Steve Jobs once said, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."
Unfortunately, many of us do, trapped in a life that isn't right for us by fear and inertia.
Here are 10 compelling reasons why you should go after your dreams -- it's never too late.
1. The time will pass anyway.
Have you ever thought there's no point launching a business, pursuing a project or studying for a new qualification because it will take four years before you've made it, or you'll be such-and-such age by the time you finish?
These five words may change your perspective: The time will pass anyway.
Four years are going to pass. You are going to turn such-and-such age. And either you'll have a rewarding business, flourishing project and life that you love by then -- or you won't.
2. It feels so much better to be at the bottom of the right ladder than the top of the wrong ladder.
There is a huge sense of satisfaction which comes from following your dreams, even if you haven't reached them yet.
3. Every day is filled with infinite possibilities.
So much can happen in a day. You could meet the right person, stumble across the right opportunity, come up with an exciting idea, perfect a pitch, move jobs, move houses, move countries. Don't underestimate the power of a single day.
4. Continuing on the wrong path in life is throwing good money after bad.
Life is a precious gift. Every day you have an incredible opportunity to live fully, feel joy and satisfaction, laugh, give, share and pour energy into the things that make your heart sing.
If you continue living the wrong life (wrong job, wrong relationship, wrong lifestyle, wrong friendship group) because you've invested so much time or effort into it already, you're throwing away precious new days after bad ones.
5. Your life is not limited by your present circumstances -- only your beliefs, which can be changed.
Don't judge your future prospects and dreams based on your current situation.
Where you find yourself now is a product of your dominant thoughts and beliefs a year ago. If you change your thoughts and start opening your mind to the possibilities for your life, everything will start to change in amazing and beautiful ways.
6. You have a unique gift to give to the world.
You are a once-in-humankind combination of passions, natural aptitudes and quirks. There will never again be anyone like you. Your primary purpose is to be authentically you in every way possible. Playing small does not serve the world.
By working, dating, eating, living, creating, indulging and traveling in ways that feel right to you, you are living in alignment with your soul. And when you live in alignment with your soul, you come alive, and the whole world benefits!
7. You can't suffocate your true desires.
You can sense when you're not living in alignment with your soul. Even when nothing is obviously wrong, you get an alarming sense that nothing feels right, either, and the years are slipping by.
This feeling will only continue to grow if you don't pay attention to what it is trying to tell you.
8. A key aspect of happiness is having meaning and purpose.
While happiness is a choice and is something you can (and should) learn to tap into at all stages in your life, going after your dreams adds a whole new element of fulfillment and satisfaction to your days.
9. You will build a deeper relationship with yourself.
There will be soul searching, late nights, hard yards, doubts and fluctuating emotions, but you will learn so much about yourself in the process, and that alone will be worth it.
10. You will regret it if you don't.
When a palliative nurse with over 15 years experience surveyed her dying patients on their top life regret, the number one regret was: "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, and not the life others expected of me."
Rise above the pressure to follow the status quo and the expectations of well-meaning family and friends, and create a beautiful life that's true to yourself.
To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, most people go to the grave with the song still inside of them. Don't be one of them.
Elyse is the founder of NotesOnBliss.com, your guidebook to happiness and creating a beautiful life. For more tips, wisdom and inspiration, sign up now.