What separates two people who come from the same background, yet one thrives and the other doesn’t?

I know it can be many things. But personally, as I started feeling drawn to this subject, I began seeking advice from highly successful people in their fields and I kept discovering things I wasn’t applying to my own life.

The common thread? It all starts in the mind before it ever becomes action.

hiii, that’s me few weeks ago, leaving my dream of being a underwater photographer around the world

But hold on —

I’m not talking about overthinking.

(That’s a different thing entirely, and I already wrote about it here on Closer to Wild)

I’m talking about mindset.

Two quotes have really stayed with me. The first, from a millionaire that came from poverty:

“If that person deserves to have it, I am equally deserving of it"

And another from one of the most respected businesswomen in my country. She said in an interview:

“There is absolutely nothing I want that I won’t get. If I can imagine it, I can have it.”

I love how these words inspire me to let go of the part of me that tends toward self-pity.

Now, I’m not saying success means having loads of money,  in fact, I think that kind of thinking can be deeply harmful to the planet. What I take from these quotes is simply the confidence boost we all need to keep going and keep pursuing our dreams.

Can I share something really vulnerable?

Before becoming a full-time traveler, I made a list in my notes of the places I wanted to visit, in order:

• Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

• Hawaii

• Indonesia

I remember so vividly that the moment I closed that note, I checked my bank account. I had a total of $0.89. Not even a full dollar.

But I put it out there. I believed it would happen one day, so I kept going, kept practicing my English, kept showing up.

And here I am, 12 years later, traveling full-time every year from the Arctic to Antarctica.

Pretty powerful what the mind is capable of.

Do you have a story to share on this? I’d love to hear it,  be inspired by you too and learn from your own perspective.

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For the wild,

Maya