“If what you do is who you are, you’ll never fail until you cease to exist.”

This isn’t a famous quote. In fact, it was said to me in the corner of a kitchen, in a small hut, in the middle of Colorado- quite an anticlimactic place for such a revolutionary sentence. I don’t know why it hit me so hard. Maybe it was the context, right after a home cooked meal in our cozy mountain hut, the sun setting and the fog rolling in. I was filled to the brim with delicious food and inspiring conversations. My friend Connor was the dear soul who imparted this bit of wisdom upon me as I lamented how I had no idea what to do with my life. Or, to be more precise- I had no idea how to muster up the courage to attempt doing the things I’ve always wanted to do. The impossibilities of my dreams and the insurmountable number of hurdles that seemed apparent to me gave me little hope. Not to mention the thousands of people who do what I hope to do, but so much better than me. Who am I to think I could even begin to compare to these gods and goddesses of a trade I am a mere novice at?

Yet, I keep coming back to those words. When I feel as if I cannot compete or compare, I think to myself, however cliché it may be- is there anyone in this world just like me? No.

So, am I pursuing my dreams and following my inner voice? Yes.

And, most importantly- do these dreams truly align with who I am? Yes.

So what am I afraid of? If what I want to do is truly who I am, who can tell me I’ve failed? Perhaps I won’t make millions. Maybe I won’t ever accomplish all the goals I have set out for myself. But I’m going to follow these wild dreams of mine. And I’m going to stick to my truth, to my own beliefs and dreams and passions.

Because I am who I am, and no one can tell me otherwise.