Living your Dream is HARD!

Don't be fooled.  It's not always sunshine and rainbows when you're living your dream.

It's normal to have down days and rough times.

You know those moments (or entire days).  You're feeling so low, you don't even know if it's worth it to even continue trying to reach your dream, you consider throwing in the towel and going back to what you know, and what's "easy."

I've been there.  I'm actually sorta there right now, as I type this.

I am happy when others succeed.  I'm happy when others make tons of money, get great rewards and awards, and are recognized.

Really, I am.

And there's also the part of me that's wondering, "When's it gonna be MY turn?!"

I have 4 novels currently published.  And I still get excited to see just one purchase per month.  One!  How about 50?  Or 100?  Or, dare I say, 1,000 buyers of my book?!

I've started writing more non-fiction and working with business clients.  I say "started" because just today I had my first conversation directly with a potential client.  And just today I pushed the "publish" button to publish my non-fiction book on dog fostering on Amazon.  (It should be live in a few days.)

So I'm doing things.  But the results are slow coming.  And sometimes that gets hard.

I just bought a new car yesterday.  Well, new for me.  A used 2009 model.  It's nice though, and I really like it.

The reason I bought a car yesterday is because my old car was having more and more issues starting.  Anytime I went anywhere, I knew it was increasingly likely that I'd be stranded there.

So, it was time.  Time to let that car go.  *tear*  It was the first car I ever bought... a 2002 Hyundai Sonata.  It was my gift to myself upon graduating college.  I had that car for 12 years!

But this post isn't about buying new cars.  I spent the money I had set aside for a new car.  Even though it was ear-marked for a car, it was still the largest chunk of my savings.  Seeing it go bye-bye was a tough pill to swallow.

A leap into the abyss.

Stepping even further out onto that skinny little branch that may snap at any moment.

My savings are now dangerously low.  My "car fund" was my major back-up, financially speaking, should an emergency arise.  Now it's gone.

And today I had a conversation with a potentially big client, and published a new, potentially successful ebook.  Coincidence?
                              

I really do believe what the quote above states.  It's what I proclaim and profess to anyone who'll listen... especially people who are currently unhappy in their jobs, relationships, or life in general.

DO what you want to do with your life.  What are you waiting for?

I'd like to touch on one more thing that I came across today.

It was advice from Jeff Goins.  To paraphrase, he said to not focus on the money.

I know that's certainly easy to say when you don't need money.  Believe me, I'm there too.

But many people go about life seeking the rewards of money, fame, or recognition.  What they then do, is either watered down, or not really them.  It's what they think others want or need from them.

Have you caught yourself doing that?  Living that way?

I know I have.  Take this blog, for instance.  When I started, I pretty much just wrote what was on my mind.  I let a lot of stuff fly, and I think I connected to a lot of people because of it.  But as my audience grew, and I started to really "get serious" about making a living as a writer, I started to reevaluate what I was doing and putting out into the world.

This could be a mistake.

I was trying to do and be what I thought would bring in the money.

What if all you have to do is be you and the money will come on its own?