I'm so very thankful for all that has happened in my charmed 30 years of life. If there's one thing many of the women I know have taught me, it's that it's OK to always want more. I don't mean that in an insatiable, greedy way; I mean wanting more from life.
I admire people who have a vision and work really hard to make it a reality. But what seldom gets talked about is what happens after you achieve a goal; what happens when things get too real. For me that can sometimes mean being caught up in a routine or getting too comfortable. Routines and comfortability aren't bad on their own, but for someone like me they can be. I rely on the unknown to push me further.
Sometimes wanting more comes with guilt. It's easy to feel guilty when you're already so blessed, but you can't help but wonder what's next. Achieving the vision you have for your life might call for changing things up; for letting go; for making a sacrifice. I have had to be very honest with myself lately about what I am willing to give up to take the next step, because I am not someone who will always be happy standing in the same spot, watching the world go by.
My desire for more was fueled recently after meeting Rachel Zoe at a Business Chicks event. Meeting one of my heroes and hearing her story firsthand reminded me that ambition pays off, and I was in a room full of other women who felt the same way. One such woman whose creativity and quest for more that has always kept me going is my friend Virginia. Not only is she a mom and an artist, but she is a true boss lady. We met seven years ago working at a magazine where we always dreamed of more, and now we've both come so far.
Today we toured the offices of Orange Coast Magazine together and I couldn't help but remember us as a newly minted graphic designer and assistant editor starting out and learning the ropes. We both know what it's like to be rejected, to not be able to see beyond a cubicle wall, but we are both proof that more is possible, so long as you want it bad enough.
