How to Embrace Where You Are When It’s Not Where You Want to Be

What happens when you have all those dreams but your present life doesn’t add up to what you’d hoped? The process feels slow, doors have shut and you’re not quite sure where to go next. You question if it was silly to ever dream in the first place or why things seem to be working out for everyone else while you seem to be getting nowhere. 

Choose Gratitude

Gratitude seems like a simple concept, right? There’s so much you have to be grateful for. Yet, in the midst of longing for the life you dreamed of, gratitude tends to take a backseat.

Gratitude is powerful, and it will truly transform your journey. It lightens the burden of not-yet-realized dreams and can significantly improve your mental health in the process.

You’re not married yet, but you have friends and family surrounding you with love.

You didn’t get the dream job, but you have a job and a way to take care of yourself.

There’s always something to be grateful for in the present moment if you choose to look for it.

Focus on Your Growth

Growth is a beautiful pursuit. It’s not always at the forefront of our minds when the dream is all we can focus on. You want what you want, you hold your dreams closely and have a vision of the happiness they’ll bring you.

What if you were told that the thing you were hoping for wouldn’t be realised for another five years? Don’t spend all that time daydreaming about what will be or perhaps so stuck in mourning for what is not happening right this second that your health, your work, your relationships, and your routines suffer. There is too much to lose and miss out on while you’re obsessed with what is not happening.

If you’re disappointed in the progress you’ve made (or lack thereof) toward the place you want to be, know that making progress in character is equally as important. As the saying goes, “Bloom where you are planted.”

Set some small goals, such as eating more wholly and moving your body more.

Hold Your Plans Loosely

Probably not the advice you wanted to hear, huh?

It’s healthy to accept the fact that dreams won’t always happen in the way or the timing you think they will. Be open to different plans, places and people. Be open to being surprised with where life leads you.

You’re allowed to be hopeful in the waiting. Don’t forget to embrace the current season you’re in as an equally important part of your story.