Tap into yourself, figure out who you really are, and embrace that. 

In this episode, Sylvia and Drew Nixon, share the value of knowing who you really are and walking in your purpose. Life can get too noisy that we often miss the very thing that we would like to do, but we are given the opportunity to recognize our strength and learn the process of chasing our dreams. 

WHAT YOUNG DREW AND SYLVIA WANTED TO BE

It’s always an interesting question when someone asks us what our dreams are when we were younger. Some of us may have varying dreams like Drew or one specific dream that will stay all throughout like Sylvia.

Young Sylvia always knew she wanted to be an actress or a talk show host. She was even considered to be most likely to have a talk show like Oprah in her senior yearbook. Life eventually took a different turn for Sylvia but deep in her heart, she still has that dream. 

While for Drew, he was (on his own terms) “all over the place but not indecisive” when it comes to his dreams. He’s done a lot of different things thus his background is so colorful.

Although he’s always believed that he can do anything, Sylvia has taught him how to hone a specific skill and know who he really is. It helped build his knowledge and his character. 

Now, Drew tells their daughter Chloe that he appreciates every single thing he ventured out when he was younger because it gave him the back-end knowledge and strategies in situations that demanded it.

DREW & SYLVIA’S JOURNEY TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW

When Sylvia was 19 years old she moved to New Jersey in the hopes that her dream of becoming an actress or a talk show host will come to pass. She’s always had the confidence that when she shows up, everything will change. 

There wasn’t a single negative thought in Sylvia’s mind during that time. She didn’t think that it was a very competitive world where it was difficult to get in. Sylvia knew that her dream was very natural for her and she just showed up. All she was thinking was that somebody was going to sign her up for projects.

But as Sylvia mentioned, “it didn’t happen that way.” She came from a small town went to a big city with big dreams and big goals. It sure was a chasing dream moment, but Sylvia added, “it was a chasing dream moment without structure and planning.”

This grandiose event in her life served as an eye-opener. Sylvia realized that she didn’t have to give up on her dreams, she just needed to go in a different direction.

She started learning the ropes of the corporate sector and came back to Florida. Although not everything happened according to how she wanted it to be, it brought her acceptance that “without that dream coming to pass, it doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen.”

While Drew looks at life from a faith-based standpoint. For him, every encounter he had with life happened for a reason. He uses the turbulence analogy whenever we go through a crisis.

Drew states that “turbulence is a constant reminder that there’s a movement happening and that there’s a destination you’re going to get to.” He embraces all the turbulence that he experiences and believes in the power of pivoting. 

Sylvia equates turbulence to new beginnings in our lives. The best example is when someone starts with a new job, she advises, “give yourself the grace to learn and to go through the process.”

A pivot is a learning curve and we don’t always learn instantly, there has to be a process. We go through different seasons in our lives and when we know that a big change is imminent, we have to give ourselves time to comprehend the whole process. 

The process may feel uncomfortable but it’s necessary. Don’t be scared of the change because it allows you to go to a destination where you can cruise and roll with everything that comes your way. 

We’ve become so acquainted with movies or societal expectations that we’re led to believe that change is easy but in reality, it’s not. We have to learn how to process change and grow where we are placed.

TWEETS

“What you see is what you get.” #chasingdreams

"Turbulence is not always a bad thing, it's movement, growth, and a destination." #chasingdreams

"When you pivot, you have to brace yourself." #chasingdreams

"You may feel uncomfortable, but it's necessary for your changing season. #chasingdreams 

QUOTES

"This may not be what I thought it was going to be, but I'm not going to give up on it, I'll just have to go in another direction." 

"Without that dream coming to pass, that does not mean it's not going to happen." 

"Turbulence is a constant reminder that there's a movement happening. There's a destination that you're going to get to."

"Give yourself the grace to learn and to go through the process."

"Any pivot is a learning curve" 

THE ADVANTAGES OF WEARING MULTIPLE HATS

Both Sylvia and Drew are firm believers in wearing multiple hats in life. Drew is a musician, graphic designer, and pyrotechnic professional while Sylvia is an author, a business owner a mother, etc.

Some people limit themselves to one job or one category but for Drew and Sylvia, it’s better to have multiple passions. Drew explains, “I truly believe in my ability” and he doesn’t put himself in a limiting box.  

He ingrained this mindset early on and he kept himself busy with activities he’s passionate about. 

Sylvia believes in the importance of being honest with ourselves and what has been given to us. She adds, “I have to be honest with what has been put in my hands.”

We are all born with a purpose, some of us are asked to do some things while others are meant to do multiple things. The moment we realize what has been placed in our hands, it’s going to give us fulfillment. 

However, life can become so noisy that we miss the very thing that we really like to do. Some people may even push aside their passion because they compare their success with others. 

Some people may become sad or depressed because they are not honest and they don’t operate in the gifts that have been placed in their hands. But when we do operate according to our gifts, we’ll feel fulfilled and we’ll also change the lives of people we come in contact with.

Also, Sylvia expounds on the significance of connections. She thinks that people have taken for granted connections and how it helps us get to our purpose. She declares, “when we are placed together, it is for the purpose and advancement of something huge.”

Although Sylvia believes in the value of connections and working towards achieving purpose together, she also highlights knowing what fills you as an individual.

What works for Drew and Sylvia’s relationship is that “we respect what fills each other but we still know how to have a fulfilment together as a married couple. This allows them to work together and not break apart.

TWEETS

"I have to be honest and embrace what has been placed in my hands." #chasingdreams 

"When we are placed together it is for the purpose and advancement of something huge." #chasingdreams

"We respect what fulfil each other but we still have a fulfilment together." #chasingdreams 

QUOTES

"Because life is so noisy, it can get you so thrown off that you miss the very thing that you really like to do."

"When we operate