The Biggest Lie I Told Myself About Success
Jan 24, 2025It’s too late. Or is it?
It’s 1 a.m., and here I am, sitting on the floor of my home office, flipping through a book called The Eye about creatives who made it. I can’t help but reflect on how much time I wasted in my early twenties thinking I was late to everything - pursuing my career as an illustrator, starting a lifestyle blog.
Back then, I was deeply inspired by Garance Doré, her blend of illustration, fashion, photography, and her story of perseverance. She moved to Paris in her early thirties, sleeping on friends’ couches, determined to pursue her creative dreams.
Now, over a decade later, at 31, I’m sitting here thinking that life feels like it’s only just beginning. I’ve finally broken through my inner walls (well, 90% of them), and I feel ready to take on life with the belief that I can make things happen - so long as I stay focused. (And yes, focus is almost everything. I even wrote a newsletter about this!)
But here’s the thing I can’t fully understand: what stopped me back then? I was young, with endless possibilities ahead. Why didn’t I just keep going?
The truth is, I had no idea that we’re capable of achieving literally anything. No one taught me this. When things got hard, I immediately thought, I’m not good enough. I’m not special.
And then there was the other factor: my environment.
The people around me at the time were constantly bringing me down. I remember getting into a heated argument with a colleague when I tried to explain that we could achieve anything. They pushed back, saying, No, you can’t. It sounds absurd now, but it was a very real and intense conversation.
Lesson No. 1:
Don’t waste your energy trying to convince people who don’t want to believe in your vision.
Your energy is your most valuable resource - it fuels your ideas. Don’t squander it trying to prove a point to someone who’s not willing to listen.
Fast forward to a few months ago, and I found myself in a similar argument with a neighbor. He insisted that true soulmates - people who are best friends, partners, and completely in sync - don’t exist. Yes, relationships aren’t perfect and require effort, but he was adamant it wasn’t possible.
I shared three examples of amazing relationships I know, and his reaction? “Huh, just three?” Instead of seeing the beauty in their existence, he dismissed them entirely.
Lesson No. 2:
Some people have settled for less and will try to drag you down to their level.
Let them go. Don’t let their negativity drain your energy or your vision.
So why am I sharing this?
The regret of missed opportunities and buried potential is one of the bitterest feelings in life - at least for me. You can’t rewind time to reclaim what’s lost. But if you’re sitting there doubting yourself, as I once did, please stop.
You can.
You absolutely can.
When I decided to move abroad to pursue my childhood dream of becoming an interior designer with no money, did anyone support me besides my parents? No.
“What are you doing with your life?” was the most encouraging comment I got.
When I started my own business during the pandemic, do you think people cheered me on?
When I hosted my first LIVE webinar in front of thousands, my inner voice was the one sabotaging me.
Doubts never go away.
It will always feel too late.
But time will pass anyway.
So why not use it to follow your dreams as if there were no limits?Re-reading this newsletter I just wrote, and WOW - how on time it is to talk about this. We often think that one or two years to build something new is a whole lot of time, and because of that, we don’t really start. But then, those years go by anyway - what a surprise - and nothing has changed.
I, too, am in the process of breaking the last inner walls that still exist from the past (almost done with this one), and I truly believe I will eventually make my big vision work. How and when? Not my task to know. My task, however, is to keep searching and showing up every single day.
By the way, I hope you don’t mind me sharing two packages I received yesterday that I’d been eagerly waiting for - THE iconic organizer from Vitra and… my custom ASDB Planners! Remember when I wrote about them a few newsletters ago? Just look at them! Holding something you’ve created is truly special, AND every new ASDB student will get one as a welcome bonus. All the details can be found HERE.
After such a productive month of filming my new drawing course, it was such a pleasure to finally hold a piece of ASDB in my hands.
Never give up on your dreams! 🚀
Anna at @andshedrawsbig
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