, if you aren't equipped with a mapped out plan you need to listen to what your critics have to say and turn it into the positive energy you need to stay motivated. 

2. You have a tremendous sense of purpose 

My freshman year of college (last year) I wrote for George Mason's Newspaper. The interviews I conducted for my stories were time consuming and totally not relevant to my life. I didn't write for the newspaper because I wanted to be America's Next Top Journalist. I wrote for the newspaper because I needed to beef up my writing portfolio. These very writing samples helped me get my first internship which was not fashion-related and said internship helped me get my current internship that IS fashion-related. See there? It's incredible how many opportunities are out there that you didn't see until you decided to achieve your goals. Wake up each day knowing that the decisions you make will benefit you in the long term. Every little thing pieces together beautifully, you just have to work for it. 

3. You become your own biggest fan 

Narcissism shmarcissism. I'm here to tell you there is no limit to the amount of self-confidence you are allowed to have. There is no better way to combat today's über-sad and moody society (thanks, Tumblr) than to have an unshakeable amount of self-confidence. Personally, I love to see others succeed and do well. That's a genuine statement. It thrills me to see my peers reach goals and I strive to help those around me do just that. Since I know what I want to do and how I plan on doing it, I make a point to recognize my own little achievements that put me closer to my goals. I'm never hard on myself, I'm just disciplined. It's fun for me to blow my own mind (hello, NYFW) and do things that weren't necessarily in the forecast. At the same time, if something doesn't pan out exactly how I pictured it would, I just move right on and try a different approach. When you have a seriously high level of self-confidence, you begin to see the world of opportunities that are waitng for you.