Stop Dreaming.

At this rate, you aren’t going to accomplish anything.

As each day passes, I’m more and more surprised at how insane it is for me to be upset about the results I’ve been getting.

I realize that time and time again, I do nothing to work toward the standard I hold for myself.

We humans are full of high standards with sub-par effort, overly-ambitious dreams without the actions necessary to actualizing them. We might as well stop dreaming or set the bar much lower.

It’s like we care more about looking like we care rather than doing the actions that show we indeed do.

The problem is that we definitely care. The problem is there’s nothing wrong with high standards and overly-ambitious dreams. There’s nothing wrong with chasing growth and wanting to accomplish those dreams that set your soul on fire. There’s nothing wrong with any that, in fact, it’s the best thing for you. This is the problem. Why? Because we are so good at doing any and everything in the direction away from our dreams, yet our dreams is what we care about most. We care so much about accomplishing something we are hellbent on steering away from.

We don’t realize that we are bad for ourselves. We don’t realize that we are standing in our own way. Even when we are aware of this, we are so firm and comfortable in our position as an obstacle that simply being aware of this blockage isn’t enough.

The reason why it’s so hard for us to reach our dreams is because we’ve gotten so damn good at placing them further and further out of reach.

I don’t know why. Ask someone smarter. All I know is it’s easier to run away from our dreams rather than chase them. It’s easier to stand in the way than move out the way. It’s easier to fail and give up than it is to achieve. This isn’t new information. This isn’t groundbreaking. We know this.

With the rate a lot of us are moving at, it’s almost like the only thing we can be certain about ourselves is that we won’t get there.

The reality is it’s easier to trust in ourselves that we can’t get it done as opposed to can. That’s how much we lack confidence.

We are so conflicted inside, so misconstrued and insane. We look for answers and shortcuts that are either nonexistent or useless. There’s no easy way to flip the switch. There’s no easy way to get us to do those things we say and know we need to do. We just have to do it.

I think once we accept that it’s hard — that it’s our fault, our responsibility—only then we can have an honest representation of where we are at and how will we change. This is awareness, and it’s the first step. We can’t move on to change if we aren’t aware that we need to change.

Anyone who has ever changed was aware of the state they were in prior to that change.

We can’t wipe the slate clean, but we just may be able to create a masterpiece so unlike our previous mess that it might as well be a new slate.

Here’s how to accomplish your dreams: You have to become a person you trust and take seriously. If you aren’t, you’ll never do what’s necessary to actualizing your dreams. The only way to create this trust within yourself is by grinding, growing, accomplishing. You need to accomplish steps in the direction of your dreams from hard work. Start however small you need to. Very few things in life are better than having trust within yourself to accomplish step after step in the direction of your dreams despite the challenge, fear, or uncertainty. Very few things in life are better than having complete trust in yourself to figure it out and get it done because you can and always do. Very little is better than being the best version of yourself under pressure, to ignore that voice in your head that lies to you about the impossibility or your lack of potential and reprimands you on the unknown and impractical. Better to dive in with confidence even when you’re aware of the struggle to come as opposed to dipping a toe in the water and never choosing to do more than that.

You have to start building this kind of trust within yourself. You have to work harder, much harder, so that you see success come your way every time because it was inevitable. Only then will you have the confidence to keep going.

I’ll tell you something: Lately, I’ve felt like quitting. Actually, for a while now I’ve felt like quitting. I’m so tired of experimenting and failing and taking five steps forward then six steps back. I’m so tired of looking for answers and lying to myself. I’m so tired of working hard and not working at all. I’m so tired of the back and forth. I cried yesterday. I was a damn mess. Then I realized something: I haven’t done shit.

I know I’m responsible, but I act surprised anyway. Crying is good, sure, but where does it get me? I’m in a weird state of wanting to quit but knowing that I won’t. Have you been there? Are you there now?

I realized that I’m lost. I don’t trust myself to do the things that matter. I realize I never have. Even with the “success” that has come my way. Have you been there?

I realize that even though being “happy” is a state of being you can choose to be in (so they say), that doesn’t work for me. I’ll be happy when I can get myself to be consistent, to grind, and see the fruits of my labor. I’ll be happy when I stop crying and breaking down about how I can’t achieve something I didn’t work for.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to be sad until I actualize my dreams. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be depressed. That doesn’t mean I can’t find fulfillment in other things. It just means that a part of me is missing, that I’m never fully myself. I’m only fully myself when I can trust myself. I’m only fully fulfilled when I can trust myself to grow daily. I’m only fully myself when I know that whenever death comes for me, I won’t regret a thing. I won’t regret a thing because I’ve changed. I’ve learned from my mistakes and became a person that I take seriously. That’s all that matters. I’ve truly committed to something and have realized my capability. I’ve chased a dream because I know it’s possible. I’ve done everything I can do with the time I have. That’s what makes sense to me. It may sound depressing, but I’m fine with it.

At the rate a lot of us are going at, we aren’t going to accomplish anything. We might as well stop dreaming. But we don’t want to do that, do we? That dream inside of us is too powerful to be truly forgotten. It plagues our thoughts daily. It reminds us of its presence daily.

If you’ve decided that you’re going to chase the dream anyway, even when you don’t always do the necessary work, if you’ve realized you’re stuck on this path and want to be stuck, I pray you at least decide to move along it. I pray you figure out what it is you need to do to get yourself to start down the path. If you are stuck on it, you might as well walk it or get off of it. If you’re going to dream anyway, despite the lack of effort, you might as well start moving toward that dream so that you don’t waste your time and the belief others have in you.

Keep knocking at the door of your dreams until someone opens it. I’m not exactly sure how hard you have to knock or what part of the door you have to knock on, but I think whenever someone does decide to open it, that someone will be you.