What's Your Dream?

I love dreaming (hence my Tumblr URL f0rever-ddreaming). I regularly daydream just like we all do. From a young age we all dream. As a kid we dream of being older and being allowed to do more 'cool things that adults do'. As adults we dream of being young again and having no responsibility at all. Amongst this we also dream of achieving our goals, meeting our favourite celebs and idols to one day having a family of our own or a successful business. For me my dream is relatively simple but quite difficult to achieve. I dream of rowing to the highest standard I can, being successful and having a big, loving family with kids of my own. 

I think dreaming is good. Without it we would probably all live relatively mundane lives with no drive or determination. Dreaming of an exciting future motivates us  to train and work harder to be able to achieve our dreams. 

However, I also believe low expectations are a good thing. If we don't expect anything much to come of what we do, we can't be too disappointed if it doesn't work out but if it does it's really great! Jenna Marbles, queen of all things comedy on YouTube made a video about this recently and I agree with it so much.  

Having low expectations it doesn't mean you can't dream. By all means dream bigger and better than ever just don't expect amazing things to come from it because then you will only be disappointed when it doesn't turn out how you planned (let's face it nothing ever goes to plan 100%). 

While I dream (everyday) of rowing for GB eventually I don't have any expectation of it happening at all because I know how disappointed and upset I'll be if it doesn't happen but also how incredibly happy and proud of myself I will be if I do make it. 

So dream and enjoy it but don't expect miracles to happen. Work hard to make those dreams become reality and you shouldn't be disappointed! 

Thanks for reading! 

Charlotte

XO

Do What You Love

Possibly the best advice I've ever been given and have since given to so many other people is 'do what you love'. 

A lot of younger people ask me what subjects to take for A-level or GCSE and I always tell them to do what they enjoy because I honestly think that is the most important thing in life. To enjoy it. Life is short so we have to make the most of it and can't let time go by doing things that make us unhappy. I also think that if you love something you're going to work harder and strive for success more. 

Unfortunately I think a lot of people stop doing things they love or do things they don't enjoy because of pressure. Whether it's from school, society, parents or friends there is a pressure which manipulates your behaviour and activities. I think the best example of this is ballet. Almost every girl I know did ballet when they were 4 or 5. 90% of these girls quit when their friends began to quit or when they thought they weren't good enough. Of this 90%, 99% (sorry lots of numbers I know!) of them regret quitting and always seem to wish that they'd continued. The same goes for other hobbies such as playing instruments or a doing sport.

When I was choosing my subjects I was lucky that my parents weren't pushy and let me do what I wanted to do but I know of other people whose parents set a standard they had to meet by doing 7 A-levels and 20 GCSEs (I'm over exaggerating but you know what I mean).  And I really feel sorry for these people because I can't imagine not being able to do what I enjoy and having to do what other people want you to. 

I got the inspiration for this post from going horse riding yesterday. I used to have my own horse and I rode all the time but I had to stop because I just didn't have time. But it made me so happy to just sit with the horses and take silly selfies and talk to them without being on my phone constantly. Horses are such chilled animals and you (or me definitely) always feel like they're listening to you. I'm not crazy I promise! 

How could horse selfies not make anyone happy?

So, what I'm trying to say is while it is important to do what you love in a wider sense like your job, subjects etc. I really think it's important to do something you love on an daily basis. For example, listen to your favourite song or see your favourite people or doing a hobby. It's so important to enjoy your life and make the most of everything. Obviously I know that everyone has down days when they feel really crappy but doing something you enjoy can really cheer you up. For me it's rowing/working out and lots of loud music I can sing and dance to! 

The other side of this quote I feel I need to broach briefly is that you shouldn't let the pressures of society or school or friends stop you from pursuing what you love. If you love it, go for it and forget what other people might say or what they would rather you do. It's your life so live it how YOU want it! 

Thanks for reading chums! 

Charlotte 

XO

Best Songs for Confidence

So this week has been dedicated to confidence and I thought I'd share my favourite songs for boosting my confidence. Some actually have a good message about confidence in them while others are just happy songs which I find cheer me up and make me feel a little more confident.

1. Taylor Swift- Shake it Off. If you're not feeling so great about yourself, put this song on, dance around as crazy as you'd like and I guarantee you will feel better!
2. Katy Perry- Roar or Firework. Roar is a powerful song and whenever I sing along to it I feel ready to take on anything (excuse the cheesiness!). The lyrics are quite empowering 'I am a champion', you don't get much more empowering than that!! Firework has always been one of my favourite songs too. Again it's a good song to dance to and just like Roar the lyrics are motivating and make me feel more confident.
3. Oh Honey- Be Okay. I doubt many people know this song as I randomly discovered it on Spotify and had never heard of them before. As the title suggests the song literally tells you everything will BE OKAY. It's so upbeat and another one to dance to.
4. Jessie J. There are 3 Jessie J songs that I find really fill me with confidence. Masterpiece is one of her newest songs and it is full of excellent lyrics which tell you a setback isn't a failure and that 'those who mind don't matter, those who matter don't mind'. Sexy Lady kind of does what it says on the tin. It's a fun, easy to dance to song that should fill all women with the confidence they deserve. Finally, Gold another confidence-boosting song and it's fun to sing along to at the top of your lungs in the shower (not that I know from experience of course!) 
5. Bruno Mars- Just the way you are. I chose this for one simple reason, 'You're amazing, just the way you are'!! 
6. Christina Aguileria- Beautiful. This isn't exactly a song you can dance around to but it has possibly the best meaning of all the songs in this list. 
7. One Direction- What Makes You Beautiful. It wouldn't be a playlist made by me if I didn't put some One Direction in there. I love WMYB because it is a good one to dance around and sing to without a care in the world.
8. Little Mix- We Are Who We Are. This song is slighlty cheesy and not to everyone's taste but I like the meaning behind it. 'Pretty's just a pretty word' and 'I'm the only me in this world' are some of my favourite lines.
9. Wicked- Defying Gravity. I'm a big lover of musicals and my all time favourite is Wicked. This, along with 'For Good' are my two favourite songs from the musical. This song basically tells you that nothing is impossible and to be yourself and never stop until you reach your goal!
10. Pharrell Williams- Happy. Just as with Shake it Off, put this track on, dance around and let go of any worries or anxiety. 

There are many more songs I love to listen to to feel more confident and happier but these are probably my top 10. If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments so that I can have a listen! 

Thanks for reading!

Charlotte

XO