“Shoot for the stars!” they said. “You can be anything you want!” they said.

When I was younger, I wanted to be an ASPCA Officer, a bookstore owner, a dog breeder and a finalist on American Idol, (bizarre aspirations for a young girl, I know.) And that was great!

People told me I could be whatever I wanted to be. Though as I grew older, I began to see at some point, pursuing your passion seems to almost die. That person often gives up their dreams and settle because they think their passions are all but fantasies. Well, I’m here to tell you that dreams really can come true, and not just in Disney Movies.

One day at work, I was asked by a coworker the same question I get asked about one hundred times a day, “What do you want to do with your communications degree after you graduate?” I giggled and replied, “I would actually love to be a florist.”

Now, most people laugh when they hear my reply, or get genuinely intrigued as to why I’m wasting my time and money on a communication degree to become a florist. But this man wasn’t most people. He stopped what he was doing, turned to me and said, “Why did you giggle when you said you wanted to be a florist?” I replied, “Well, most people think it’s kind of just a silly dream of mine. I would really love to own my own florist business one day. But to some, it seems unrealistic. So I don’t know if it will ever happen.”

He returned my comment with a confused glance. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you want to be is isn’t possible.” This conversation really stuck with me, and got me thinking, “Why couldn’t I make my dreams come true?”

But that’s the thing, dreams don’t just “come true” by wishing on a star. And quite honestly, dreams don’t always work out exactly how you plan. When pursuing your passion, it’s important to keep several things in mind:

Your dream needs to be realistic

“But wait. I thought you said earlier not to let anyone tell you your dreams aren’t realistic, and that anything is possible!” Man, I wish! Can you imagine how cool it’d be to save animals, own a book store and win American Idol? I’d be Wonder Woman!

But truth be told, not all passions are realistic. Really evaluate the path you want to pursue, have a realistic plan set forth, and when you’re ready to take the first step,

Be smart about it!

For example,in today’s age, people are quitting their jobs left and right to go explore the world, and I think that’s incredible! But do you think they just dropped their job one day on a whim, bought a plane ticket and moved across the world? No! They had a concise plan of where they would go, what they would bring, how they would make a living, etc.

Likewise, if I really want to be a florist, why would I go to a college that's $40,000 a semester if I don't have the means? You have to be smart, and most importantly,

You have to work for it.

Dreams don’t just come true from kissing frogs or wishing on a lucky star. Like princess Tiana says in The Princess And The Frog, "The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work." I have learned a lot of lessons in life, and one of the most important lessons is: If you want something in life, you have to work for it yourself. Nothing will ever be handed to you. Don’t just sit by and talk about your dream, go out and pursue it because,

You only live once.

What do you plan to do with this one, precious life you have? Sit around and think about “How cool would it be if I could see/do/make/go to/ this?” Well, you’ve only got one shot. The only thing holding you back from pursuing your passion is yourself. Why not be a florist? Why not be anything you want?! The world is your oyster!

So don’t be afraid! Recognize your passion, and do everything in your power to achieve it. Faith, trust, and pixie dust will only get you so far. You're also going to need some brains, ambition and a whole lot of elbow grease. But as Walt Disney said, "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."