Don't Dim the Light

We were all put on this very earth for a reason. 7 billion people reside on this massive, blue and green swirling piece of rock that's orbiting in a galaxy larger than our minds can handle. Each and every one of us, including you, are given a purpose--to find your passion, to run with it, and shine as bright as your desires. You were given a life to fulfill with your dreams, and to help others by lifting them up one by one.

Not everyone is on your side, though.

Not everyone will agree with you, nor will they support you. Not everyone will have your back, or motivate you. Everyone that walks into your life isn't meant to stay forever. And that's okay.

Friends come and go. People come and go. That's just how life works.

There are those instances in life when you do find those certain people in your life that remain loyal to you. That support you, lift you up, and inspire you no matter what you go through. They make you want to be a better person. They add substance and meaning to your every day conundrums, starting from those late night conversations to those mid-day realizations during lunch breaks. The people who love you for who you are, no matter how many times you can't seem to get things right--these are the people that are meant to stay in your life. They see you for you and push you to the potential you were meant to be pushed to. These are the people you keep close to you, because they're rare.

But the people who close the door on you, who stop believing you--don't let them dim the greater purpose you are meant to serve on this earth. My father reminds me almost every other day to "Never think of yourself as less than anyone next to you".

To the people who bring jealousy and negativity to your life, show them the door. To the people who want to leave, show them the door. If they aren't adding anything beneficial to your life, the. door. Why keep them?

No one knows you better than you.

Lately, I’ve been coming to terms with trying to stop seeking approval from others. We want everyone around us to like us, to like what we’re doing, to give us praise, and to reward us. We seek confirmation from others that we’re on the right track, doing the right thing at the right place and time.

The thing with this, is, that if you were to constantly need approval from someone else over what you’re doing you’ll never be happy nor confident in your own skin. You lose respect for yourself in this way, and I’m sure you don’t want that.

We want to respect ourselves by striving to be better for ourselves everyday—not striving to be better for the person next to you. You want to gain your own approval by challenging yourself to become better the next day.

However, this isn't something that happens in two days. I'll admit, I'm still working on the consistency of this.

And if you make a mistake doing something your way? Then you make a mistake. Life is full of a thousand mistakes. As long as you learn from it, and don’t repeat it again, you’ll learn to grow and become a better version of yourself. But don’t dim your own light because of what he or she thinks about your projects. Your ideas. Your work ethic. Your interests and passions. Don’t discourage yourself from setting goals just because your goals are different from their goals.

At the end of the day, it’s your life and it’s your decision to be happy and respect yourself. To the people who never see you for who you are, it’s their loss. And the people who stay by your side to support you no matter what, keep them close.