When it comes to doing what you love, have you ever been struck by the following thoughts?

“My passion can’t support me financially”

“No one will care about what I love doing”

“Achieving my dream career will take years of planning and money, and even then it might not work out”

“Following my passion is too risky”

Self-doubt is destructive and will only have a negative impact on your life and career. In order to succeed, you need to banish negative thoughts and replace them with  positivity, drive and vision.  Read on for my tips on how to value yourself – and your dreams!

Know Your Worth – and Own It!

Understand the exceptional value that you as a person possess. Forget about how much money you earn, what you look like or what you do for a living. This is about you as a unique individual. A person with a big salary is not necessarily a good person, or a happy person. Think about your positive traits, the good things you’ve done in life and the times when you have made a difference. Think about why you love your passion – what is it that makes you enjoy it? In most cases, our interests and passions enhance our happiness. We’re also usually good at them, and excelling at something is a great way to add focus and positivity to your life.

Think of the Positive Outcomes

How will your passion and dreams positively effect others? Does what you love doing help another person in any way? Avoid thinking literally – yes, doctors physically do help people. But so do musicians, accountants, yoga instructors and authors. Every occupation, every hobby, every interest in the world impacts  someone’s  life and has the power to create positivity. Maybe you’re really into photography, but think there’s no point doing it for a living because people won’t care. Wrong. Viewing art can really enhance people’s lives. Art collection is a hobby, and just looking at beautiful pictures on Instagram can put you in a good mood.  Don’t underestimate the power of your passion.

Think Forward

If in doubt, thinking ahead will really show you why valuing what you love is important. Picture your life in 10 years, then 20. Where do you see yourself? Do you think you will be happy continuing on in the job you currently hold? Do you think your passion will simply die and you’ll no longer wish to pursue it? That’s no way to think of life! When it comes to the crunch, the old saying ‘life is short’ is true. We’re only on this Earth for a short time, so let’s make the most of it. Let’s really enjoy our time here. When you look back at your life, you don’t want to have regrets and wish you’d pursued your passion after all. Value what you love, and  follow that passion.