You Are the Center of Your Own World

Dear reader, 

How many times have you said, “I would love to read, but I don’t have time”? Or learn a language. Or draw. Or finally try something you have spent years thinking you don’t have talent or time for? 

Now, an uncomfortable question: Be honest with yourself: How much time did you spend scrolling today? 

Open your screen time report. Look at how much attention was given to others and doomscrolling. How much went to your own goals? 

You are the center of your own world. Your dreams deserve some of the attention you give freely to other things. 

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I understand there are classes, assignments, projects, jobs, family, and other responsibilities. Some days, you barely have energy for the basics. But look at an ordinary day. Can you find fifteen minutes for something you want? Something you keep thinking about, then putting off? 

Fifteen minutes. Give yourself that time. After one month, two months, three months, look back. Think of the pages you have read, the worlds you have learned, things you have tried, and new skills you developed. Give yourself a chance to see what happens. Just try. 

Thinking you have no time to read? Putting a book in your bag, a paperback book, or a Kindle, can give you a place to read away from your phone’s notifications. When you sit down with your coffee between classes, open it before you open social media or chats. Read one page or a few pages. Continue tomorrow. Nobody expects you to finish a novel in two weeks, or even a month. You can read slowly. You are still reading. 

For me, autumn feels like the perfect season for Agatha Christie’s mysteries. I love following the details, becoming suspicious, building a theory, and waiting to discover what I missed. You ask questions and pay attention to people’s words and actions. A book gives you something to think about even after you close it. 

I like going to a cafe with my pet, putting my phone away, and enjoying my favorite book and our time together. It is a simple moment, but I’m actually there for it. This is my life happening in front of me. I want to notice it. 

Now think about that language you keep saying you want to learn. 

Start. Take the first lesson. Learn a few phrases. Listen to a short recording. Repeat something out loud and try making your own sentences. You are allowed to mix up words and speak with an accent. Regular practice over a year can take you forward. Your progress will depend on your starting point and the time you spend, but you do not need to be perfect in a month to make a start worthwhile. 

The same goes for drawing, chess, music, or that other skill you keep putting off. How will you know if you enjoy drawing when you stop yourself before picking up a pencil? Make your first awkward sketch. Let yourself enjoy learning before you become good at it. 

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Some clubs and groups can help you practice and meet people who share your interests. Look for them. Check your university, local library, and community spaces for free activities, language exchange, and beginner sessions. Explore free lessons and learning materials online. Find out what is available to you. Give yourself somewhere to begin. 

And yes, you will have to work. Wanting something is a starting point. Then you need to act. 

Have a task you keep avoiding? Set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes and focus on it. If the task is large, choose one small part. Give it your attention. Once you have started, you have something to build on. 

But ask yourself honestly: Do you actually want the goal you are chasing? Is it really your dream? 

Today, right now, after reading this, go to the mirror. Look at yourself and have an honest conversation. Who do you want to be in three months? What do you want to learn? What do you need to be able to move toward that version of yourself? 

Then get a notebook and write down your answers. Turn them into small, clear tasks. Give each one a place in your week, and follow through. Journaling is the best way to achieve your goals. Keep your journal nearby, and write about the book you are reading. Ask yourself questions. Write down new words, ideas, and small wins. Let those pages show you that your efforts are adding up. If you miss a day, come back the next day and keep going. 

Choose your first task and give it fifteen minutes. Not tomorrow, not next Monday. Today. 

Everyone has their own mission in this life, and you deserve to find out what you are capable of, give yourself a reason to believe in yourself, too. 

We each have our own path and our own timing. Sometimes the opportunity is closer than we think, and we have not yet decided to commit to it. I believe dreams can become real. I believe we can change more than we think when we truly want something and work towards it. I say it, as someone who made the impossible possible in twenty days. Find your motivation and move toward your dreams. My motivation was clear: I wanted it, I got it. If I can dream about it, it’s already mine, just waiting for me to take steps towards it.

My experience became my motivation. Now I want you to give your own dream a real chance. Find your motivation, and a miracle will happen. 

The World is yours, act like it.

• mindset
• motivation
• personal growth
• self-improvement