Stop and Smell the Rosé — Joyce Meets World

How will you know when you’ve made it?

Because getting to the top is one thing. Staying there is a different beast.

I know what it’s like to want something so badly, especially when it’s nearly brushing against your fingertips but still so out of reach.

That long term goal feels like staring up at the sun, such a powerful force you cant help but want to witness, but too brilliant to hold sight of long.

So we look away and try figure out if it’s even real, if it's even worth the effort.

But still we climb.

Any goal-oriented person like myself finds thrill in the chase of success. Equipped with ambition and tunnel vision, the chase becomes your number one priority. Every move you make is a deliberate step towards making your dream come to fruition. The more work you put in, the closer you get, so you keep working until you're practically salivating at the thought of getting what you want.

I swear, that "Eyes on the Prize" mindset can be addictive. There's a difference between waking up every morning to tweet "Rise and Grind"/ "Good things happen to those who HU$TLE" and actually doing so. Being in the business of actually practicing what you preach already puts you ahead of so many who don't yet recognize their true potential, and damnit, it feels good.

Not only do you get the self-fulfillment of checking off a box on your to-do list, but when people actually begin to take notice, that rush goes from 0 to 1,000 real quick.

That ego-stroke will have you fighting to meet your own expectations while trying to live up to this public persona that suddenly exists beyond you. The perception of who you are and what you're capable of almost has a mind of its own, walking around with such airs that are greater than anything you've imagined for yourself. Like a shadow, it follows you.

You've set the bar high and there's no turning back now.

So you climb.

Soon, the celebration and accolades seem smaller than you remember because the your end goal hasn’t been met. Congratulations and well-wishes begin to gloss over. As imposter syndrome creeps up, insecurity begins to settle where confidence once lived. Everything is taking much longer than you expected it to. Plans crumble and leave you back at square one.

No matter what you do, it doesn't seem like it's good enough.

I promise, as long as you don't give up, what you're doing is enough. YOU are enough. Don't let pressure suffocate you, envy bind you, or fear restrict you from reaching that goal.

Your journey to the "top" is yours, and it begins with creating your own definition of success. You may have some grand objective that beams down on you from the mountain top, but don't forget to celebrate the steps it will take for you to get there.

The people we admire who are so great at what they do didn't just get there overnight. Cardi B wasn't built in a day and nobody even saw 2017 Gucci Mane coming.

It was in this moment I realized, Hennything is possible.

They put in WORK, and so should you.

When you think about the present, have that same energy you have when you talk about where you WANT to be in the future. When you have this mindset, you'll always win.

You don't need to wait for anyone to realize your worth. Go ahead and pop a bottle in honor of YOU, the things you've accomplished and how far you've come. Stop stressing and take time to relax, reflect, and refocus your vision to better suit the life you want to live. (and nobody else's.)

Stop and smell the rosé. You deserve it.