My friends and colleague know me as a very driven individual. I set goals for myself. I plan and I execute. I leave plenty of room for failure, but I do not allow the fear of not getting something 100% right stop me. Life is too short and the tragedy would be not trying at all. I grew to be very efficient about doing this and I encourage you to do the same. I was not always this way. I did not always have the courage to go after my dreams, my passions, or to feed my creativity. However, once I started to enjoy the benefits of trying, I never looked back.

The following things happen when you go after the things you really want.

1.      You realize what you are capable of. 

2.     You open your life to your most memorable experiences.

3.      You do not need liquid courage anymore. You become courageous! 

4.     You begin to inspire others.

5.      Your faith increases.

6.     You smile more.

7.      Your fufu (or food! lol) tastes better!

8.     You become intentional about everything you do.

9.     Prioritizing is a piece a cake.

10.   You learn more about yourself, others, and the world.

I want to end this post on a childhood memory I always go back to before making a big decision. When I was a little girl living in Bamako, Mali, I used to wander in the neighborhood, discover places, get lost, get scared and find my way again. It was one of the happiest times of my life. I also used to run as far as I could with my arm stretched out believing that if I ran fast enough like this, I would be able to fly. I would run faster and faster until I could barely feel my feet with the biggest grin on my face. Believing, for a split second, I was actually flying.

Be brave.

“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.” ~Unknown