When I think about my life, I often think about all the sacrifices I've made thus far just to make it another day.
I've given up relationships, jobs, and even a bit of comfort in the pursuit of what I visualize as my dreams. A lot of times, it's easier to focus on what you don't have. However, when we're able to, instead, focus on what we do have, we grant ourselves permission to manifest additional greatness into our lives.
In a lot of ways, singer and model Ciara is a glowing example of what a lot of us strive to be: the mother, the wife, and the career woman, doing it all in a seemingly effortless way. In the past, the 32-year-old has spoken about manifesting her dream husband, quarterback Russell Wilson, and why her intentional focus on positive affirmations have led her to lead the life of her dreams. But that's not the only blessing she spoke into existence.
Recently, Ciara linked up with Cosmopolitan to shoot her first cover for the magazine and also dropped some gems about her ambition, her goals, and why she will never entertain an online troll.
On the heels of the release of her seventh album, Ciara is on a mission. While this mission definitely includes continuing her successful career as a recording artist and eventually becoming a billionaire, Ciara also realizes that long after the records stop spinning and the accolades no longer roll in, it will be her legacy as a wife and mother that will remain.
The singer says that in 10 years, her idea of success will be based on her family life, regardless of her creative endeavors. She tells Cosmo:
"I never thought, 'I can't be because of the color of my skin, I can't be because of my gender.' No dream is too big. I want to be a billionaire. The more resources, the more you can do. But I think my greatest accomplishment 10 years from now is that I would have a successful life as it pertains to my marriage and being a mom. It's cool to want to do all these creative things, but it's no good to gain the world if you lose your soul."
In fact, Ciara has been using the idea of positive mantras and writing down goals long before she manifested her beau. The singer, who is currently on tour with Bruno Mars, says she knew exactly what she wanted to do the first time she saw Destiny's Child on TV.
And just like that, she wrote it down.
She also wrote down how many records she wanted to sell (3-4 million, but as of 2015, she has sold over 23 million). And seeing that she's been in the spotlight since 2004, her goals have definitely become reality. She says:
"They [Destiny's Child] were killing it, and I just went, 'This is what I want to do. I'm gonna be an entertainer…' The first goal I wrote down was to get discovered. The second was to sell 3 to 4 million records. Third, have longevity."
When you're in the spotlight, there is no doubt that you'll have to battle the negative forces designed to wreak havoc on your self-esteem, and in 2018, we call them "trolls". The trolling phenomenon has taken on a life of its own with the advent of social media, and if you don't have a strong foundation in your own self-worth, one, ten, or a million negative comments could likely destroy you.
But for Ciara, rather than focus on the naysayers, she instead turns her focus on new opportunities and her mission. She reveals:
"When someone comes for you and you didn't send for them, you keep your eye on the prize. I know what my mission is. I know what I'm hoping for and working hard for every day. And that's my focus. I'm not going to let people steal my joy. I move on. New day, new opportunity, new energy, let's go."
And if you were wondering what her secret is for that banging post-baby body, be ready for three-a-day training sessions. Her rigorous schedule--between training her body and breastfeeding her baby--may be more than most have time for, but Ciara's message of challenging yourself is something that anyone can do.
She says that taking care of herself makes her feel "really good" and she wanted to make sure she preserved her sexy for herself more than anyone else. We're sure that Russell approves of this challenge, too. She says:
"It was kind of like, wake up in the morning, breastfeed, eat a small meal, go train, come back in, breastfeed, eat another meal, go train, then come back, have another meal, and then a third training session at night. It was a good challenge, one I set for myself, not for anyone else. Taking care of myself makes me feel really good. And I want to keep it sexy too, you know."
From what I'm gathering, Ciara's positive mentality, willingness to write down her vision, and to persevere regardless of what others have to say are the major takeaways that I or anyone else can apply to our daily lives. The measure of success is different for everyone, but if we challenge ourselves to put pen to paper and write down our goals, and then have the tenacity to follow through on our vision, no dream is too big.
Thank you for these reminders, Ciara.
For the full cover story, check out the feature here.
