To be honest, it has been so long that I actually forgot February 15th is when I first arrived in NYC six years ago. I feel like I have been sharing everything that has happened to me throughout my blog posts, so right now I do not have much to say, except: think about what you want. New York City is amazing and you have all the opportunities, but you need to know what you want for yourself. Staying focused is not enough when you do not know where you want to be in life.
After my father’s visit, I felt recharged to face the New York hustle. His visit literally gave me new energy, but also a new cultural shock - which I already wrote about in IMMIGRANT SERIES - A New Cultural Shock. It changed my perspective of NYC, made me realize that New York is my home, and going back to Brazil is not even an option anymore. But besides that, it also made me realize that I have to revisit my goals, dreams and why I want to stay in this city.
As I said, this is the city where you will have ALL the opportunities you need to succeed, make money, and live your best life. But you have to know exactly what you want for yourself and your career. In NYC it is easy to make money. All you have to do is get a job in the entertainment industry and you can make a living, but you can also get lost and forget about your goals.
Yes, dreams and goals can change. That is normal and you have to adapt to life according to your reality. But let’s face it, you can change your reality and seek something better, as long as you know where you want to be. It took me a while to learn that and my father’s visit helped me realize that I had to revisit my career goals.
Not only my career goals, but my business projections were far off from the reality I am currently living. So I had to rework my business plan and rethink how I am going to grow my business and live the life I want to live. Right now I am on the hustle between running a business that I love and working on a side job, which we all know is normal, but, being completely honest, I did not come to NYC to have a side job. I came here to build my career in fashion and inspire people who also want to build a career in the US. Having a side hustle just makes me think that I am not living the life I came here for and I am taking a step away from my goals. Especially after all the effort, I put into building my career as a fashion production manager. This is one of the main reasons why I had to rethink my business model, how I am going to grow my business and be able to do only what I love, without having a side job to make extra money.
Taking a step back to be able to focus on yourself and build your career is normal, but you have to know why you are taking this step back and what you want for your future. I do not regret the steps I took so far, but I have to admit that I felt lost and, if it was not for my father’s visit and my new business model, I would not be happy with my career decisions.
Six years have passed and I am still learning, still hustling, still seeking to learn more, be a better person and help people. It is hard work and, if you are like me and like to challenge yourself, things tend to be a bit harder (like, crying out loud harder, lol). Staying focused is not enough when you are still trying to figure out life and what next steps you should take. It is complicated to explain this but, in NYC, you will never figure out life. You might come here and become successful and achieve all your goals, but this city is constantly changing you and making you seek more and more. It was first one year, then four years, and now six years. This city still teaches me that staying focused is not enough when you are not 100% secure about what you want for yourself.
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