{life inspiration} Do What You Love & Don't Give Up
I want to end the week with a bit of my personal life reflections & some inspiration."Don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.” ~ Ella FitzgeraldWhen I read that quote on the Women's History Month website, it made me stop and think, "how did I get here and am I happy?" I then started to reflect upon all the things that have happened in my life and how they brought and molded me to where and who I am now. Life moves so fast and when there are so many distractions and things going on, you forget to step back and re-evaluate your goals, career & life.
About 2 years ago when I was graduating from the MBA program at the USC Marshall School of Business, I updated my Facebook "about me" section and I just realized I hadn't looked at it since!It reads: "A confused girl trying to figure out her life... I began as a math/physics geek, dabbled in healthcare consulting, decided to get an MBA and MRED (as if one master's wasn't enough)... and now I'm working in real estate investing and property management while trying to start an event planning company and a couple random websites on the side. If I could only find a way to mix fashion, party planning, real estate, something analytical and travel, my life would be complete."I was thrown back for a moment because 1. I had no recollection of writing that and 2. I couldn't believe 2 years ago I had all these aspirations that I still have now and yet, I haven't done anything about it![until now]With a little bit of inspiration & encouragement, I have made the decision to go all-in and pursue what I have always dreamed of and to not let anything stop me from getting there. (I hope Ella Fitzgerald was right!) I did believe "my life would be complete" if I could combine my passions, so why not make it happen?I have been working endlessly (in between my full-time real estate job & event planning internship) on researching, networking, forming the foundation and structure, etc... for my new event design, planning & consulting company and lifestyle blog. {Check out this article "And on the Side, I'm an Entrepreneur" that US News released last week (3/30/11) because it pretty much sums up my life and gives great advice to aspiring entrepreneurs who are still working} It is and will be a constant work-in-progress, but for the first time in a while, I feel like I'm accomplishing something that I love and am passionate about!Lessons Learned: Don't give up on what you love, don't forget to stop and re-evaluate your goals/career/life, and don't be afraid to take a chance even if it seems risky! Be smart, do research and learn from your mistakes.
Happy Friday!