I questioned, why am I so infatuated with happiness? Like once I achieve it. everything will be perfect. It never happens.

The difference between setting goals, being goal-driven, and being goal-oriented:

Being goal-oriented is being focused on reaching a specific objective or accomplishing a task. When it comes to being goal-oriented at work, a goal-oriented person is driven by purpose and can focus (e.g., zero in) on the tasks at hand, getting them done efficiently.

Being goal-oriented is a valuable personal quality that can produce impactful results in your career. No matter your level, job title, or industry, it is important to learn the ability to navigate the process of setting goals, reviewing your progress, and revising your strategy.

"Goal-driven" means that one is motivated by setting specific target objectives--that is, one is driven (motivated) by goals. If a person is like this, for example, he or she will work harder when there are deadlines to meet. So, it doesn't exactly mean "Do you have enough power or passion to meet the goal?" I would say the question means something like "Do goals provide you an extra incentive to work hard?"

I personally believe that being goal-driven means that when you have a definite purpose in life, you do whatever it takes to meet that purpose and don't drift. This I feel in my bones. It is my goal to inspire and continue to advocate for what I believe in through my passions. Whether it be modelling, creating, public speaking… anything I do. As long as I am happy from within and radiating that out. I am actively pursuing my goals and passions in my everyday life.

This is not to say that if you are not a goal-driven person that you serve no purpose… It just depends on who you are. I am the kind of person who needs direction and purpose to feel whole.

When I was in school I felt the direction of a degree and when I was playing basketball, I hoped to achieve some type of championship or victory.

As humans, we constantly want to be validated; Whether it be a shiny metal or a promotion at work… when are we truly happy? I have been thinking a lot about how I constantly want more. Once I reach that goal, I want more success, more goals, and more validation. Is this healthy?

There is beauty in the climb, there is beauty in the hustle, and there is also beauty in the validation. Sometimes I feel like I chase these feelings of validation so hard that I reject the inward and introspective journey from within. The way I feel when I am doing what I love is unparalleled. So why must I dismiss this for temporary moments of triumph?

Emotions are like the seasons - I choose to love them all.

Just as without one season, the other cannot persist…

Without happiness, there is no sadness and without sadness, there is no happiness. We are creatures of comparison and we define emotions by how they pin up against each other. If I never felt extreme sadness, I would never then know what extreme happiness is. Emotions change just like the seasons and so do we. Change is beautiful and comparative. Yet I do find myself being caught up in the nonexistential thoughts of how sadness will never pass through me and happiness will not catch the light of day. It used to be often that I let sadness consume me, dig me into my own grave, and even propel me into depressive states. I now let it pass through me so that it can make way for the good. Whether it be a bad grade, extreme heartbreak, or even just bad news… I know a good grade, true love, and the good news is on its way too.

A moment of change: I remember a pivotal moment of change for me was when I decided to exit the modeling industry. I saw the ways in which it caused me stress, self-doubt, and negativity. This change created extreme anxiety for me. I thought of all the efforts I had put into my career as a model, all of the things I put up with to obtain my goal, and everything I sacrificed. These were unproductive thoughts. Once I let go of this regret and changed it into lessons I made the realization that I did not want to leave the industry, I wanted to redefine my place in it. In order to do so, it took me leaving for a while and coming back, hitting the ground running, with a new agency and a set of core values that no client, booker, agent, or industry could break. I CHANGED and so did everything and everyone around me. I entered the industry as a caterpillar and then re-entered as a butterfly… The truest symbol of change and how beautiful it truly can be.

So how do you invite change?

Take rock bottom for example. The epitome of uncomfortable change. That is why rock bottom can be so beautiful at times. Because with rock bottom, comes extreme triumph, mountain tops, and skyscrapers.

——————— Rock bottom refers to a time or an event in life that causes an addict to reach the lowest possible point in their emotion. It is a time when the person feels like things cannot get worse for them.

A while ago I had an internal conversation with myself about happiness and how I felt it after intense rock bottom …. I realized that we in the modern world have become so obsessed with happiness that we forget how to find it within ourselves. We’ve begun to perceive it as a state we’re supposed to be in most of the time. otherwise, something must be wrong with us. When we are in a state of rock bottom or even just sadness, ”we treat happiness like it’s a lifestyle. a thing to grab, hold, and keep when in reality happiness is just an emotion.” - Rupi Kaur

We give happiness almost too much credit. because like any other emotion, happiness is meant to come and go.

“Emotions are just temporary states of being, nothing more than passing visitors. they do not define our lives.”

This teaching has kept me grounded in tough times. especially while I was trying to figure out why I couldn’t “stay happy”. the teaching said: you are not entitled to stay in any emotion. the sooner you learn to stop avoiding the difficult ones, the sooner they’ll pass. the sooner you stop trying to keep the good ones, the less devastated you’ll be when they go. the wheels keep turning. and within that motion, we must find our peace. #homebody - Rupi Kair

This teaching resonates with me entirely. We must not obsess over an idea of happiness. Rather, we should find it from within us. Pull it from your spirit at the most difficult of times and when change comes, don’t run from it. Invite change! Be the master of your mind and blossom.

I hope that these blog posts resonate with you beautiful souls in some kind of way and I truly appreciate you reading my brain. Until next time 🤍

Love,

Imran👸🏽🤍