How I followed my passion and you can too!

WOW! Is this possible? Almost 6 years since the launch of Inspire Me, where it all began as just an idea, an outlet to a person who was struggling to find her place in this world. What am I meant to do? It always felt like something was missing, a piece of the puzzle to make me feel complete. With an amazing husband who always supports me, beautiful girls that filled my time, a loving family, how in the world could anyone still feel like something was missing in her life? Believe me when I say, I asked myself that question over and over, wondering how one with such a fulfilled life still could feel like something was missing. A tug, a pull, a need. That’s what it felt like for me. I realized that what was missing is passion for my career, love for something that I can do for ME that would get me excited each morning. Now don’t get me wrong, my family certainly did that for me and more but I truly believe that everyone needs to have their own “thing”, their “purpose” in life. (Whether it be work or just an outlet for your passion like crafting at home). And that “thing” or “purpose” can be anything but it needs to make your heart dance, period.

Let me tell you, when I nervously started my Instagram account, I never told anyone about itinitially. It was my own secret, my outlet. With it’s success I can tell you what I learned from my journey and hope that my story will inspire that person who is struggling, trying to figure out their place in this world just like I did 6 years ago. This was my journey and of course it could, actually IS, different for every person but I believe there are a few factors that are always consistent when it comes to success in your life, no matter what it may be. I hope you find them helpful.

1. PASSION

Find out what your passion is. And when I say passion I mean what makes your heart beat with excitement when you think about it. What are you good at? What can you see yourself doing for the rest of your life? What is it that you feel you can make a difference in? What is it that you can offer the world that is unique? When I launched Inspire Me! Home Décor, it was to share and post inspiration that spoke to my design esthetic. Share my work and help homeowners with design questions. This was not available at the time of launch. All Home Décor pages offered minimalistic looks, traditional looks or modern/contemporary style inspiration. That glam, elegant look without sacrificing functionality and comfort is what I love and yet it was nowhere to be found.  Once I started my page, it felt like people were looking at glamorous interiors with new interest. Something they can incorporate in their own homes yet still enjoy their home and make a statement. And so my page took off.

2. GO FOR IT

Many times what holds us back from starting anything is fear and making that first step. When I figured out what I wanted to do, it was not an easy decision to make especially since I had invested so much time and money into my schooling and was 3 semesters short of graduating with my political science degree. Not to mention the whole idea of becoming a lawyer was a goal of mine since I was 12, my parent’s expectations etc… But they understood and I knew (for me personally) I would rather change paths right there and then instead of wasting any more time and go through the motions. It’s never too late!

You have to figure out what your first step needs to be… once you figure out your passion and your calling in life. TAKE THAT FIRST STEP! Is it enrolling in school? Launching your blog website? Taking to social media to share that passion? Apply for a job in the field? Go out and buy supplies to begin?  Take your first step and you will figure out the rest as you go. You have got to test the waters to see what will work and what won’t. There is no set manual that can tell you exactly what will happen for you or how your journey will turn out, nope, there isn’t. But who would want a set manual anyway? You want your own adventure. You WILL fall, you WILL make mistakes but embrace them and learn from them. Let those mistakes be a lesson of what NOT TO DO and what TO DO and they will enlighten your journey.

3. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF

ALWAYS! The key to succeed in anything that you do is to always stay true to who you are and never let success, failure or time change that. It’s a challenge but what makes your talent special is you and only you. Success comes from originality not imitation and if you are inconsistent, that will lead to confusion and ultimately possible failure.

4. WRITE IT DOWN

Write down your goals and your vision. Writing them down will keep you on track and you won’t lose sight of why you started in the first place. Sometimes, we need a refresh, a step back to remind us what our purpose is, our goals and why we started to begin with. It can get overwhelming. You need a reminder as you succeed to avoid losing sight of your goals and you need a reminder if you face a road block to inspire you to keep plowing through!

5. DON’T LOSE SIGHT

Don’t ever lose sight of why your started, make sure your intentions and goals are clear. Of course those might have to be adjusted as you go but the bigger picture should always stay consistent. For me, it’s making sure that I am always happy and fulfilled during this journey. Not the money, but the thrill of the adventure! Pushing the boundaries and seeing how far I can go. The minute it becomes about money then you will lose your identity, your uniqueness and your credibility.

XOXO,

FARAH