Anime was a big influence on me since I was a child. While I watched a lot of other cartoons and sitcoms over the years, anime was what stood out the most and what had the greatest impact on me, even way before they were animes or created in Japan.
While seeing kids with super powers were certainly exciting, and the storylines had me rushing home to see the next episode, what had a big impact on who I am as a person was the characters and their mindset.
In a lot of my favourite shows growing up, Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Beyblade, Cardcaptors, Inuyasha etc, the main character had a mission, a goal, or a dream.
Some knew what they wanted to do from episode 1 and were driven to make that a reality, such as Ash and Tyson wanting to be the best. They may suck at first, and of course they lose some battles, but nothing will stop them from one day achieving that #1 title.
Others, like Serena, Sakura, and Kagome….(why are these all girls? I’m just noticing this haha), were sucked into unfortunate situations they weren’t ready for nor really wanted to do, but they finally accepted their faith, and did their best to achieve their mission so they could go back to their normal, basic lives.
Regardless, it’s a huge inspiration and motivator seeing normal kids, young, weak, shy, take on these big obstacles, even when they’re scared and have doubts. They could just give up and die, but they fight with all their might.
Seeing them finally achieve their goals (though, to be honest, I actually don’t recall seeing the ending of any of these animes….thanks a lot YTV!), really opened my mind as a child.
While I was aware they were just fictional stories, it still showed me that it is better to believe in yourself and go into battles with confidence that you could possibly win, instead of giving up before you even start. If you suck now, you can keep practicing, you can get better, and you can beat those who you once lost to.
No one ever wins a battle believing they will lose. Well, some will, and they may get lucky, but that negative mindset will only take you so far. You won’t practice as much if you ‘know’ you’ll lose. You won’t keep pushing when you’re tired if you ‘think’ you’ll lose. You won’t keep trying if you lost a couple times.
So moving forward, try to live with the main character mindset. Have goals and dreams that you are passionate about, and don’t give up til you get there.
That’s what Michael Jordan did. He got cut from his high school basketball’s team and missed many shots…but now he’s one of the biggest and most known basketball players.
That’s what Oprah Winfrey did. She knew she wanted to be on TV, and while she got some opportunities early on, she was dropped. She was told she’s a slow writer and fired. But eventually, things worked out and she had he own show and channel.
That’s what J.K. Rowling did. Harry Potter got rejected 12 times! She was told not to quit her day job. But one day, someone accepted her book, and she has one of the best selling series of all time with movies.
There are so many real life examples of individuals who were once nobodies, people who failed tens or hundreds of times, youth who were discouraged from chasing their dreams….but those who chase wholeheartedly will eventually get what they want because they don’t give up and they won’t take no for an answer.
Don’t live with regrets. Don’t listen to the naysayers who are lazy and miserable. Chase your dreams and live life to the fullest.
Final Personal Note:
To those who are new to this site, welcome! This was the 2nd article on this blog, but I currently have over 200 articles, all to help push, inspire, and advise on others on how to chase their musical dreams, as a beginner musician who is doing just that. I created my first two blogs in the self-improvement and goal achievement niche in 2020, but I shut them down as I ran out of article ideas. Even if they didn’t work out the way I hoped, I learned how to build sites and what not to do when creating a blog.
This one was built for my rookie band in late 2021. I was pursuing my childhood dream of playing with a band on stage, and while I failed at that twice in the past, I was eager this time and I was going to make it happen no matter what. I made this site to promote my band while sharing what I learned on the way. You can learn more on my Band Project page. And while many told me blogging was dead and didn’t think this would be successful, I’m now hitting 20k views/month. Never let people discourage you from what you really want to do or try.
Despite being black and growing up in ‘the hood’, parents separated, low income family, and no one really had high hopes for my future, I pushed past my victim and survival mindset because I didn’t want to live with regrets. I was tired of waiting for someone to join me. Even if I was scared, even if no one was able to advise or help me, I decided it would be worth it to take those leaps of faith.
Within a 5 year span, I crossed everything off my bucket list, including pursuing my true childhood dream job (and even landing a stable job at one of the biggest/oldest agencies) doing some solo trips across Japan and across Canada, finally moving out to have my own room, along with other activities like concerts, seeing the northern lights, and hang gliding. I love inspiring others, and pushing my friends to pursue their crazy dreams as well.
If you really want to change your life for the better and pursue the things your heart truly desires, I have many articles that you may find useful. To start off, check out my 100 New Year Resolutions List, 10 Steps to Rediscovering Your Passions as an Adult article, and How To Set Goals Properly and Prepare For Success guide.
Life is short, so start living like the main character and make the most of the life you were blessed with!
Sincerely, Nostalgia <3