Yes, you can. ACT now.

 Close your eyes for a moment. Think of your deepest desire. (Not your secret sex fantasy, silly! Not that desire!) Think of a goal or wish that you have had and have secretly nurtured. Maybe you want to become a published writer. Maybe you want to have a body that make heads turn when you walk into the room. Maybe you want to be able to sing in front of a crowd of hundred people. Maybe you just want a loving companion. Maybe you want your marriage to improve.

Now answer this question--How badly do you want to achieve it? How willing are you to put in the hours and practice required? Most importantly are you prepared to fail? Are you prepared to get up, dust yourself and walk on with a shrug, in case you fall flat on your face? Are you prepared to commit yourself to discipline?

It is indeed hard. It is easy to wish. It is easier to make a fifty excuses. (I don't have time. I have to do this-this and this, I don't have talent)

A lot of people walk upto me and say " Oh--just look at you. I am so jealous of your body/figure. What do you do? " Or they say "How are you so good at so many things? Lucky you are."

A few days back , when I was walking my dog in the morning, I met a middle aged lady (a working woman who is also a mother to two)  who was super-impressed that I am a published author. She is an aspiring writer and has written a few stories. Her desire is to get published. She walked a long way with me and I told her a lot of resources she could use and I shared with her, everything that I possible could. I told her about a magazine which was accepting submissions and even offered to mail her the details and link. I told her to drop me a mail and that I would surely forward to her the call for submission.

It has been more than 14 days now and there is no e-mail from her or any action from her side. I see her most mornings and we exchange short pleasantries and go our way. She hasn't said why she did not mail me nor have I asked. She did appreciate my portraits though and said I was very good at it, and I thanked her politely and told her I had worked hard at it.

This interaction, later made me think. It made me realise that most people want things but are not willing to act to get them. I also realised that many people are limited by self-defeating beliefs. (Maybe i am not good enough. What if I fail? I can't do it at my age)

If you believe that you want to achieve something, you CAN. No matter what your background, no matter what your age. But the main thing is that you must believe that you can.

Then you must ACT. 'Act' includes 'making time'. You can 'make time' if you get up an hour earlier each day.

That is the hard part.

Which takes us back to  what i said at the begining of the post ;-)

Destroy the self limiting beliefs. Yes, you can. Yes you are worthy. Yes, you are loved. Surround yourself with people who encourage you. Do not waste time thinking about people who left you. Do not think about situations which make you unhappy.

March forward. ACT.Yes, you can.

Trust me. I know what I am talking about.

Much love,

Preeti

ps:  'Life is what you make it' is Number ONE at Flipkart and is now on India Today Top selling fiction list.