We all start where we start

“Why am I not Taylor Swift, damn it?” This is the question I asked my husband the other day after indulging in T-Swifts inspiring Instagram feed. “Because you can’t sing,” he said. True.

I guess I could spend the rest of my life learning to sing and trying to make connections in the music industry, but as quickly as the desire came to be like Taylor Swift it vanished, as I decided that being able to dance along to Bad Blood with my girls in our jammies in the kitchen was even better.

The thing is Taylor Swift has been singing since she was nine and she obviously has an innate talent and passion for it, these things combined with determination and consistent effort have lead her to this moment in time where she gets to do what she loves, make money, and touch lives.

I realize that this is true for me as well, though it looks very different. At a young age I had a talent for organizing and directing groups of people, and passion for business, healing and art. When I combined my passions with determination and consistent effort, I created a business that helps thousands of people every month and a life that feels meaningful and enjoyable.

But even though I had those talents, it wasn’t always easy. Most people that have successful business, deep love, amazing vacations, or are inventing machines to remove the plastic from our oceans (thank you so much) have had a time of living on carrot sticks and grill cheese, being told no a hundred times, uncomfortable dates, bus passes, and self doubt.

When I started my first spa at 23 I did everything: reception, ten massages a day, cleaning toilets, balancing our books, marketing – literally every part of the business. There were days when I picked cranberries out of the cranberry-orange tea for lunch. Every-single-time the phone rang my heart pounded and I felt so grateful. I belly-danced at night to make enough money to pay rent.

But my passion for our mission was so big that it moved me through the challenges. It didn’t make 16-hour days blissful and easy, but it made them possible.

We all start exactly where we start and have to forge our own paths in this life. But know that you aren’t alone and that everyone who has ever created anything has gone through similar hurdles and struggles. It’s part of what makes things significant – the challenge of making them a reality.

So whether you want to be an iconic singer or a business owner or the best stay at home mom ever, honor your path. There are four things that will surely get you where you want to go:

1. Talent. If you haven’t found or developed your innate talents, do it. You definitely have a certain something that is unique to you and that with a little bit of refined attention you can polish that talent in to something that shines.

2. Passion. Your enthusiasm for your goal is so important. It’s your souls way of pushing you toward it, even when things are hard.

If you find that it’s really difficult to arouse passion, then you may want to look at the ways your energy is being spent such that you aren’t left with enough for your own enthusiasm. This may be that you have health concerns that affect your energy, or that you are working a 60 hour a week job doing something you don’t love. Whatever it is, put your attention on fixing it. You deserve your own passion in your life.

3. Determination. Don’t. Give. Up. You can make it happen. You can jump over all the hurdles. You can deal with all the nos. You can. You will.

4. Consistent Effort. Work toward your goal every day. Show up and put one foot in front of the other.

When we see people further along on the path it can look so glamorous, but trust me, they’ve had failures, they’ve heard no, they’ve cleaned toilets. And that part of the journey makes the successes that much sweeter.

My heart still soars every time I hear the phone ring at one of our spas. It will never get old. Every little step is worth celebrating. And the fact that I have the time now to enjoy with my girls while dancing to Ms. Swift is such an epic win.

Mad love,
Briana