"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind." - Buddha.
I don't quite remember when my "obsession" with New York City started (well, to be completely honest, it might have been around the time "Sex and the City" came out...). The first time I came to NYC is almost 10 years ago; I'll never forget that feeling of walking around Manhattan, looking up at the beautiful, old skyscrapers, seeing the Empire State Building for the first time (and eating my first bagel!)... It felt unreal to finally be here, in this city that I'd been wanting to visit for so many years. And ever since that first visit, I had the dream that, one day, I would be living in NYC.
Fast forward 10 years, and I'm sitting here, writing this blog post from a gorgeous Manhattan apartment that is going to be my home for the next few months...
Thinking about it, it seems crazy that it's taken me 10 years to turn this dream into reality. But then again, had I really been trying? At the back of my mind, my dream of living in New York was always present, yet it always did feel more like a dream, and not something that could realistically come true. Maybe I hand't felt like it was the "right time", maybe because I hadn't felt like I was ready for this move, maybe I was scared things wouldn't work out the way I was hoping...
I finally made the decision to come to NYC last year. Just like that. I got a visa, an apartment (with great roommates), and a rough idea of what I wanted to achieve while being here.
Why am I telling you all of this, you're wondering?
Well, ever since starting this new business, there's one term I keep coming across, something I keep hearing about from these "business gurus" and successful entrepreneurs, and that is mind power or the power of thoughts.
I really love this summery about the power of thoughts by Remez Sasson: "If you pour your mental energy into the same thoughts or mental images day after day, they will become stronger and stronger, and would consequently, affect your attitude, expectations, behavior and actions.
These thoughts and mental images can even be subconsciously perceived by other people, who would then offer you help or opportunities.
Your thoughts can also create what is usually termed as coincidence. They can attract into your life corresponding events, situations and opportunities..."
Interesting, right? I mean, have you ever felt like a door opened for you just at the right time? One that seemed to remain closed to other people? That whatever you were doing was "meant to be"?
The funny thing is that once I made the decision to come to NYC, things started to happen that assured me I was on the right track:
When I announced my move to my email list, I realized that I already had an incredible network of people who had been following me on Instagram or taken one of my online courses. I suddenly started getting contacted by all these NYC-based companies, wanting me to work with them. And I connected with other people in my industry that I'd been following online for a while and that I now have the chance of actually meeting in person!
I definitely believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind on. The thing is, however, as (aspiring) entrepreneurs, we don't always feel so confident about our choices. We don't always know what the next "right step" is, often we're not even sure if what we're doing is "right" at all... There's the doubts, the fears: "Is it really possible to make a living from this? Will anyone be interested in my products/services/blog posts...?"
The fact is, as much as our positive thoughts can make things happen, our negative thoughts can prevent them from happening: "Doubts, fears, and worries tend to destroy what you build with the power of your mind..." (Remez Sasson).
I know too well that it's not always easy to think positive, and to feel confident about your goals. The good news, however, is that "mind power" or "positive thinking" is something that can be learned. So knowing that your thoughts, your mind, can make the difference in the way you succeed (be it in business or in life in general), wouldn't you agree with me that "achieving the right mindset" is something worth working for?
Doesn't that mean that instead of being afraid of what could go wrong, it's worth taking the risk in order to find out what could go right?
I'm by far no mindset expert, more than anything, this post is supposed to inspire you to believe in yourself, and to make you believe that you can turn your dreams into reality! It might not happen overnight - as you know by now, it took me almost 10 years to make my dream come true, but still, here I am, in NYC, and it just feels so right! :)
If you'd like to learn more about this topic, I'd recommend you to read these two articles by Artemis Mindset Coaching:
There's also a great blog post about changing your mindset, written by Melyssa Griffin which you can find here.
Finally, I also loved reading "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphey.
As always, I'd love to read your comments below!