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Guest Post by Madison McQuary : Following your Dreams

Following Your Dreams:

First of all‚ thank you Crystal for contacting me about doing a guest post on your blog! I have always loved reading guest posts so here’s to hoping this is enjoyable and encouraging for all of you lovely readers. I must say that while writing this post the words were inspiring me‚ therefore I hope that you are inspired by them as well!

When I think about the type of person I am I see my brain waves going in all sorts of directions and because of that I have realized that I am very much a visionary and dreamer when it comes to how I view and plan life! While most often this is exciting and keeps life fun and creative‚ it can sometimes be overwhelming because I have so many ideas and so little time to put those ideas into action. Being a blogger‚ writer‚ and creative mind it is often hard to stay positive and motivated when it comes to my many ideas amidst a crazy busy life as a college student‚ or just a busy life in general (I am sure you can relate). However‚ I have learned that even when life is crazy and I am busy with thousands of things to do‚ being a visionary with ideas and plans within my head is still a HUGE part of who I am and I have to find ways to fulfill those dreams and desires in my life. Often times I look at my crazy life and think that I should just forget about my ideas all together….after all I am not that important of a person and how could the things I want to do and have a passion for even be worth it when there are other people doing the same things or succeeding more than me. Nonetheless‚ I cannot get down on myself and you should never get down on yourself either if you are in my same boat! We cannot let our fears of failure and seeming unimportant hold us back from doing what we love‚ putting ourselves out there‚ being creative and sharing who we are with the world!

Life is all about taking steps! Taking steps to make a difference‚ to learn something new‚ to meet new people‚ to visit new places‚ and each of these teaches us something and allows us to learn more about who we are for ourselves. Sometimes taking steps towards what we want to do isn’t always the easiest and involves us letting go of our fears and insecurities‚ but it is what we need to grow! I always love to give the analogy about a gardener who trims back the rose bushes‚ in doing this the gardener is preparing the rose bush for new buds and growth! The same is true for our lives‚ if we keep holding onto our fears and insecurities‚ allowing them to rule our lives we will never see growth. We must trim away the fear so we can bud into a beautiful flower! Failure is only proof that you tried‚ and it is important that you keep on trying. Just remember that broken bones always grow back stronger and that “you cannot get the pearl without the grit” (you can tell I like analogies). Thus‚ we must let go of our fears of failure and take a leap of faith to reach our full potential and see that we really do have wings to fly.

It is also important to never let anyone else hold you back. Yes‚ some of us hold ourselves back but most often it is the fear of what others might say or what others have said in the past that hold us back from doing what we are called to do and have a passion for. Life isn’t perfect and neither are you….sure you will make mistakes….sure people might say things to you but their words are not what define you‚ rather it is how you choose to respond to their words that defines who you are and shows just what you are made of! Keep in mind that NO ONE is perfect and each of us is daily making mistakes and learning lessons‚ even those seemingly perfectly put together people around us. The words others say and their successes should not be the stumbling block in our path to reaching our dreams. You are in a way the creator of your own destiny! Only you can step onto the path to reaching your dreams……don’t let others hold you back from walking on the “yellow brick road.”

Never stop dreaming! I think this is my FAVORITE prompt in following my dreams and reaching my goals. I often think that my dreams are too BIG‚ high and lofty to be attainable or even logical. However‚ we have dreams for a reason and until we have tried everything in our power to reach them we should never stop. Being a blogger I am constantly dreaming up new ways to grow my blog and make it all that I want it to be and all that I can see in my head. Granted‚ it is not an overnight deal‚ it takes time to grow a reader base‚ gain followers‚ connect with other bloggers‚ and get your name out there‚ but the journey is worth everything we learn along the way. Looking back on when I first started blogging to now‚ it is always inspiring to see how far I have come (even if it seems like a small step). While I am always dreaming as a visionary‚ at the same time with all the dreaming comes the dread that I will never be able to do everything I want! Not only do I write a blog‚ but I am currently writing two books‚ working on planning events‚ planning in my head things I want or need to do in the future‚ and brainstorming long term goals when it comes to my blog and lofty ambitions for being a published author! At times it can all be a little overwhelming……….truly! Do you ever feel that? However‚ life wouldn’t be worth it if we didn’t have dreams! If we didn’t have things to work towards‚ goals we want to accomplish‚ and things to motivate us in getting up in the morning. Therefore KEEP ON DREAMING! Just take the advice from Cinderella “No matter how your heart is grieving‚ if you keep on believing‚ the dreams that you wish will come true.”

I hope you never stop dreaming! Know that growth is part of the process and never be afraid to fail‚ because failure teaches us such valuable lessons and shows the world that we tried. Always remember you are more than the words others say…..rise above the words and BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE! Whatever your dreams‚ whatever your goals‚ or whatever you are working towards right now I hope that you are encouraged to keep on keeping on……you will accomplish great things one day because you are one of a kind!

You can find Madison McQuary’s blog @ http://www.minniemuseblog.com/

Photos are Madison McQuary’s

Madison loves anything vintage. If you have seen the movie The Notebook and love the glamour of the 1940’s you will love her personality and style. She is also amazing at taking photos and inspires me to get better with the camera. The author lives in Houston‚Texas and is pursuing a college degree. And following her dreams one day at a time.